Stranger Things is a wonderfully inventive TV series that both feels fresh and exciting as well as clearly drawing a lot of inspiration from some well known pillars of culture. And within the Stranger Things world, there are few elements of media that are more important than the ubiquitous fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons. The main squad of Stranger Things are avid D&D players, and when they're pulled into a world of inter-dimensional monsters and kids with superpowers, they like to define this new and uncharted territory in classic D&D terms.
This group of kids is typically known in the Stranger Things fandom as "the party", and as Dungeons & Dragons super-fans they clearly already have their D&D characters and character classes well developed and defined. But what character classes would the rest of the Stranger Things characters fall into? Here are all of the character classes of the Stranger Things characters who aren't in the party.
Erica Sinclair - Cleric
The first two seasons of Stranger Things featured Erica Sinclair as an occasional injection of sass into a scene, but she didn't do a whole lot more than that. In Stranger Things 3, however, she really came to the front and center of the series. And jeez, who saw that whole her being a legitimate genius thing coming? Erica's abilities to deal with the otherworldly nonsense that Hawkins has to offer was impressive, but what really stood out was her amazing insight and knowledge about so many things. Which is why Erica would probably be a great Cleric in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.
Bob Newby - Paladin
Bob Newby may have more than earned his nickname of "Bob the Brain", but through the course of his tenure on Stranger Things he proved that he was so much more than that.
He's knowledgeable, he's capable of figuring out things that no one else can even fathom, he's actually a pretty badass warrior, and he is a sincerely good person who is willing to stand up for the people that he loves, even if it's at the cost of his life. And it's primarily for that reason that Bob is a perfect Paladin, because he truly has the heart of a holy warrior.
Martin Brenner - Warlock
Ugh, could Dr. Martin Brenner honestly be anything else? The Warlock class of Dungeons & Dragons characters are people who gain magical abilities through a dark pact with some kind of otherworldy, godly (or ungodly) force, and that describes Brenner's experiments to a T. These characters specialize in the darker sides of magic, and obviously they are willing to do whatever it takes in order to gain the power that they seek. And Dr. Brenner clearly got what he wanted out of Eleven and all of his experiments, regardless of the fact that his desire for power could have literally caused the destruction of the entire world.
Billy Hargrove - Barbarian
Of course the Dungeons & Dragons version of Billy Hargrove would be a Barbarian. The real life Stranger Things version of Billy Hargrove is already a Barbarian. Barbarians are some of the most powerful and dangerous fighters in the D&D world, but there is nothing deliberate or skillful about what they do. They come at their adversaries like a hammer, and their abilities in combat are almost entirely driven by the pure rage and anger that motivates the Barbarians to do what they do. Billy's brute strength is what makes him terrifying, and obviously he lets his anger control him instead of trying to control his anger.
Robin Buckley - Bard
Bards are a quite interesting character class, because while they're definitely one of the brainier character classes in Dungeons & Dragons they are also quite inventive, and intellectual or artistic inspiration can burst out of them at any time. So it makes a lot of sense that Robin Buckley would be a Bard.
She's very smart to be sure, but what distinguishes her from the average clever girl is that she is excellent at tackling problems in a way that works completely outside of the box. Steve and Dustin are no dummies, but they never would have cracked the Russian mystery if it wasn't for Robin's creative thinking.
Jonathan Byers - Monk
Jonathan Byers already seems to lead a somewhat monk-like existence, at least in comparison to the typical high school kid, so clearly his Dungeons & Dragons character class would be a Monk as well. Monks are obviously naturally solitary people, and they tend to be hyper-focused on and devoted to a few specific things that they feel very passionate about or believe in very strongly. Jonathan has finally started to come out of his shell and explored a bit more of the world, but there is no denying that his inner nature is very introverted, solitary, and prone to fixating on his passions.
Nancy Wheeler - Rogue
At first glance Nancy Wheeler definitely didn't seem like the kind of girl with a warrior's spirit, but once she got caught up in the supernatural goings within Hawkins she more than proved her worth as a badass fighter. Nancy may be incredibly brave, but she is also a pretty tiny and not physically threatening girl, so that's why she would probably fit best into the Rogue class of Dungeons & Dragons characters. She isn't afraid of a fight, but she will always do what she needs to in order to skew the fight in her favor, even if she has to be quite underhanded to do it.
Steve Harrington - Fighter
Steve Harrington gets a lot of stick for not being the best fighter, however we think that he belongs in the Fighter class of Dungeons & Dragons characters because most of the fights that he's lost have been unfairly skewed to his disadvantage. Plus, he exhibits one of the most important aspects of the Fighter class of character.
He actually learns how to be a better fighter as he goes along. He's smart, but not as clever as many other characters, and he certainly doesn't have magical powers. But he does always show up to the fight, and he's always on the front lines when things start getting messy.
Joyce Byers - Druid
Not to get all Harry Potter up in here, but Joyce Byers is the queen of one of the most powerful mystical forces in the world, a mother's love. Joyce doesn't have the same kind of magical mojo as her son Will, but her instincts when it comes to her kids seems to be borderline supernatural. She's very connected to the universe in that sense, she will ignore whatever anyone else says or whatever logic would seem to dictate if it conflicts with whatever she's feeling inside. And that's why she is a perfect match for the nature mystics of the D&D world, the Druid class.
Jim Hopper - Ranger
Within the fantasy land of Stranger Things, Chief Jim Hopper is clearly one of the strongest and bravest warriors in the world. He has gone far above and beyond what most people would expect in a small town sheriff, and he has really grown into his role as one of the leaders of this whole ragtag squad. However, Jim spent a lot of his life by himself, especially after his daughter died, so for that reason he seems more like a Ranger class of character than anything. The Rangers are some of the best warriors in the D&D universe, but they tend to go to the edges of their own reality, and they tend to go there solo.