The imminent return of Stranger Things for its fourth season has rekindled interest in the series and its fan-favorite characters. Meanwhile, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has kept the Harry Potter universe running, but Potter fans largely look to the original series as the best. Since both Harry Potter and Stranger Things both have young casts, it’s natural to notice similarities between them.
Whether it’s the designated protagonists' Harry and Eleven or loyal friend archetypes like Sirius Black and Lucas, both franchises have characters that are comparable. Fans of both series can find new perspectives on them by analogizing their main characters.
Ginny Weasley: Max Hargrove
Ginny and Max are fierce girls who say whatever they want and are unapologetic about it. They attract the attention of many admirers because of their spunky personalities, which makes them charismatic young women who still don’t really care about what others think.
The pair even look somewhat similar, with their flaming red hair and fiery expressions when they’re not in the mood for jokes. Much like Ginny, Max is a tomboy who makes friends with boys easily but is in tune with her feminine side that comes out around the likes of Eleven and Hermione.
Neville Longbottom: Will Byers
Neville is among the Harry Potter characters who’s endured the worst punishments, which makes him comparable to Will. The latter was possessed by the Demogorgon and ended up feeling left out from his friends after he’d recovered. The feeling of being ostracized was something Neville likewise always lived with.
Neville had friends but didn’t hang out with them much, with Will experiencing this in the third season when the other boys had developed different interests. They’re both inherently brave, yet carry a meek demeanor for the most part out of a lack of confidence.
Rubeus Hagrid: Jim Hopper
Hagrid is seen as a warm, fatherly figure who’s always there to lend his support to the Golden Trio. Jim Hopper became Eleven’s father and took on a similar role for the rest of the group, considered to be the go-to guy when someone needed a shoulder to cry on.
Hagrid was similarly the Golden Trio’s safe place, with Harry seeing his cabin as a place where the friends had their best laughs. Moreover, both Hopper and Hagrid have sad pasts, stemming from the deaths of Hopper’s daughter and Hagrid’s father.
Severus Snape: Jonathan Byers
Many consider Snape to be a hero in Harry Potter due to his love for Lily driving him to aid Harry. He was an outcast in his youth, contending with bullies while falling in love with a girl who appeared to be unattainable. The same outline is what Jonathan went through in Stranger Things’ first season.
Jonathan was a loner who admired Nancy from afar and was belittled by Steve’s gang. The difference between Snape and Jonathan is that the latter stood up for himself. However, both of their stories are pushed by Nancy and Lily all the way through.
James Potter: Steve Harrington
The fans of Harry Potter debate who was worse between James and Snape due to how both became bullies. In James’ case, he was one just for laughs and because he wanted to be popular in school, which are the same motivations Steve had in Stranger Things back when he was a jerk.
Steve has since become much nicer and loyal toward his friends, something that James is said to have undergone as well by the end of his time in school. The two have effortless charm and attractive looks that garnered them the attention they loved, but also had to grow up emotionally.
Hermione Granger: Nancy Wheeler
Nancy and Hermione are intelligent young women who have to prove themselves due to their society’s looking down on females that speak their minds. They’re not the best when it comes to romance, as seen when Hermione couldn’t tell Ron about her feelings and Nancy was the same with Jonathan.
They can be opinionated to a fault, pushing their loved ones away. Hermione sometimes falls out with her friends because of her narrow-minded beliefs, and Nancy fights with Barbara and Jonathan when they don’t understand her. At their core, however, both young women care very much about their friends and family.
Molly Weasley: Joyce Byers
Molly is a protective mother who will do whatever it takes to keep her children safe and happy. Joyce channeled the same attitude when she searched for Will, going to whatever length needed to get her son back. The two struggle to keep up with their children’s demands but never complain.
Although Molly has Arthur, she’s primarily seen tending to the children on her own; Joyce’s deadbeat ex-husband never bothered to be in his children’s lives and she’s the primary caregiver. The two mothers also have firm personalities that make others respect them.
Fred Weasley: Dustin Henderson
Dustin is the funniest member of his friend group and the most daring of the lot. Fred was generally seen with his twin, George, but he took their pranks further, like turning Ron’s teddy into a spider and slipping a tongue engorgement toffee to be consumed by Dudley.
Dustin has shown his bold side by taking on the villains in the underground facility and singing to his girlfriend when the Mind Flayer was pursuing the heroes. The pair can be considered the soul of their groups, as they keep the spirits of everyone at the highest level.
Sirius Black: Lucas Sinclair
Lucas has been Mike’s best friend throughout the series, with the two having similar interests and attitudes. Lucas is the more outspoken of the pair, also being reluctant to let new members into their group. It’s similar to Sirius when he was at Hogwarts and was part of the duo with James.
Sirius only saw his friend group as his primary loved ones, with outsiders largely shunned by him. Like Lucas, Sirius was extremely loyal to his best friend, with any supposed quarrels getting fixed soon after. Lucas might not be as charismatic as Sirius, but the two share a bravado that’s hard to replicate.
Ron Weasley: Mike Wheeler
There were many fears that dominated Ron during Harry Potter, stemming from his insecurities. Mike has also been the most vocal about his fears, ranging from losing Eleven to his friend group getting messed up. Ron and Mike generally mean well, but can also be rather rude due to their bluntness.
Ron could be callous around Hermione despite having feelings for her and Mike did the same to Eleven during their relationship. The two are relatively lazy but step up big time when it comes to protecting their friends. Ron and Mike are also close with their siblings, which they don’t like to make too obvious.
Harry Potter: Eleven
The protagonists of their particular stories, Harry and Eleven are designated as special children. Eleven is a survivor of the experiments on her while Harry became the Chosen One after Voldemort failed to kill him. Both characters carry significant grief over the lack of parental figures in their life.
Both characters also share similar coming-of-age journeys in which they find chosen families who help them achieve a grander destiny. Personality-wise, Harry and Eleven are both generally king, but their reckless nature can can be thunderous when they’re angry. Neither is always as assertive as they might be, and both enjoy being around people who make them laugh.