Jonathan quickly goes from one of the most annoying and slightly creepy characters to one of the most beloved and important people in Stranger Things. From season 1 to season 3, Jonathan made a variety of decisions - some were good, others were rather questionable. Stranger Things has hit the world of Netflix by storm, changing the face of Netflix Originals forever. What makes this show so special is how it takes innocent children and flips their world upside down. Each character is forced to make decisions that no one should ever need to make.
For example, Jonathan began as a somewhat creepy guy who had a crush on Nancy but was forced to search for his missing brother, fight Demogorgons, and protect his friends and family from almost certain death. However, these choices mean that Jonathan messes up. A lot. He makes some decisions that leave fans hating him, even if some of the situations he's in makes everyone feel bad for him.
Felt Bad: When Nancy Got With Steve
It was clear from the start that Nancy was in a love triangle. Although she may not have realized it since she only really had eyes for Steve, Jonathan really liked her but was just too shy to make a move.
So when the school bully and the innocent Nancy decided to start dating, the heartbreak on Jonathan's face was enough to feel bad for him, even if you'd only known him for a few episodes. For most of season 1, Steve makes fun of Jonathan, with Nancy by his side. Ultimately, it is heartbreaking to watch Jonathan see his crush in an entirely different light and go from loving her to hating her so quickly.
Hated Him: Spying On Nancy
Taking photos of someone without their consent is wrong and a horrible thing to do. So when Steve and his group find out that Jonathan has taken stalker-like photos of Nancy, you can't help but hate him.
His persona in season 1 is creepy and rather stalker-like, which ultimately changes everyone's perspective on Jonathan as a person. He takes his crush too far and it has a fair amount of consequences. Steve begins bullying him even more, and Nancy distrusts him for a considerable amount of time after this event.
Felt Bad: Getting Bullied
Jonathan is portrayed to be different. He is quiet, dresses differently, and listens to different music. Steve, takes the opportunity to bully and pick on Jonathan for most of season 1 and 2.
Being the stereotypical popular school bully, Steve pounces on Jonathan and bullies him relentlessly. Although it is somewhat understandable when Steve rips up Jonathan's creepy photos of his girlfriend, he takes it too far and smashes Jonathan's beloved camera in front of him. Being bullied is a horrible thing for anyone to go through, so when Jonathan is subjected to this, you can't help but feel bad for him.
Hated Him: Beating Up Steve
Fighting is wrong, even if Steve did humiliate Nancy for spending the night with Jonathan. Ultimately, she tells Jonathan to let it go and ignore Steve's immaturity. Nevertheless, he ignores her and lets his anger get the best of him and violently punches Steve.
It's undeniable that you feel a little happy to see Steve get his comeuppance, but Jonathan takes it too far. He really hurts Steve and punches a police officer in the heat of the moment, which shows just how impulsive and violent Jonathan can really be.
Felt Bad: Being Left Out
Perhaps one of the most important times in which Jonathan was forgotten was with Joyce. After Will goes missing, all attention is on finding the poor boy. Although this is understandable, Jonathan is left out and forced to fend for himself whilst his mother goes 'crazy'.
Jonathan is clearly struggling with the loss of his brother, yet no one is there to help him through it. His mother is too distracted to notice how hard he is finding it and never really provides him with support, forcing him to be the sole provider of the household.
Hated Him: Not Believing Joyce
Although Joyce did ignore him, he never really listens to her or trusts what she is saying. When Joyce opens up to him about her suspicions, Jonathan completely disregards her statement and seems to get rather angry that she would suggest that she could communicate with Will.
Nevertheless, he shouldn't have ignored what she was telling him, even if it did sound crazy, as it could have meant that Will may have been found sooner.
Felt Bad: His Relationship With His Dad
Lonnie is a horrible man and an even worse father. After leaving his family, Jonathan is forced to take over Lonnie's role as a father figure, despite him being a child himself and not having the time to balance a job, school, and family life.
When Jonathan visits his father's house in search of Will, you really get a sense of the unstable relationship between the two. Both are particularly hostile towards each other and there is clearly a lot of hatred between them. It is impossible to not feel bad for Jonathan and Will's lack of a father figure, as it has clearly affected them.
Hated Him: Ignoring Nancy
In season 3, Nancy discovers problems in Hawkins before anyone but Will realizes it. Yet Jonathan refuses to pay attention to her calls for help.
Another time he ignores her is when she is having problems at work. She is being belittled and laughed at just for being a young woman, yet Jonathan, who also works there, does nothing. If he had helped her before she ran off to complete a story and get her boss' approval, perhaps the two wouldn't have gotten fired and, therefore, got into a heated argument.
Felt Bad: Burning Will
For Jonathan to cause that much pain to a loved one is going against everything he stands for. The whole scene itself is hard to watch - such a young boy in so much pain whilst his family are unable to do anything to help except make it worse.
However, it's the look on Jonathan's face for the duration that makes fans feel awful, as he is forced to watch his brother go through such a horrific situation, even if it was for the greater good and it eventually got the Mind Flayer out of Will for good.
Hated Him: Splitting Up With Nancy Whilst Looking For Barb
Nancy and Jonathan split up in the middle of the woods at night in search of clues as to Barb's whereabouts. Unsurprisingly, something goes wrong. It is extremely frustrating for fans to watch poor Nancy go through such a traumatic time in The Upside-Down whilst Jonathan just stands there and shouts her name.
If Jonathan had been there, maybe they could have learned more about the door to The Upside-Down and he could have saved Nancy from a considerable amount of trauma.