Netflix's popular sci-fi show Stranger Things is home to a plethora of characters who have grown and developed throughout the seasons so far. Fans first met Nancy Wheeler in Season 1 as a reserved but determined young woman. She struggles with the pressure of adolescence as well as the shady events surrounding Hawkins Lab and the Upside Down.
Nancy has fought monsters from other dimensions in the series, and has evolved from the naive person she used to be. However, in other ways, she has remained the same character who fans first connected with. Here are five ways Nancy has grown since Season 1, and five ways she hasn't.
Changed: Fights The Mind Flayer
Nancy is no stranger to taking on seemingly unstoppable bad guys. In Season 1, she and Johnathan lure the Demogorgon to the Byers' house and almost kill it with the help of Steve Harrington. Nancy takes on Hawkins Lab in Season 2 and exposes the shady government subdivision, and in Season 3 she takes on the Mind Flayer when it possesses Tom and Bruce.
She helps Eleven fight against the Mind Flayer when it later attacks Hopper's cabin. Nancy has become braver and stronger throughout the series, and risks her life fighting the Upside Down monsters several times.
Stayed The Same: Still Loves Johnathan
Nancy and Johnathan are drawn to each other in Season 1 despite her relationship with Steve. After she and Steve break up in Season 2, Nancy and Johnathan finally act on their feelings, and have a passionate night at Murray's.
Nancy and Johnathan's relationship is tested in Season 3 when she faces misogyny from her colleagues at the Hawkins Post. They remain together, however, despite the Byers leaving Hawkins, reflecting on their "shared trauma."
Changed: More Confident
Nancy grows more confident throughout the series, and begins to stand up for herself more. She pursues a story in Season 3 despite her misogynistic colleagues dismissing her. Nancy has fought creatures from the Upside Down, and this has influenced her into becoming a braver, bolder person.
At the beginning of Stranger Things, Nancy was a typical teenage girl who was discovering her identity. In Season 3, she seems much more sure of herself and stands true to what she believes is right.
Stayed The Same: Inquisitive Nature
Nancy is one of the few people to investigate the Upside Down in Season 1. She is motivated by the disappearance of her best friend, Barb. Nancy's nature urges her to seek justice for Barb in Season 2, and she follows her journalistic curiosity in Season 3 when she investigates the possessed rats.
A career path as an investigative journalist seems ideal for Nancy. She has an inquisitive nature and can't rest until she knows the truth. Nancy and Johnathan had a Lois and Clark-like appeal in Season 3, which could foreshadow their future.
Changed: Improved Combat Skills
Nancy learns to use a gun in Season 1, but she perfects her combat skills in Season 2 and Season 3. She is on the front lines holding a shotgun with Hopper and Steve when the Demodogs attack the Byers house, and attempts to shoot a possessed Billy Hargrove in Season 3.
Nancy has fought Demogorgons and the Mind Flayer, and it makes sense that she would learn how to protect herself from otherworldly monsters. Fans can only theorize what creatures she might face in the show's upcoming fourth season.
Stayed The Same: Hard Worker
In the first season of Stranger Things, we see that Nancy is a studious person who takes her education seriously. Steve attempts to distract her from studying after climbing through her window but she rejects him, choosing to put her work first.
Nancy continues to work hard throughout the rest of the series so far. She helps Steve with his college applications in Season 2, and works as an intern at Hawkins Post throughout the summer in Season 3.
Changed: Takes On The Government
When Nancy struggles to move past Barb's death, despite Steve's urging, she decides to expose Hawkins Lab. She works with Johnathan and Murray Bauman to shut down the shady scientists.
This was a bold move that could have ended badly for Nancy and the Wheeler family. Steve warns her about the potential consequences, but in the depths of her grief, she struggles to move on after she discovers that Barb's parents are investing all of their money into finding their daughter.
Stayed The Same: Inconsiderate
Nancy is generally a compassionate and sympathetic character. However, she has proved to be inconsiderate at times, and has done selfish things that have hurt other people. She stays with Steve in Season 2 despite not loving him, and rudely breaks up with him while drunk at a Halloween party.
This is a heartbreaking moment for Steve. The former jock distanced himself from his friends for Nancy, and was planning a future with his girlfriend. Nancy ultimately loved Johnathan, but she should have told Steve this sooner.
Changed: Her Style
Nancy's wardrobe was more simplistic in Season 1, but she wears bolder and brighter numbers inspired by 1980s fashion during the summer in Season 3. She swaps jeans and sweaters for dresses and skirts while working as an intern before finding an edgier look afterward.
Nancy is arguably the best-dressed character in Hawkins. Her summer wardrobe was dazzling, and each item of clothing she wore was a colorful homage to '80s fashion.
Stayed The Same: Not Close With Mike
It is easy to forget that Mike is Nancy's younger brother when watching Stranger Things. The two characters rarely share time on-screen, and pursue different storylines. They are united sporadically in the series by the Upside Down, but their characters arcs throughout the seasons are mostly separated.
Mike and Nancy aren't very close, and often bicker and argue with each other. Hopefully, fans will see the Wheeler siblings together more in the upcoming installment of Netflix's hit sci-fi series.