Now that everyone has happily binged season three of Stranger Things, it's safe to say that it was a pretty wild ride. It was great to watch the characters that fans have loved since the very beginning, from the adorable Dustin to the cute couple Jonathan and Nancy to the loveable Joyce. But there are two characters in the third season who definitely stand out from the rest, and one of them is brand new whereas the other has been given more screen time.
Both Erica Sinclair (the younger sister of Lucas, played by Priah Ferguson) and Robin (Maya Hawke) have some strong scenes, perfect lines of dialogue, and generally bring a lot to the table for the third outing of this show. Here are five reasons why Erica is the best character on Stranger Things and five reasons that Robin is.
10. Erica: She Knows How To Get What She Wants
One reason that Erica is the best character on Stranger Things is that she knows how to get what she wants. Sure, Erica is a kid, so what she wants this summer is free samples at the new mall's ice cream shop, Scoops Ahoy... and she wants a lot of them (and she wants them right now).
Erica is totally determined, which makes her an amazing character. She even makes sure that she's getting something out of it when Dustin and Steve ask her to sneak through the vents of the mall to help them out. She'll only do that if she gets free ice cream for life. Of course, things get really scary, so maybe she kind of regrets that... but she knows her worth.
9. Robin: She's Got A Chill Vibe
There is truly no character on this series who has a more chill vibe than Robin. She even manages to make her Scoops Ahoy uniform look like high fashion. She looks like she's about to walk the runway, wearing a Parisian chic sailor-inspired outfit.
Robin has a really great vibe, and even when she and Steve have clearly been drugged by the Russians when they end up underneath the Starcourt Mall, she's still trying to have a good time. She's the kind of girl that everyone wants to be pals with.
8. Erica: "You Can't Spell America Without Erica"
Let's just take a moment to appreciate this line of dialogue. When Erica says, "You can't spell America without Erica" it's truly incredible. There are many great quotes on Stranger Things, but it's safe to say that this one stands out.
After all, she's right. No one can argue with this. It's yet another example of how tough and strong Erica is and of how much self-confidence she has. This scene deserves to be watched again and again because it's so solid.
7. Robin: She's Her Own Person
Of all the things that Stranger Things fans could say about Robin, the fact is that she's her own person. She's not concerned by what people think about her and she's just trying to do her job at the ice cream shop as best she can.
This is definitely a testament to Maya Hawke's amazing performance. She was the perfect choice for this character as she makes Robin someone who fans root for, and she manages to fit in with Erica, Dustin, and Steve when they're all working on their mission together, but she's still doing her own thing.
6. Erica: She's Brave
Not many children would rise to the occassion when asked to sneak through the vents of a mall in order to find a secret Russian hideaway. That's definitely a pretty scary and disturbing thing to even comprehend.
Of course, Erica is the kind of person who isn't afraid of anything, and she doesn't mind doing this at all (of course, because she's going to get free ice cream out of the deal). Another reason why Erica is the best character on Stranger Things is because she's so brave. She's truly an inspiring girl.
5. Robin: She's Not Popular And Couldn't Care Less
When Robin and Steve are captured by the Russians, they end up spending some time together... although they would definitely rather be literally anywhere else.
We learn that Robin is in the school band and that she used to look at Steve a lot in the class that they took together (but he had no idea who she was at all). That's because Steve was looking at another girl, who Robin had a crush on. During this scene, we learn that Robin's not a popular girl, and that she couldn't care less. This is in sharp contrast to a character like Nancy, who is very sweet but who cares a lot about her reputation and what other people think and say about her.
4. Erica: She's A Nerd (But Maintains That She's Not)
One of the best scenes in the third season of Stranger Things is when Erica and Dustin have a moment when he realizes that she's a nerd, just like him, Lucas, and their adorable group of friends. Since she knows so much about My Little Pony, he says that totally makes her a dork.
Erica is the best character on this Netflix series because she's absolutely a nerd, but she maintains that she's not. Her complete and utter denial is hilarious and fun to watch, and just one of the reasons why she's so quirky and unique.
3. Robin: She Tells It Like It Is (And She's Hilarious)
At the beginning of the third season, when it becomes clear to Robin that tons of kids keep coming into Scoops Ahoy to talk to Steve, she asks him, "How many children are you friends with?"
Robin always tells it like it is and she's also hilarious, so she's a great addition to the series. It's hard to believe that she wasn't a part of the group before, but we're very grateful and thankful that she's on it now.
2. Erica: She Stands Up To Murray
Another point for Erica: when she tells Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman) "I'm ten, you bald bastard" it's truly epic.
Again, Erica proves that she's not scared of anyone or anything, and since the situation that the gang finds themselves in is super terrifying, that's impressive. Would you want to be stuck underneath a mall... or escape only to find a massive creature following you? Definitely not... but she takes it all in her stride.
1. Robin: She's A Good Influence For Steve
Steve is a fairly typical teenage boy as he's got a great heart but needs a bit of help sometimes. His friendship with Dustin is so moving to watch since Dustin has taught him to care about someone other than himself and become more compassionate.
The final reason why Robin is the best character on Stranger Things is the fact that she's a good influence for Steve. They have a real connection and because they went through something together that was straight out of a horror movie, they're able to remain friends. At the end of the season three finale, she even tries to help him get a job at the town's video store, even though the guy behind the counter isn't exactly impressed. Robin's a solid character and we can't wait to see what she gets up to in season four.