The fourth season of Netflix's Stranger Things, like all those before it, brought a flood of new and exciting characters that audiences quickly grew to love over the course of those nine episodes. While these characters all added something new and refreshing to the show's story, there are certainly some that are more intelligent than others.
Whether that's their academic smarts, their strategic thinking, or even their ability to solve the show's many mysteries, season 4's characters all displayed their intelligence in some way or another, and without several of these characters, the season's main storyline would certainly have gone very differently.
Jason Carver
Undeniably one of the least likable additions to the cast in season 4, Jason Carver serves mainly as a more grounded threat to the Hawkins team throughout their quest to take down Vecna. His misconceptions about accused murderer Eddie make him a huge liability to the main characters' journey, putting his brains to the side as he acts solely out of revenge.
In truth, Jason is probably a fairly smart student, but he's so driven by vengeance and anger that he completely misses what's really happening around him. His constant protests against Eddie and the Hellfire Club prove that he's too stubborn and self-centered to open his mind to the truth.
Argyle
There's no denying that Argyle is one of the most entertaining new characters this season, but his intelligence isn't really his strongest asset. He is a huge help to Will, Mike, and Jonathan throughout their attempts to save Eleven, but his work mostly consists of following orders and supplying pizza.
Argyle's many funny quotes in Stranger Things and moments of comic relief are much-needed throughout this dark and intense season, so it's hard to complain about his often-lacking intelligence. Without characters like Argyle, the California subplot of season 4 wouldn't have been half as entertaining.
Chrissy Cunningham
Although Chrissy didn't really get much time to shine this season, her legacy was still an extremely important one that drove events forward from beyond the grave. She wasn't given any opportunities to display her intelligence, but it was clear from her conversations with Eddie that she knew more than all her peers expected of her.
Perhaps if she hadn't fallen victim to Vecna's curse and died so early in the season, there might have been another side to Chrissy that would have been interesting to explore. Her relationship with Jason was obviously a complicated one, and it's possible that she knew more about his dark side than she was letting on.
Vickie
Vickie's role in season 4 might only have been small, but it seems obvious that audiences will be seeing a lot more of her in the future as her relationship with Robin develops. Little is known about her right now, but it's clear from her academic accomplishments that she's a fairly intelligent character.
As one of the most likable new characters of season 4, Vickie and Robin's relationship definitely deserves more screentime in season 5, which will hopefully let audiences learn a little bit more about her character and watch her demonstrate the intelligence that she's capable of. After all, it's hard to imagine Robin would be so invested in Vickie if she wasn't hiding a smart side to her personality.
Victor Creel
Played by A Nightmare On Elm Street's own Robert Englund, Victor Creel was one of the most important and mysterious characters in the first half of season 4. His tragic backstory was hugely important in the discovery of Vecna's true identity, even if it took Nancy and Robin to realize his innocence.
After spending so much of his life in prison, it's a testament to Victor's intelligence that he's still able to think critically about that dark night and offer his own interpretation of events. He might not have been the most present character in the season, but he certainly left an impact.
Yuri
He might not have been the most agreeable character in season 4, but Yuri's disguised intelligence admittedly got him pretty close to a huge payout from the KGB. He's a strategic and manipulative character, and if it weren't for Murray and Joyce's determination, it's totally possible that his plan of betrayal would have succeeded.
Yuri also managed to sneak into and out of a high-security Soviet prison with the help of Murray and Joyce, which isn't easily done. His over-the-top personality might disguise his brains at times, but Yuri clearly knows what he's doing when his life is on the line.
Eddie Munson
In addition to being the fan-favorite character, Eddie Munson was also one of this season's most resilient and self-assured characters. Not only did he watch Chrissy die and manage to evade the police after being blamed for her murder, but he was also a huge help to the main characters on their quest to destroy Vecna.
Eddie also had one of the most touching and well-written character arcs of the entire cast, with his initial cowardice being replaced by a heroic sacrifice at the end of the season. When considering how much he sacrificed for this group of friends that he loved so dearly, it becomes clear that Eddie Munson was one of the MVPs of Stranger Things 4.
Dmitri Antonov
Although he was working in a Soviet prison for the majority of season 4, Dmitri Antonov managed to prove his intelligence on several different occasions by breaking himself and Hopper out twice. He might not have the book smarts that make some of the other characters so intelligent, but his brains shine through his strategic thinking and battle ability.
Dmitri served as a perfect foil to Hopper throughout their time in Russia, with the two often clashing heads but eventually building deep mutual respect due to their unwavering determination to escape. The truth is, neither Hopper nor Dmitri could have escaped without the other's creative thinking.
Sgt Colonel Jack Sullivan
Despite the fact that Sullivan's intentions were often ambiguous and his brains were in the wrong place, there's no denying that he's an extremely intelligent character that managed to pose a serious threat to Brenner and Eleven as they worked to reclaim her powers.
Sullivan might have had the military advantage, but it's conceivable that he would have been just as successful without it. He's extremely head-strong, which makes him both a dangerous enemy and a liability to himself.
Henry Creel/001/Vecna
What made season 4 of Stranger Things so much darker and more frightening than previous seasons was the fact that the central villain was revealed to be human. Vecna might not be recognizable as a human anymore, but he still thinks and acts like one, which makes him so much more dangerous and threatening than the other creatures in the Upside Down.
Not only was Vecna able to secure dominion over all the creatures in the Upside Down, but he also had the intelligent idea of forming psychic links with people in the real world in order to bring the two dimensions together. His heart might have been in the wrong place, but there's no denying that Vecna was not only one of the smartest but perhaps the best antagonists in Stranger Things that Hawkins has ever faced.