Stranger Things' Dustin is a wholesome little bean and good friend who is a delight to watch on the show. He almost always has his friends' backs, and he's a science nerd in the best way. He doesn't let the bullies get him down, he's so delighted about his A/V club that it's contagious, and he's pretty accepting of newcomers, which is difficult territory for many teens.
Dustin's had many moments of heroism, but he's also made plenty of big mistakes. Sometimes the latter even leads to the former, making viewers cringe over his poor choices before cheering on his bravest moments.
Worst: Didn't Tell His Friends About Dart
The worst thing that Dustin has ever done is lie about finding D'Artagnan, or "Dart," the demodog that Dustin found in the garbage can on Halloween night. He also lied about seeing Will, who fled at the sight of Dart.
Dustin knew it was wrong to keep the monster from the Upside Down--not only because he's a smart kid, but because he hid it from his friends in the first place, something he'd otherwise never do. This decision caused several painful events to occur and delayed the help the kids would have received from the adults had he just told them.
Heroic: Being The Peacemaker
Dustin often lends his talents as the peacemaker of the party, asking his buddies to shake hands and make up whenever they're being stubborn about their disagreements. He's the most easygoing of the boys, with a big smile and warm heart, and does everything from offer the last slice of pizza to Mike's sister to using his charm to get their science teacher's help with saving the world, completely unbeknownst to Mr. Clarke.
Dustin isn't always all calmness and zen. He's a teenage boy, after all. But he's definitely the one to settle conflict among his friends when he can.
Worst: Delayed Hopper And Joyce
The second-worst thing Dustin ever did was delay Joyce and Hopper on their mission to close the gateway into the Upside Down, which led to Hopper's apparent demise (which as since been debunked by the season four trailer). This wasn't out of spite, but because he needed information his girlfriend, Suzie, would only provide if they sang a duet to the theme song of The Neverending Story.
It's a situation where he didn't have much choice, but after a summer together, perhaps they should have had a code word to use about a situation being serious. Many fans blamed Suzie and Dustin for the loss of Hopper afterward.
Heroic: Put His Friend First
When the mouth-breathing bullies threatened to cut Dustin's teeth out unless Mike did as Troy demanded and jumped off a cliff, Dustin bravely resisted and told Mike to not jump despite his own fear. He knew what would happen if Mike didn't listen; the crazed Troy already had his knife out. But Dustin, a loyal friend, would much rather have suffered the brutal punishment himself than lose his friend.
Sacrificing yourself like that is a big deal for anyone, especially a middle schooler, and Dustin didn't have any way of knowing that El would show up to save the day.
Worst: Lied About Mews
One of the most heartbreaking moments of the second season of the show occurred when Dustin's sweet cat, Mews, was eaten by Dart, the demodog Dustin loved. Had Dustin done the right thing and turned Dart in or alerted Hopper, this likely wouldn't have happened.
He then lied about knowing what happened to the poor cat, letting his mom agonize over what had become of their family pet. On one hand, what was he supposed to do? It would have been difficult to explain. On the other, Mews was a member of their small family and it seemed like a rather cold thing to do to both Mews and Mrs. Henderson.
Heroic: Asking Suzie For Help
At summer camp, Dustin found love in Suzie, a fellow genius whom his friends unfortunately refuse to believe exists. While this certainly stings Dustin, as it's one of the worst things his friends have ever done to him, he doesn't give up trying to contact her, and he knows that she's the one who can help them out with information that, had the show been made 20 years later, could have been found in seconds on the Internet.
Yes, it also led to the Neverending Story scene everyone either loves or hates, which put Joyce and Hopper in greater danger, but they wouldn't have got in at all without her.
Worst: Asked Steve For Help
When Dustin finally realized that Dart was a dangerous creature in the second season, he turned to all of his friends for help, beginning with Steve and his nail-studded baseball bat and escalating to the junkyard trap with Lucas and Max's help. While it was commendable to see the kids all fighting the monster, they had to know that they were in over their heads.
Hopper was definitely dealing with his own problems at the time, but the kids definitely should have at least told an adult. Had they perished in battle, no one would even know about the threat the town faced.
Heroic: Saved Steve And The Gang From Demodogs
While in the tunnels, the gang was about to be attacked by a now-huge Dart. Dustin recognized his former pet and offered it a candy bar, insisting that his friends exit ahead without him so he could buy them time. Part of this was surely due to his connection with Dart, which might prove that there are things in the Upside Down capable of empathy and connection, but it was also likely due to his sense of responsibility after not taking care of the issue sooner, too.
Then Steve stepped in to return the favor, proving again that he's simultaneously the world's best and worst babysitter.
Worst: Stalking Max
While Dustin and Lucas's fascination with Max was completely normal, their behavior toward her was awkward at best, or, as Max dubbed it, stalking. They could have simply approached her and attempted to become friends instead of following her around and spying.
It's meant to be cute, but it only comes off as making excuses for boys to do everything from stalk and fight over girls to dub them mysterious "other" beings. As open as Dustin has proven to be and as confident as Lucas is, neither of them should have had an issue approaching a pretty girl, and media needs to normalize better behavior.
Heroic: Saving Steve And Robin
Another one of the worst things Dustin has done is allow his own curiosity to rule his otherwise logical brain and spy on the Russians with his friends instead of going to Hopper... again. This time, Steve and Robin get captured because of this decision.
It does lead to Dustin's most heroic moment, however, when he distracts the Russians, storms in the room where his friends are being interrogated and zaps the guards, freeing Steve and Robin. It's one of the most courageous acts demonstrated by any of the children on the show and proves how loyal and brave, even when terrified, Dustin is.