Lenora Hills, California, United States (season 4)
Nationality
American
Born
March 22, 1971
Age
18 (as of season 5 epilogue)
William "Will" Byers is a fictional character from the Netflixscience fictionhorror television series Stranger Things, portrayed by Noah Schnapp. The character appeared in a recurring capacity in the first season before being promoted to the main cast starting with the second season. Schnapp's performance and the character itself have been generally well received by critics, though not without criticism, particularly in the show's fifth and final season.[1]
Noah Schnapp was cast as Will Byers in August 2015.[2][3] Schnapp was promoted to series regular for the second season in October 2016.[3] Schnapp was revealed to be returning for the third season in a main role by February 9, 2018.[4] The idea of having Will communicate with Joyce via lightbulbs was inspired by 1980s films, including Poltergeist.[5] In terms of the narrative in the third season, Levy said the season would be less about Will, saying, "We're not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row. He'll be dealing with stuff, but he won't be at rock bottom... We're [going to be] dealing with forces of evil that are new."[6]
Will Byers is introduced in the first season of Stranger Things as a quiet and sensitive boy living in Hawkins, Indiana. After encountering a creature from the Upside Down, an alternate dimension connected to Hawkins, Will disappears and is presumed dead. While trapped there, he communicates with his mother Joyce through electrical disturbances. Will is eventually located and rescued by Joyce and Jim Hopper. Following his return, he suffers lingering physical and psychological effects, indicating his continued connection to the Upside Down.
After his return, Will experiences difficulty readjusting to everyday life and is subjected to harassment by other students. He suffers from recurring visions of the Upside Down and is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by Dr. Sam Owens. It is later revealed that Will has been possessed by the Mind Flayer, an entity seeking to expand its influence into Hawkins. Using Will as a conduit, the Mind Flayer spreads through underground tunnels beneath the town. Will is ultimately freed from the entity's control with the help of his family and friends.
In the third season, Will becomes increasingly isolated as his friends begin focusing on romantic relationships. He discovers that he still retains a psychic sensitivity to the Upside Down, allowing him to detect the Mind Flayer's presence. This ability helps the group identify the entity's continued survival through its possession of Billy Hargrove. Following the defeat of the Mind Flayer during the events at Starcourt Mall, Will moves away from Hawkins with his mother, brother, and Eleven.
Now living in Lenora Hills, California, Will struggles with emotional repression and a sense of displacement. During Mike Wheeler’s visit for spring break, Will supports Eleven as she faces bullying and later accompanies Mike, Jonathan, and Argyle in an effort to locate her after she is taken to a facility in Nevada. During the journey, Will reveals his romantic feelings for Mike through a painting, though he does not state them directly. Upon returning to Hawkins, Will senses the Upside Down's renewed presence as it begins merging with the real world.
In the fifth season, Will remains in Hawkins as the town is placed under military quarantine following the breach between dimensions. His psychic connection to the Upside Down intensifies, allowing him to perceive events from the perspective of its creatures and track Vecna’s movements. Will plays a central role in locating and protecting children targeted by Vecna and later demonstrates the ability to disrupt the hive mind through his connection to it. Over the course of the season, Will comes out as gay to his family and friends, who express their support. During the final confrontation, Will uses his psychic link to help weaken Vecna, contributing to his defeat and the destruction of the Upside Down.
Will was ranked the third best Stranger Things character by Screen Rant, behind only Eleven and Steve Harrington.[7] However while Schnapp's performance continue to be generally well receivedby most critics throughout the shows run some critics had become more critical of the writing of the character and Schnapp's portrayal of the character by the time of the fifth and final season.[8]
In the final season of Stranger Things, Will Byers comes out as gay to his friends and family.[15] Prior to this canonical confirmation, viewers and critics had long speculated that Will was gay and harbored unrequited romantic feelings for his best friend, Mike Wheeler.[16][17]Stranger Things fans used the term "Byler" for the proposed relationship between the two characters.[18][19] The fourth season contained significant subtext, including a scene where Will becomes emotional after giving Mike a painting under the pretense it was from Eleven, which critics interpreted as an acknowledgment of his sexuality.[20][21] Series creators the Duffer Brothers stated these scenes were meant to show Will "relieving himself of some of that burden" and planned to continue this character arc into the final season.[22] Actor Noah Schnapp had also stated in July 2022 that he believed it was "100% clear" Will was gay and in love with Mike.[23] In January 2023, Schnapp himself came out as gay, saying he "had more in common" with the Will Byers character than he previously thought.[24]
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