This list wouldn't be complete without Will Byers, the youngest son of Joyce Byers. Will is the main target of the Mind Flayer for the first two seasons of "Stranger Things." In the very first episode of the series, Will's fate is foreshadowed when he "dies" by the hands of the Demogorgon in an innocent game of Dungeons & Dragons. Shortly thereafter, Will is abducted by the Upside Down's Demogorgon counterpart. Forced into the Upside Down, Will is trapped away from his friends and family with no way out.
In episode four, ominously titled "The Body," Will's "body" is found, seemingly confirming his death. While Joyce refuses to accept the reality of her son's death, she's framed to look absolutely unhinged. The circumstances of the body's discovery are suspicious, but it's hard to argue with the authorities. But it's later uncovered that the body is a fake, confirming Joyce's suspicions that her son is still alive and communicating with her from wherever he's trapped.
By the end of the season, Will's saved from the Upside Down and reunited with his family, but not without consequences. Despite being alive and back in his own world, he's still connected to and influenced by the Mind Flayer throughout season two.
