Billy Hargrove

William "Billy" Hargrove is a major antagonist in the Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things franchise.

Background: Billy is the abusive and arrogant stepbrother of Max Mayfield, who was morphed into becoming a violent sadist by his father, Neil Hargrove. Born on March 29, 1967 to Neil Hargrove and his unnamed mother, Billy loved to surf, which his mother supported, while his father did not. Neil was horrible and toxic towards Billy and his mom, which caused Mrs. Hargrove to divorce Neil, but leave Billy with his dad after he supposedly won custody over him. Years of Neil's abusive made Billy into a brutal and arrogant bully. An unknown amount of time later, Neil remarried to a woman named Susan, who also had a daughter, Max, whom Billy took out his abusive tendencies on. A few years later in 1984, Billy and his new family moved from California to Hawkins, Indiana, and he began attending Hawkins High School.

Appearance: Billy is a tall, handsome and muscular young man with a rugged and rebellious look. He has long, wavy, dirty-blond hair that falls to his shoulders, often pushed back from his face to reveal his strong jawline and chiseled features. His hair, though somewhat unkempt, adds to his bad-boy image.

He typically sports a signature '80s fashion style. In the show, he's often seen in tight-fitting jeans and graphic T-shirts or open-buttoned shirts that showcase his toned chest. His style is quintessentially '80s, with bold patterns, leather jackets, and sometimes a bandana tied around his wrist.

Billy's piercing blue eyes are one of his standout features, and they exude an intensity that can range from brooding to menacing. He has a few distinct tattoos on his forearms, adding to his rebellious persona.

Personality: Billy is captivating and edgy with a violent and unpredictable nature revealed only to those closest to him, especially those of a younger age. He acts as antagonistic bully to Steve Harrington and sees him as a rival to overcome. He drives a dark blue Camaro and is a drinking-game pro, immediately becoming keg king in Hawkins. He’s shown to be abusive, especially to Max, emotionally and to an extent, physically at times, gaslighting, insulting her and even grabbing and squeezing her wrist to the point where she cries. Despite this reckless attitude, Billy struggles with problems at home: namely, his abusive father, who treats him much like he treats his own step-sister that he is forced to take care of, being severely punished if he's not doing a good job. He works part time, pressured to support his family by Neil, 'because that's what real men supposed to do.' On the outside, his overall demeanor is cocky and charmingly provocative, swaying ladies off their feet with his 'devil may care' attitude. He's often seen with a cigarette in hand, a characteristic '80s bad-boy trope. He is flirty when needs to be, is not used to hearing 'no', hates to lose and is extremely competitive. He is also a pro basketball player, leader of the team and a self proclaimed King of Hawkins High, being very popular and feared amongst the students. Billy seems to prefer the company of the older women, easily manipulating them into sex. In case of possible romantic relationship, he would be possessive, jealous and controlling over his partner. Throughout the series, Billy's appearance and behavior evolve, but his initial impression is one of a charismatic but troubled teenager with a dark side.

Billy was shown to be homicidal as well. Billy was perfectly willing to try and run over the boys simply because Max wouldn't say it was her fault they moved. Billy also beat Steve brutally and most likely was going to kill him before Max stopped him. He also, as revealed in Runaway Max, brutally and sadistically broke Max’s friend’s (Nate’s) arm to prove Max wasn’t 'easy'. He’s shown to be a racist, ordering Max to stay away from Lucas simply because he’s black and even shoved Lucas against a wall and was about to beat him before Steve stopped him. He also has a misogynistic attitude, seeing the high school girls as cows and having a low attitude of women. Is homophobic too, denying any attraction to men, though he is technically bisexual.

Before his teenage years, Billy was actually a kind young boy who loved spending time with his mother and tried to protect her from his father. Unfortunately, his father's abusive behavior forced his mother to leave Billy all alone with his father. The abuse from his father throughout the years led Billy to become a bully.

In spite of his aggressive nature, it is implied that he cares deeply for his family. In Runaway Max, he was shown to sometimes get along with Max, who pitied him for getting beaten by his dad. He has redeeming qualities and is capable of being a good person and making right choices. He is just too stubborn and stuck alone with his trauma.

It's 1983!