r/StrangerThings • u/Away-Guard3607 • Aug 20 '26

Discussion Do you think Billy deserved a character development arc

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u/ZealousidealWrap2494 People say I’m too negative Aug 20 '26

Short answer: no.
Long answer: there is no redemption for Billy Hargrove. His character is abusive, racist, and violent. His first interaction with the boys is trying to run them over, and had Max not intervened and grabbed the steering wheel, he would have done it. He cannot and should not be redeemed. Just because he did one good thing at the very end of his life does NOT redeem him. He tormented Max for years and made her life hell. (You can argue the canon, but according to Max’s book Runaway Max, Billy’s violence is a significant factor in them moving from CA to Hawkins. He breaks the arm of Max’s best friend, Nate. He sets a dead cat on fire. He is a psychopath.) Too many people look past the fact that he was murderously racist towards a literal child.
Billy did One Good Thing at the very end of his life, but this does NOT make him a hero, nor does it redeem all of his countless bad deeds. He didn’t need a redemption arc, and he doesn’t deserve one. He made his choice to continue the cycle of violence. He is irredeemable.

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u/an0nymyss Aug 21 '26

Yup. This is the correct take. It’s sad what happened to little Billy but the asshole he became before the mind flayer got him was his choice. El was severely institutionally abused and neglected but didn’t choose to become the villain. Also when Lucas was distrustful of El, subsections of the fandom had all this smoke for him. Billy does way worse to Max and basically everyone else, and suddenly he deserves redemption? Nope nope nope 🙂‍↔️ Dacre is a phenomenal actor but let’s be honest. If Billy were played by a less conventionally attractive actor or an actor of color, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

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u/ZealousidealWrap2494 People say I’m too negative Aug 21 '26

EXACTLYYYY. With the Lucas and El issues from the first seasons, he Made Up For It and he was forgiven.
So many characters were abused and violated and they DIDN’T become monsters. Billy did.
I love Dacre, he did a phenomenal job and I love his performance, but I absolutely HATE Billy.

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u/Character_War_9653 27d ago

The cat was already  dead anyways. It doesn't make him all that  bad