Fans of Stranger Things have no doubt raced their way through the latest season after it dropped on Netflix just under a month ago. The third season of the hit TV show, which dropped online on 4th July, has been met with huge critical acclaim for its gripping storylines.
Of course, a TV show such as Stranger Things was never going to have a completely happy ending - although most of the main characters got out alive, there were always going to have to be some deaths.
May we take this opportunity to tell you to click out of this article if you've not yet finished Stranger Things season? There are SERIOUS spoilers henceforth...
That HUGE Hopper moment aside, one of the other more heartbreaking moments of the series, somewhat surprisingly, was the death of villain Billy Hargrove. Despite the fact that he'd been a horrific bully to his step-sister Max Mayfield throughout season 2, viewers discovered at the end that he was himself being bullied by his own father.
However, in season 3, the Mindflayer made a home in Billy's brain, meaning that he was now being controlled by the creature from the Upside Down, and was able to influence hundreds of Hawkins residents to turn up at its lair and effectively be eaten.
But when Eleven entered Billy's memories, we discovered a softer side to the bully, and saw how he'd been incredibly close with his mum, who passed away. Then, at the very end of season 3, when everyone was facing off the gigantic creature in the Starcourt Mall, Billy sacrificed himself for Eleven to save her from becoming human goo.
HEAT Stranger Things cast slider with cover pic
1 of 15Swipe through to see who's in the cast of Stranger Things...
2 of 15Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
Joyce is the mum of Will and Jonathan Byers, she is divorced and in the second season starts to date her old high school classmate Bob, played by Sean Astin.
3 of 15David Harbour as Jim Hopper
Jim is the chief at the local police station, he is divorced and had a young daughter who died of cancer. He has a connection with Joyce, and adopted Eleven at the end of season two.
4 of 15Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
Mike is one of Will's friends, the brother to Nancy and Holly, and son of Karen and Ted. He later develops feelings for Eleven and they become boyfriend and girlfriend. Aww.
5 of 15Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
When Eleven first appears in the series she has just escaped from Hawkins Laboratory, she has a shaven head and is very scared, however it's clear she has some sort of unusual powers. It is later revealed that her real name is Jane and she meets her mother, who was left catatonic by the scientists at the lab. She is adopted by Hopper.
6 of 15Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
Dustin is another of Will's friends. He is has leidocranial dysplasia which causes him to lisp, however in the second season he is very proud of the two front teeth he developed. Dustin causes havoc in season two after adopting one of the Demogorgon creatures as a pet.
7 of 15Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
Lucas is also a friend of Will's. When he first meets Eleven he is very skeptical, but later starts to trust her. He later develops a relationship with Max.
8 of 15Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
Will is Jonathan's younger brother and Joyce's other son. At the beginning of the first season he is captured and ends up disappearing into the Upside Down. Thankfully, he's rescued, but he has to face even worse problems in the second season as he becomes possessed by the creatures.
9 of 15Sadie Sink as Maxine 'Max' Mayfield
Max was a new character for season two, initially joining the friendship group at the invitation of Lucas and Dustin, but Mike rejects her as he's missing Eleven, who has disappeared. She's also bullied relentlessly by her cruel step-brother, Billy. By the end of the season, they're all friends and Max begins a relationship with Lucas.
10 of 15Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
Nancy is Mike and Holly's older sister. In the first season she becomes Steve Harrington's girlfriend, but by the season season they have split up and she starts going out with Jonathan Byers, and the pair work together to try and expose Hawkins Laboratory.
11 of 15Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
Jonthan is Will's older brother and Joyce's son. He is a quiet teenager and not part of the popular group, however in season 2 he starts to date Nancy.
12 of 15Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
Steve started off as something of a baddie in the first season after he took Nancy's rejection quite hard. However, he was the hero of the second season, looking after the younger group and being a mentor to Dustin.
13 of 15Dacre Montgomery as Billy Hargrove
Billy joined the cast in season 2 with his step-sister Max. Billy is something of a villain on the show as he is constantly bullying Max, and even comes to blows with Nancy, Jonathan and Steve. By the end of the series, we realise that he's the way he is because he's bullied by his father.
14 of 15Matthew Modine as Dr Martin Brenner
In season 1, Martin is the lead scientist at Hawkins Laboratory who is searching for Eleven, he briefly appears again throughout season 2.
15 of 15Maya Hawke as Robin
Maya Hawke - daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman - will be joining the cast of Stranger Things in season 3 as someone who works with Steve at his summer job.
So despite the fact that Max and Billy hadn't exactly seen eye-to-eye, he was her brother after all, and there was some good in him. Now, actress Sadie Sink has opened up about how Billy's death will affect Max in future seasons.
Speaking to Teen Vogue, Sadie said, "That scene with Max and Billy at the end... Obviously she’s just traumatised. But then it cuts to her three months later and she’s singing and happy with Lucas. I remember reading that scene and I was like, 'What’s going on? Wait. Did she not…Did her brother not just die?'
"I think it makes sense for her to be OK, because that’s kind of as messed up as their relationship was. Billy’s death still really affects the dynamic within her family. But in true Max fashion, she’s not going to let anyone see how she’s really feeling at some points.
"You see her just pretending that everything’s fine, when really, everything’s changed for her. She’s in a completely different emotional headspace."
This comes after Dacre Montgomery, the actor who plays Billy, took to Instagram to share a heartbreaking yet hugely inspirational throwback photo of himself to encourage other people to follow their dreams - and it's safe to say he looks pretty different!
NOW WATCH: ‘I won’t message Curtis but I’ll wait for him!’ Amy and Joanna on Love Island’s biggest breakups😱
If you’re a sucker for the Spice Girls and love a bit of One Direction, you need heat Radio in your life.
We’re online at heatradio.com, and you can still get us on the free app on your Android, iPhone or tablet. Tune in on Freeview channel 716 on the telly or get us on your smart speaker by asking it to "play heat radio."