Detailed Artworks of Will Byers and Mike wheeler

What I think of Mike and will

I absolutely love Stranger Things. Let's be real, it didn't become one of the most popular Netflix series of all time for nothing. It truly has everything you could want: an ever growing interesting plot, characters you feel like you know personally, an iconic 80s synth soundtrack, and masterful direction. Every piece fits together perfectly. For me, the biggest strengths are the characters and the music that brings that fictional world to life. Today, I want to talk about two of the original main characters: Will Byers and Mike Wheeler.

If you've watched the show, you know exactly who they are. But for those who haven't, here's a quick explanation: Will Byers is a quiet, sweet kid from Hawkins who famously vanished in Season 1, sparking the entire series. He was actually the first person dragged into the alternate dimension known as the Upside Down. Mike Wheeler is his best friend who led the party's desperate search to find him. That rescue mission is the main plot of Season 1.

However, as the story progressed into the later seasons, especially Stranger Things Season 3 and Season 4, a strange thing happened. Their roles significantly diminished, and their characters took very different paths in the eyes of the fans. Will was often sidelined, dealing with the lingering trauma of his connection to the Upside Down and the Mind Flayer, which left him feeling isolated and out of place as his friends grew up. Meanwhile, Mike's screen time became heavily focused on his relationship with Eleven (Jane Hopper).

This shift is the core reason why many fans continue to love and feel deep sympathy for Will, while a growing number have started to dislike Mike. It's not that Mike became a villain; it's more about how his character was written. He's no longer the brave, strategic leader of the Party. He comes across as insecure, sometimes whiny, and not the brightest in the bunch when it comes to emotional intelligence. He can be dismissive and even a bit selfish, especially when Eleven is involved.

But the main, heart-wrenching reason for the divide comes down to unrequited love. It's subtly revealed, especially in Season 4, that Will is in love with Mike, and not just as a friend. The tragedy is that Mike is completely oblivious. He is, as fans say, "denser than a black hole." It might seem illogical to hate someone for not returning someone else's feelings—emotions are rarely logical. Fans hate that Mike is so painfully unaware of Will's pain. We watch Will, a boy who has already endured unimaginable trauma, silently suffer, hiding his true feelings and even helping Mike navigate his relationship with Eleven. And then there is Mike... acting like he is suffering because Eleven ignored him once.

Will feels completely sidelined. It's as if he doesn't even exist to Mike outside of being a background friend. All of Mike's attention, phone calls, and concern are for Eleven, and it's painfully obvious why Will would feel hurt and abandoned by his best friend. The most frustrating part is that Mike, who is supposed to know Will better than anyone, doesn't seem to notice what's going on with him most of the time. That car scene in Season 4, where Will lies about his painting and fights back tears while giving Mike a pep talk about his love for Eleven, absolutely haunts his fans.

About Artworks

I genuinely hope that in Stranger Things Season 5, the final season, we get some sort of closure and heartfelt conversation between them. Will deserves to be seen and acknowledged, and Mike needs a chance to step up and be the friend Will remembers from the beginning, if not anything more.

On this page, you will find two digital artworks I created to honor theses characters—one of Will Byers and one of Mike Wheeler. I hope you like them; I think they turned out great. It's always a challenge to create this kind of detailed word art for portraits because capturing the likeness and details with text is incredibly tough, but I'm proud of the result.

You are welcome to download these Stranger Things wallpapers for any personal use you want, like a phone or desktop background. Thanks so much for reading.