Steve Harrington

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Character
Name: Steve Harrington
Occupation: High Schooler
Relationships: Nancy Wheeler (ex girlfriend)
Lucas Sinclair (friend)
Mike Wheeler (friend)
Will Byers (friend)
Dustin Henderson (friend)
Max Mayfield (friend)
Fandom: Stranger Things
Other: Played by Joe Keery
Steve Harrington by torakun14
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Steve Harrington is a fictional character from the Stranger Things television series, and is portrayed by Joe Keery.

Canon

As the notable popular kid in season one, Steve Harrington wins the heart of the Nancy Wheeler before the science experiments of the local national lab break loose. However, after Jonathan Byers and Nancy traumatically encounter the demogorgon, Steve finds the two fear stricken teenagers together in Nancy’s room, leading to later conflicts with the original couple. Further paranormal activities plague the small town of Hawkins, Indiana in the meantime, and near the climax of these, Steve rushes to the Byers house to reconcile with Nancy only to fight the demogorgon with a nail driven baseball bat. Stancy (fandom’s name for Steve and Nancy) then lives happily ever after, that is until season two’s revelation of Nancy’s guilt from previous events, leading her into the arms of Jonathan. This alters Steve’s motivation, urging him to become a babysitter and guardian for the AV club and their friends; in fact, his protection of these kids brings him to a fight that ends with his loss of consciousness by the abusive Billy Hargrove - Mad Max's older brother. His inability to ever truly get over Nancy and his friendship with the local children have prompted Steve’s appearance in various fanworks in the wake of new canon.

Fandom

Statistics

  • In 2017 Steve Harrington was the 10th most popular Stranger Things character on Archive of Our Own[1]
  • After the airing of Season 2 Steve Harrington was the most popular Stranger Things character on Tumblr[2]
  • As of June 2018 there were 2,774 stories that contain Steve Harrington Archive of Our Own[3]

Common Pairings

Fanon and Common Tropes in Fanworks

  • PTSD or Hurt/Comfort: dealing with some of the traumatic events that have occurred to Steve throughout the series
  • Babysitter Steve or Dad!Steve: common because of his interactions with the kids in Season 2
  • Futurefic: Steve as an adult, perhaps in an established relationship
  • Self-centered: Steve cares more about himself than those around him, probably more common during season 1
  • Hero: Steve saves the day and has a huge hero moment
  • Jerk to Nice Guy: Steve completes his transformation to becomes a character with a heart of gold, protecting those around him and putting others before himself.
  • Break Up: Steve faces break-ups with Nancy multiple times and for multiple different reasons.
  • Love Triangle: Seen between him, Nancy, and Jonathan.

Example Fanworks

Fan Art

2017

untitled, Archived version by WendyDoodlesFandom: Stranger ThingsDate: 01 November 2017Length: 500px × 495pxMedium: FanartStatus: Complete
Steve Harrington, the best boy–MY FAV.
untitled, Archived version by MeenistFandom: Stranger ThingsDate: 20 November 2017Length: 800px × 1,131pxMedium: FanartStatus: Complete
I promised I’d keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.
untitled, Archived version by MegnarrFandom: Stranger ThingsDate: 23 November 2017Length: 527px × 810pxMedium: FanartStatus: Complete
“I’m stealthy, like a ninja.”

Fanfiction

Fan Vids

Meta

Gifs

Other Fanworks

Cosplay

Archives and Communities

Links and Resources

References

Stranger Things
Master Lists Stranger Things CategoryChallengesCharactersShipsZines
Crossover Ships Will Byers/Richie TozierBill Denbrough/Mike WheelerEddie Kaspbrak/Mike WheelerWill Byers & Eddie KaspbrakRichie Tozier & Mike Wheeler
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