Stranger Things’ Scariest Moments Ranked

If there’s one thing that Stranger Things does better than Eddie Munson rocking our socks off with an electric guitar, it’s giving us the heebie-jeebies! From unsettling creatures lurking in the shadows to mind-bending psychic showdowns, this Netflix gem has graced us with some of the spookiest TV moments in the last decade.

With the show wrapping up and plotting a journey to Spinoff Land, let’s grab our walkie-talkies, blast some retro ’80s tunes, and reflect on the most bone-chilling scenes that still make us shiver.

7. RIP Barb

Season 1, Episodes 3 and 4, “The Weirdo on Maple Street” and “Holly, Jolly”. While her bestie was busy getting cozy with a cute boy, Barb (Shannon Purser) was just chilling at the pool, trying to keep it low-key. But, classic horror trope alert! Instead of letting the reserved friend survive while the wild girl gets eaten by a monster, Stranger Things flipped the script and shocked us by having Barb meet her doom at the teeth of a Demogorgon halfway through Season One. The outrage was so intense that fans launched a “Justice for Barb” campaign, desperate for some sort of closure for our girl in Season Two!

6. Billy on a Rampage

Season 3, Episode 4, “The Sauna Test.” Enter Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery), the quintessential bad boy with a nasty edge. As he gets possessed by the Mind Flayer, our crew finds themselves in quite the pickle, trying to trap him in a sauna. It’s all giggles and games until he morphs from pleading to raging like a bull, smashing through the sauna door with a strength that’s equal parts terrifying and impressive! It’s claustrophobic chaos at its finest; Season 3 really cranked up the fear factor!

5. Joyce and the Demogorgon

Season 1, Episode 2, “The Weirdo on Maple Street.” One of horror’s best tricks? Keeping the monster a hidden threat until we’re clutching our pillows! Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) is near a nasty encounter with the Demogorgon in her own home. We witness her wallpaper bulging and waving like it’s about to spring to life! Joyce realizes, with rising dread, that safety is an illusion. Spoiler alert: we’re just as not safe as she is!

4. Shadow Monster

Season 2, Episode 3, “The Pollywog.” In one of the more memorable moments, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) decides to channel his inner brave self and confront the shadowy terror from the Upside Down. He encounters it as a swirling mass of tendrils that look like something straight out of a nightmare! And just when you think he’s got the hang of it, boom! The entity envelops him, and Will transforms into a puppet for this dark force! Talk about a crisis of control—Stranger Things knows how to hit us where it hurts!

3. Body Melt Hospital Attack

Season 3, Episode 5, “The Flayed.” Who could possibly erase this yucky scene from their memory? When Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) confront a couple of Flayed victims at Hawkins Hospital, things go from bad to worse. Their bodies literally melt into a grotesque collage of gore, merging into a monstrous creature that takes orders from the Mind Flayer! The fluorescent lighting in the hospital makes this unfathomably nauseating. Hospitals are scary enough, but this was next-level gruesome!

2. Max in the Graveyard

Season 4, Episode 4, “Dear Billy.” This moment might just take the cake for most iconic and heartbreaking. As her friends race to save her, Max (Sadie Sink) finds herself trapped in Vecna’s twisted lair, struggling to escape from his clutches. The haunting melody of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” underscores her desperate sprint to the portal. We all hold our breaths, knowing full well she could end up like poor Chrissy. Speaking of which…

1. Chrissy Dies in Eddie’s Trailer

Season 4, Episode 1, “The Hellfire Club.” In our humble opinion, Chrissy’s demise is the saddest moment on Stranger Things. We were just getting to know her when the show decided to pull the rug out from under us. After seeking solace in Eddie Munson’s trailer while battling some hallucinations, Vecna swoops in. With a flick of his wrist, he levitates poor Chrissy and breaks her bones in a horrific display while Eddie frantically tries to pull her back from the brink. This scene firmly established Vecna as Hawkins’ ultimate villain, and honestly, it still gives us the creeps!