I have a question for all the ‘Harry Potter‘ and ‘Stranger Things‘ fans out there: have you ever felt that Stranger Things is somehow a darker and weirder cousin of Harry Potter? The more I rewatch both, the more parallels I find between little things.
So, here I have listed down some of the most relevant parallels we can draw between ‘Harry Potter‘ and ‘Stranger Things‘.
The Secret Worlds Of ‘Harry Potter’ And ‘Stranger Things’
Both stories start in ordinary places that hide something huge underneath. Harry’s just a regular kid living in a cupboard when he finds out about Hogwarts. And the Hawkins gang is just a bunch of kids riding bikes until one of them disappears into the Upside Down. Magic, monsters, whatever it is, both worlds draw the parallel that there’s always more happening than what we see.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’: What Happened To Will Byers In The Upside Down And Why Couldn’t Vecna Kill Him?
Existence Of Chosen Ones
Harry and Eleven are basically two sides of the same coin. Both had to choose darkness and a not-so-normal childhood. For Harry, it was Voldemort’s curse, while for Eleven, it was the lab and the constant experiments. Neither wanted to be special, but somehow the world keeps asking them to save it. And even with all their power, what they really want is just a normal life.
The Boy Who Lived And The Boy Who Came Back
This one was so easy, yet it took me so many rewatches to notice. Remember how Harry was called “The Boy Who Lived” because of surviving Voldemort? It even made it to the newspaper. Will Byers got the same treatment once he came back from the Upside Down and also made it to the newspaper as “The Boy Who Came Back”. Both of them came back after surviving what nobody could even think of.
The Marks They Carry
Harry had that lightning scar that burned whenever Voldemort was close. Even though Will didn’t have a scar, he could feel something in his neck every time the Mind Flayer was near. Even though both of them escaped darkness, darkness never really left them behind.
In case you missed it: ‘Harry Potter’: A Hidden Dedalus Diggle Scene Could Finally Solve A Long-Standing Mystery
Friendship Is The Real Magic In ‘Harry Potter’ And ‘Stranger Things’
The more I think about it, the more I realize that, more than anything and everything, both Harry Potter and Stranger Things are about magic. “Friends don’t lie” and “It’s our choices that show who we truly are” may come from different worlds, but the lesson is the same. Joyce fights for Will like Molly fights for her children, while Hopper protects Eleven like Hagrid guards Harry. Evil never wins because love and loyalty do!
Characters That Feel The Same
Sure, there are a lot of similarities we find between Eleven and Harry. But it doesn’t end there. Mike Wheeler has the loyalty of Ron Weasley, while Nancy Wheeler definitely gives us the Hermione vibes with her intelligence and determination. Max and Ginny share fiery courage and independence, while Will Byers’ traits seem a lot similar to Neville Longbottom’s strength.
The parallels don’t end with the kids only. Among the adults, Joyce Byers could easily stand beside Molly Weasley; both are fierce mothers who’d cross worlds for their kids. While Hopper definitely has Hagrid’s protective heart, Steve Harrington reminds us of James Potter, who was once arrogant but has now developed a good heart.
The Same Parting Feeling
At the end, when we finish watching, both Harry Potter and Stranger Things make you feel the same thing: hope. They remind you that even when life gets scary, you can still choose to be brave. Whether it’s holding a wand or a walkie-talkie, it’s not about magic or powers.
