‘Stranger Things‘ season four follows several plotlines and introduces many new characters and villains. But, sadly there are characters who couldn’t make an appearance in this new season. Billy Hargrove is one among them, who sacrificed himself to save his friends and died the most heroic death.
William ‘Billy’ Hargrove, played by Dacre Montgomery was one of the central characters and antagonists in ‘Stranger Things‘. He had the most surprising character arc since his appearance. Billy was introduced in season two along with his stepsister Max Mayfield. The show’s creators, the Duffer brothers, introduced Billy because “it was important to [them] to have a human villain in there that could disrupt the lives of our characters”. Stephen King’s human villains who are often as bad or worse than the supernatural evil were the inspiration behind a character like Billy. But how did he die?
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‘Stranger Things’: Who Is Billy Hargrove?
‘Stranger Things‘ character Billy Hargrove grew up in California and later moved to Hawkins with his father and stepmother. His mother abandoned him at the age of 10, leaving Billy behind with his abusive father, Neil Hargrove. Because of his terrible childhood, he grew up to become a bully. He shared a very complicated and challenging relationship with his step-sister, Max Mayfield, and hated when someone referred to her as his sister. Billy was a misogynist who disrespected women and called them demeaning names.
Despite his bullying, narcissistic character, Billy did have a few humanizing moments. When the Mind Flayer manipulated him to kill Karen Wheeler, he instead warned her to stay away from him. He later broke down into tears of remorse in the sauna for what the Mind Flayer forced him to do. Billy offered his life instead of handing over Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, to the Mind Flayer. He also shed a tear when talking to Eleven about the Mind Flayer’s plans to end humanity.
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How Did Billy Hargrove Die?
The finale of season three titled ‘The Battle of Starcourt’ ends with the tragic death of Billy Hargrove. His death was necessary and redemptive for his character after episodes of violent and pejorative behavior. But his death was an act of heroism because, at that time he was not a selfish bully, but he became a sweet boy whose true happiness lay in the memory of his mother. The flayer possessed Billy when he was on his way to meet Mike’s mother. After discovering Billy’s possession, Eleven decided to telepathically locate Billy in the hopes of learning the exact location of the Mind Flayer and thus the portal to the Upside Down.
Trying to save Eleven, the enraged Flayer stabbed Billy several times in the side, before punching a hole through his chest, fatally wounding him. The Flayer also died shortly after, and Billy apologized to Max before succumbing to his injuries.
Billy’s death was not soo suprising, but the fact how attached and sympathetic the fans had grown of him despite him being majorly portrayed as an antagonist. His gravestone read,’never be forgotten‘, leaving hope for the fans, that he would return for the upcoming season. Sadly, for the fans, it is confirmed that Billy will not return for the next season.
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