Speculations about Will Byers’ sexuality have been circulating the fandom ever since Stranger Things first released on Netflix back in 2016. However, what first started as a guessing game has become pretty obvious after the release of the last fourth season. When Noah Schnapp himself confirmed that Will is indeed gay, fans' theories on Will’s crush on his best friend Mike have greatly increased. As fate would have it, the actor has recently admitted he's more similar to Will than he thought, after coming out himself in a TikTok video.
Now that Stranger Things season 4 has confirmed not only Will's queerness, but also his unrequited love for Mike, it's certainly interesting to look at their relationship in retrospect. Surely, Will's feelings for his best friend didn't come out of nowhere. Let's take a look at all the moments that clearly hinted at his infatuation with his best friend.
10 Will’s Obvious Favoritism of Mike in Season 1
If there's a correct way to set up a strong bond right in the first scene of introducing our main characters, then Stranger Things excel at that. When we're introduced to the whole lead squad with Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas as they play Dungeons and Dragon, Lucas and Dustin conceal that Will lost the game and tell him to do the same. But when he's left alone with Mike, he immediately comes clean. Many would argue that Mike in the first season is a better character than who he has become in later seasons, and we would agree. After Will disappears, Mike is the one who cares about finding his best friend the most.
9 “We’ll go crazy together."
After Will is saved from The Upside Down at the end of Stranger Things season 1, the poor boy's still not able to catch a break. In season 2, he is constantly pulled back to the realm in the form of nightmares and visions, where he gets terrorized by the Mind Flayer. He's hesitant to let anyone know about his troubles, but he does confide in Mike. It's very apparent Mike is the only one he truly trusts. His best friend promises if anything happens, they'll go crazy together.
8 Will Remembers Only Mike and Joyce After Temporary Memory Loss
Once the Mind Flayer completely takes over Will's mind in Stranger Things season 2, he's forced to play the part of a spy for him. He goes in and out of consciousness while gradually losing the memories from his real life. Mike is there with him at the hospital the whole time. The fact that Will ends up remembering his mother and Mike alone says a lot. Not to mention Mike's heartbreaking speech about the first time he met Will, while they try exorcising the Mind Flayer out of the young boy.
7 The Argument in the Rain
The way Will has been pretty much denied any normal experiences of childhood come in full display in season 3 of Stranger Things. While he's been dealing with horrendous Upside Down shenanigans, he's missed the opportunity to be a child. He wants to continue playing Dungeons & Dragons, though his friends have seemingly grown beyond it and have turned their attention to dating. What he seems particularly annoyed with is Mike's obsession with Eleven and the consequent neglect of their friendship. Things get heated when Will storms off after a failed game of D&D and Mike follows him. It ends with a passionate argument in the rain with Mike yelling, "It's not my fault you don't like girls." There's a clear double meaning dragging through the conversation, hinting at Will's hurt as a result of Mike's feelings towards Eleven.
6 The Painting
After the Byers family and Eleven move out of Hawkins to Lenora Hills, California in Stranger Things season 4, Eleven and Mike are forced to stay in a long-distance relationship. They end up writing letters to each other throughout the summer. Eleven mentions that Will has been working on a new painting all summer, but he wouldn't let anyone see what it is. She even suspects he likes someone. And as we all know, the painting ends up being for Mike, although Will is initially hesitant to gift it to him.
5 The Awkward Reunion
Both Eleven and Will are overjoyed to reunite with Mike as he comes visit them over spring break in Stranger Things season 4. If Will's hidden feelings weren't obvious before, they definitely would be now. When Eleven embraces her boyfriend, Will goes to do the same, but Mike doesn't quite return the gesture or excitement. We can immediately see Will's crestfallen expression. While the couple walks through the airport holding hands, he walks behind them, somberly observing, an experience that's all too familiar for closeted queer kids who have had crushes on their best friends.
4 Third-Wheeling at a Skating Date
What's the worst that can happen, you ask? Well, it's watching Will be the third-wheel on a date between the best friend he's in love with and his girlfriend. Eleven takes them on a fun rolling skate "date," but while they act all couple-y, Will is forced to sit through it all. In addition, he has to watch as Eleven lies to Mike about her supposedly thriving social life in California. Will only tells the truth right before she gets humiliated in front of everyone on the skating rink. It turns to yet another heated argument when he blames Mike for not reaching out more and for completely neglecting their friendship. It's very easy to read the conversation as queer-coded, with Mike being incredibly oblivious to Will's true feelings.
3 “It’s not the same without you."
Once Eleven gets arrested for breaking her classmate's nose, the squad is yet again forced to figure out how to break her free when Joyce is not available. Mike confides in Will, telling him how he regrets how he left things with Eleven and as always, his best friend is there to comfort him. Mike uses this opportunity to apologize, illustrating just how important Will's presence in his life is for him. Although he calls them "best friends," it seems to be enough for Will, as he lights up with happiness.
2 Will’s Confession in the Car
We can't not mention the most important scene: Will's subtle love confession to Mike. As they drive their van to Suzie's house, Mike once again ponders over whether he's enough for Eleven, whether she'd still need him in the future. To comfort him, Will shows Mike his painting, wherein he drew Mike as their knight in the shining armor; the one who keeps the group together. He then expresses his romantic feelings for Mike, using Eleven as disguise. As expected, Mike doesn't get the cue, and Will ends up bursting in tears when his best friend isn't looking.
1 Jonathan Sees and Understands Will
Last but not least, Will's older brother hasn't really been subtle about it either. He's taken extra care of Will throughout every season of Stranger Things, but the fourth one in particular feels different. We keep seeing him glance at Will in worry whenever Mike and Eleven act affectionate. We even get a shot of him through the rearview mirror during Will's aforementioned confession. Ultimately, later on, Jonathan assures Will that he would love him no matter what. It's very clear he hinted at Will's sexuality. This scene acts as an important part in Will's acceptance of his emotional journey.