Stranger Things: Nancy's 10 Best Quotes

Like all of the other characters, Nancy Wheeler goes through a lot on Stranger Things. She starts out as a seemingly shallow girl, interested only in hanging out with her best friend and the most popular boy in school. One thing that's a little different about her is her dedication to academics and her awareness of how run-of-the-mill her suburban life is.

She's first introduced when she slams her bedroom door in Dustin's face when he's trying to be nice, but by the end of season 2, she goes out of her way to make him feel wanted. She becomes a figure of empowerment, a role model, and a caring sister and friend. She gives some of the younger characters - and viewers - some very wise advice while asserting her autonomy.

10. "You Know, Out Of All My Brother's Friends, You're My Favorite."

The show opens with a game of D&D in the basement, after which Dustin goes upstairs to offer Nancy a slice of pizza. This is a big gesture for Dustin, who loves food and usually volunteers to eat leftovers.

Nancy slams the door in his face, but throughout the first season, it's clear that Dustin has a bit of a crush on her. At the middle school dance, Nancy sees him get rejected and offers him a dance. She consoles him by telling him that the girls he's interested in just need a few years to appreciate Dustin's precociousness. She also tells him that he's her favorite of Mike's friends.

9. "I Don't Want To Be Alone."

After Jonathan and Nancy try to look for Barb and Will, Nancy accidentally finds herself in the Upside Down. They learn more about the Demogorgon, especially how creepy it is.

That night, Jonathan stays with Nancy. Neither of them wants to be alone, and they find a small measure of comfort in each other's company. Nancy even asks Jonathan to sleep on the bed with her, which is a significant step forward in their friendship.

8. "You Killed Barbara!"

In season 2, Nancy is determined to avenge Barb. She enlists Jonathan's help and they begin investigating the lab's involvement. Nancy is endlessly frustrated when it seems that nobody else cares about exposing the lab or about Barbara's death.

Exposing the lab becomes a big part of Nancy's arc. She proves that she's determined and will stand by her beliefs even when everyone else challenges them. She insists that the lab is guilty of killing Barbara and that she will expose them for their crime.

7. "You're Going To Be Home By 8, Listening To The Talking Heads And Reading Vonnegut Or Something."

Jonathan and Nancy become quite good friends after their ventures in season 1. By the start of season 2, they're hanging out regularly, though still as friends because Nancy is dating Steve.

They know each other better than almost anyone else, and Nancy teases Jonathan about his introverted nature. He declines her offer of joining him at a Halloween party, but Nancy knows he has nothing else to occupy his time. Jonathan responds by saying that that sounds like a nice night, which only proves how well Nancy knows him.

6. "I Want To Kill It."

At first, Nancy seems like a rather timid and indecisive young woman. She hesitates with every decision, but when Barb goes missing, she knows she has to do something about it.

Jonathan and Nancy eventually discover that a monster is behind the disappearances of both Barb and Will. Nancy knows that the only thing that can stop the Demogorgon is to kill it. It's a turning point for her character when she purposefully decides to take action and plot out the means to end the terror in Hawkins.

5. "It's Bullsh**."

Nancy and Steve's relationship seems to be hanging on by tenterhooks the entire time they're together, but especially in season 2. They attend a Halloween party together, but Nancy tries to avoid Steve.

He follows her into the bathroom after spilling a drink on her white top, but she's too drunk to have a proper conversation. She expresses frustration about Barb and how no one cares about what happened to her. "You're pretending like everything's okay ... like we didn't kill Barb ... like we're in love, and we're partying ... it's bullsh**."

4. "I Just Look Forward To You Never Doubting Me Again."

In season 3, Nancy and Jonathan work at the Hawkins Post. Nancy faces a lot of discrimination there, mostly on account of her being the only female working there. Jonathan is blissfully oblivious, which frustrates Nancy to no end.

Eventually, the two argue, but it's not long before the supernatural activity in Hawkins draws them back together again. They work together to fight against the Mind Flayer in the hospital, while also reconciling. Jonathan admits that he was wrong, and Nancy was right. Nancy smugly remarks that she looks forward to him never doubting her again.

3. "Let's Burn That Lab To The Ground."

Nancy's main goal in season 2 is to expose the lab and their involvement in Barb's death. She asks Jonathan to help her investigate, especially since his brother was also affected by the lab's operations.

The two teens don't get much of a lead on their own, but they do manage to access the lab and talk to Dr. Owens. They get a recording of him admitting culpability, but they need Murry Bauman's help to get it out to the media.

2. "So They Bought A Nice House At The End Of A Cul-De-Sac And Started Their Nuclear Family."

Nancy and Jonathan first bond over their teenage angst and frustration with their parents and their suburban lifestyles. Jonathan takes Nancy out to practice shooting a gun, which helps her release anger at her parents.

"I don't think my parents ever loved each other ... My mom was young. My dad was older, but he had a cushy job, money, came from a good family," she explains. Jonathan almost laughs at their perfect American story, and Nancy agrees. She aims her gun. "Screw that," she says, just before hitting her target dead-on.

1. "That ... Is Such Bullsh**!"

Nancy asks Jonathan what she was saying when he took photos of her with Steve. He starts to talk about how she was trying to be someone else, but in that moment her inhibitions fell away and she was being herself. Nancy considers this for a moment, then gets defensive. "That ... is such bullsh**! I am not trying to be someone else."

She claims that he's just upset she's dating Steve. But Jonathan says that she's "just another suburban girl who thinks she's rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does." This stumps Nancy, and she realizes he's right, and that she's following in her parents' footsteps.

Originally shared with ScreenRant.