‘Stranger Things’ Ships, Ranked From Least to Most Likely to Happen

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Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 drops in less than a week (July 1), and to prepare for the last two episodes, a recap is necessary. Hawkins is a small town, but the possible romantic pairings seem to be endless. And although romance isn’t the series’ main focus, that doesn’t stop the millions of fans from wondering who has the best chemistry and who they’d like to end up together.

Some fan-favorite couples, like Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), as well as Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), seem to be in trouble this season. It’s not a great spot to be in for the Wheeler siblings, as both of their significant others have moved to California. Will they find new people to pair up with, or will their love prevail? Joyce (Winona Ryder), who hasn’t had the best luck regarding her love life (a divorce and a dead boyfriend), reunited with what seems to be her perfect match Jim Hopper (David Harbour) at the end of Volume 1. So, will happiness be finally in the cards for her? And will, Steve (Joe Keery), whose main goal was finding a person to date before Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) appeared, get his perfect-picture girlfriend?

Alas, we don’t have the answers just yet, but it’s always fun to speculate. Therefore, the list below has assembled some of the most talked-about “ships” from Volume 1, ranked from least to most likely to happen. Sadly, not all of them will come to life on screen, but luckily fan edits are always a thing. Scroll down for more.

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7. Jim Hopper and Dmitri Antonov/Enzo

After a not-so-shocking turn of events, Hopper was still alive and well at the start of Season 4 Volume 1. OK, he was maybe not at his best, as he was trapped in a prison camp in Russia, but with the help of Enzo/Dmitri (Tom Wlaschiha), his future seemed to be getting brighter. The Russian guard was offering an escape back to America, as long as Joyce and Murray (Brett Gelman) gave him $40,000. But, obviously, in true Stranger Things fashion nothing ever goes as planned, which resulted in Hopper and Enzo being held as prisoners by the KGB. Therefore, the two got some more time to bond. And although there have been countless TikToks shipping Hopper and Enzo as a romantic pairing, the likelihood of that to ever happen is rather small.

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6. Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson

Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) might be the most unlikely match, but ever since the premiere of Volume 1, fans of the show can’t stop shipping the two together. They disliked each other at first, with Steve even calling Eddie “a freak,” but they quickly warmed up to each other. After they realized that they were on the same side, they became friends and teamed up to uncover what is happening in Hawkins. Both characters have a close relationship with Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo). Even though Steve and Eddie will probably not end up together, Volume 2 will likely strengthen their friendship, and more fan edits can ensue.

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5. Mike Wheeler and Will Byers

Mike and Will (Noah Schnapp) have been best friends ever since they were kids. In previous seasons, both of them, but mainly Will, have gone through horrific events. The two have remained tight-knit friends, yet not as close as they once were. So, when Mike came to visit Will and Eleven in California it became clear that Mike only has eyes for his girlfriend, which understandably made the other boy sad. During this trip, Will even confronted Mike and asked why he never sent him any letters while Eleven got a ton. Mike promptly responded and said that Eleven is his girlfriend while Will is just his friend, not realizing that Will might have stronger feelings for him. It’s likely that in Volume 2, this will become a bigger storyline in Will’s character arc.

Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley and Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler in 'Stranger Things'
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4. Nancy Wheeler and Robin Buckley

Nancy has been in a love triangle with Steve and Jonathan basically ever since the start of the show, and fans seem to be fed up with it. So, when, the official Netflix Geeked account on Twitter asked who everyone wanted Nancy to end up with, “RT (retweet) for Steve, like for Jonathan,” Twitter users quickly offered a third option – reply for Robin (Maya Hawke). This was shared countless times, and even the account noticed as they ended up tweeting, “reply for Robin going strong.” The interest in this ship comes as no surprise because as the older teen girls have started to spend more time together and are becoming close, they are presented as the perfect match. “Ronancy” is quite possibly the most popular ship of this season. So, will the Duffer brothers notice it and make them official?

Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler and Joe Keery as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things
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3. Nancy Wheeler and Steve Harrington

Nancy and Steve hadn’t really interacted much with each other since their break-up in Season 2, yet Volume 1 changed that course of action. Throughout, it became clear as day that both of them still have feelings for one another, and as they have once again teamed up to try and stop Vecna, they seem to be enjoying each other’s company again. Nancy and Jonathan are still together for the time being, but with Jonathan off in California, some cracks have started to appear. So, if those two break up, there’s a high likelihood that Steve and Nancy will rekindle their relationship.

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2. Lucas Sinclair and Max Mayfield

Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink) were dating when Season 3 ended, but broke up before Volume 1 started. Max ended the relationship because she was still grieving her stepbrother, Billy, who sacrificed himself to help the kids. The two, who had a solid friendship even without the romantic aspect, are still somewhat close to each other. Yet, with Lucas on the basketball team and Max distancing herself, the two ended up hanging out less. There’s no denying, however, that the two still have strong feelings for each other, and there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that they’ll be back together in no time.

Stranger Things - David Harbour and Winona Ryder
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1. Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper

The ultimate “will they/won’t they” couple, Joyce and Hopper have known each other since they were kids and the two adults have had clear chemistry since the first season, but will Volume 2 finally bring them together? According to David Harbour, yes — or he at least confirmed that the two will make out in an interview for E!. They clearly care a lot about each other and would form the perfect unit. Eleven, the kid Hopper adopted, already started living with Joyce after Hopper’s apparent death, and we can’t wait to see them all reunited. This slow burn will finally pay off, and fans of the show are all excited to see how it will play out.