Eleven

Eleven
Biographical information
Status	Alive
Born	1971 (age 12)
Aliases	El 011 The Weirdo Eleanor Jane Ives
Family	Terry Ives (mother) Becky Ives (aunt)
Other relations	Martin Brenner (former father figure/captor) Mike Wheeler (friend/love interest) Dustin Henderson (friend) Lucas Sinclair (friend) Benny Hammond (benefactor) Troy (enemy)
Affiliation	Hawkins National Laboratory (formerly)
Occupation	Lab test subject (formerly)
Physical information
Eye color	Brown
Portrayal
Main actor	Millie Bobby Brown
Episodes	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

“

The Gate... I opened it. I'm the monster.' — Eleven, November 12, 1983

”

Eleven is a major character in the first and second seasons of Stranger Things. She is portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown.

Born with many psychokinetic abilities, she was raised and experimented on in Hawkins National Laboratory. After escaping from the lab, she is found by Mike, Lucas, and Dustin. Upon discovering her abilities, Mike believes that she can help find Will, their missing friend. It is eventually revealed that, in a lab experiment, she made contact with a creature from another dimension, accidentally opening an interdimensional gateway. Eleven eventually faced and destroyed this monster in a showdown at Hawkins Middle School, mysteriously vanishing in the process.

Quick Answers

What are the special psychokinetic abilities that Eleven possesses in Stranger Things?

Eleven from Stranger Things possesses a variety of psychokinetic abilities. Her most recurrent power is telekinesis, which allows her to manipulate objects, people, and creatures with her mind. This power is amplified by her emotions, enabling her to lift large and heavy objects. For instance, she once flipped a Hawkins Power and Light van in the air and pulled a train car towards her using her mind. Additionally, Eleven has the ability of Extrasensory Perception (ESP), which allows her to gain information through the mind rather than the physical senses. She also displayed the ability to teleport herself to different worlds, as seen in the Stranger Things collaboration event in The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. However, it's important to note that Eleven's powers are still developing and she may not be fully aware of all her abilities.

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Who is Dr. Martin Brenner in relation to Eleven from Stranger Things?

Dr. Martin Brenner, portrayed by Matthew Modine, is a significant character in Stranger Things, particularly in relation to Eleven. Brenner, who allegedly worked for the US Department of Energy, was a government figure involved in controversial experiments. He raised Jane, who he referred to as Eleven, along with several other child test subjects. Brenner built himself up as a father figure to these children, making them refer to him as 'Papa'. Despite his seemingly caring demeanor, Brenner's actions were far from paternal, subjecting the children to various tests and experiments.

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What is the significance of the name 'Jane Ives' in Stranger Things?

In Stranger Things, 'Jane Ives' is the birth name of the character known as Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown. Jane was born with special psychokinetic abilities due to her mother, Terry, being experimented upon in the controversial government program known as 'MKUltra'. This program affected Jane while she was still in the womb. After her birth, Jane was kidnapped by Dr. Martin Brenner and brought to Hawkins National Laboratory, where she was given the subject name '011', which eventually got shortened to 'El'.

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How did the MKUltra program affect Eleven in Stranger Things?

The MKUltra program had a significant impact on Eleven's life in Stranger Things. As a test subject in the controversial government program, Eleven was subjected to experiments involving psychedelic drugs and sensory deprivation. These experiments were designed to exploit her innate telekinetic abilities. The program led to her being isolated and secluded from the outside world, undergoing psychological tests that pushed her powers to the limit. Despite the exposure of the MKUltra program and the alleged abuse of its test subjects, the lab managed to block any inquiries, further deepening Eleven's entanglement with the program.

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What role does Eleven play in Stranger Things season 3?

In Stranger Things season 3, Eleven plays a crucial role in the fight against the Mind Flayer. She uses her psychic powers to locate people infected by the Mind Flayer. Her iconic costume from this season is also featured in various merchandise and promotional materials. Throughout the season, Eleven's character is pulled back into a web of danger, threatening her and those close to her.

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History

Birth and Early Life

In the early 1970s, a young woman named Terry Ives participated in the controversial government program known as MKUltra. As a test subject, Terry would take part in experiments involving psychedelic drugs and sensory deprivation.

Unbeknownst to Terry, she had somehow become pregnant during this period. She gave birth to a girl, naming her Jane. Due to the experimentation on Terry, Jane was born with various extraordinary psychokinetic abilities. Immediately after her birth, she was abducted and raised by Dr. Martin Brenner. Growing up in Hawkins Lab, she was not referred to by her given name, instead being labeled as “011,” indicating her place as a test subject. Brenner built himself up as a father figure in the mind of Eleven, making her refer to him as "Papa."

While Terry believed her daughter was still alive, Terry's sister believed Jane never existed. Due to her birth being covered up as a miscarriage, there were no birth certificates or medical records of Eleven's existence, allowing her to be the "perfect human test subject."

Psychokinetic Training

Eleven was trained by the government in Hawkins National Laboratory. Through tests, scientists wished to discover and enhance the extent of her psychic abilities. She was the subject of at least four experiments.

In the first known experiment, Eleven was presented with a cola can, which she then crushed using telekinesis. Although her nose began bleeding soon afterwards, Dr. Brenner seemed pleased nonetheless.

The next involved using her powers to manipulate a living creature. Dr. Brenner presented Eleven with a cat, but she refused to do anything to it. As punishment for her refusal, she was dragged to a cell by two guards. She killed the guards in anger before they could lock her in, showing Brenner that she was indeed capable of using biokinesis.

Brenner wanted to test Eleven's ability to eavesdrop over long distances. Eleven was ordered to repeat words stated by an individual elsewhere in the laboratory. She didn't repeat the words through her voice but instead made the individual's words play over a wall speaker.

Eavesdropping

Eventually, Brenner wanted Eleven to eavesdrop over an even greater distance. She was placed in a sensory deprivation tank, where she entered a psychic state in which she could reach out to other living creatures in different locations. In this state, she was ordered to spy on a Russian agent. Although Eleven successfully followed this instruction, she unwittingly came across a mysterious creature. A terrified Eleven panicked, and the experiment was aborted.

Dr. Brenner was intrigued and wanted her to make contact with the creature. The experiment was repeated; Eleven entered the tank once again. Immersed in the psychic state, Eleven made contact with the monster. At that moment, a gate cracked open between Hawkins Laboratory and the monster's dimension — allowing it to enter their dimension. In the ensuing chaos, Eleven escaped the lab through a drain pipe and fled into the surrounding woodlands of Hawkins.

Season One

Walking through the woods, Eleven came across Benny Hammond's diner and attempted to steal food, but Benny caught her and prevented her escape. He clothed, fed, and attempted to communicate with her. She was reserved and didn't say much but eventually revealed that her name was Eleven. Thinking she was a victim of child abuse, Benny called social services. Agent Connie Frazier from Hawkins Lab arrived, posing as a social worker, and immediately shot Benny. Eleven fled the diner, killing two other agents in the process.

Eleven found in the forest by Mike, Dustin and Lucas

Later that night, Eleven was found drenched in rain in the forest by Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, and Dustin Henderson as they searched for their missing friend Will Byers. They brought her back to Mike's basement, where they argued about what to do with her. Lucas and Dustin were cautious and wanted to call the police, but Mike decided against it, instead creating a plan that he would have her ring the doorbell the next morning so his mother could call the right people to help her. After building her a pillow fort to sleep in, Mike and Eleven introduced themselves to each other, with Mike giving her the nickname "El."

The next day, Mike tried to get Eleven to go along with his plan, but she refused and told him that "bad" people were looking for her. During a tour of the house, she recognized Will in a photograph. However, before Mike could ask her anymore questions, his mother came home. He then urged her to hide in his closet so she wouldn't be found. When she hesitated, he explained to her what a promise was, and promised he wouldn't tell his mother about her. While confined in the closet, Eleven remembered an occasion where she was locked in a dark room at the lab. Dustin and Lucas came to Mike's house after school, and Mike told them Eleven could help them find Will. Lucas was still insistent on telling their parents, but Eleven stopped him by shutting the door using her powers, which had not been revealed until that moment.

Eleven explains Will's hiding place.

Later that evening, the boys explained the concept of a friend to Eleven. To demonstrate where Will was hiding, she flipped over their Dungeons & Dragons board to demonstrate that he was in an "upside down" dimension. She placed Will's player piece on top and the Demogorgon piece next to it, which symbolized the monster.

The next day, Eleven was alone at Mike's house and watched a Coca-Cola advertisement on television, reminding her of the experiment involving the cola can. When the boys came home from school, they commenced "Operation Mirkwood," where Eleven led them through the woods to find evidence relating to Will. She led them to the Byers house but was unable to explain that Will was there but in the other dimension. Police cars raced by, and the group followed them to the quarry, where they saw what appeared to be Will's corpse being dragged out of the water. Feeling hurt and betrayed, believing Eleven to be a liar, Mike lashed out at her and raced home on his bike.

Returning to Mike's basement, Eleven proved that she was not lying about Will, projecting his voice through Mike's radio, and he was heard faintly singing one of his favorite songs. The following day, Mike showed El doing this to Dustin and Lucas, who wondered if Will had become a ghost. After further discussion, the boys decided to take El to school so that she could use Mr. Clarke's Heathkit to make further contact.

Eleven connects with Will

They dressed up Eleven in a blonde wig and pink dress and brought her to Hawkins Middle. They were stopped by Mr. Clarke, who made them attend an assembly for Will. After the assembly, Mike confronted the bully Troy, regarding the jokes he made about Will during the assembly. Troy attempted to hit Mike, but Eleven froze him in place using her powers and made him urinate down his pants in front of several other students. Later they used the Heathkit radio and heard Will talking to his mother from the Upside Down. The radio eventually caught fire. After they returned to Mike's basement, the boys theorized that Will was stuck in the Vale of Shadows, a "dark echo" dimension of death and decay, which Eleven labeled theUpside Down.

Lucas is knocked down

After talking to Mr. Clarke at Will's funeral, the boys decided to follow their compasses, believing they could be guided to a hypothetical gate to the other dimension, assuming that the gate would affect the local magnetic field. However, Eleven manipulated their compasses to keep them away from Hawkins Lab. When the boys realized this, Lucas accused her of sabotaging the mission, which Mike refused to believe. A fight erupted between the two, and Eleven, in an outbreak of emotion, flung Lucas into the air using her powers, knocking him out. Mike screamed, "What is wrong with you?" at Eleven, and she fled the scene, overwhelmed with emotion.

In the woods, Eleven took off her wig and despaired as she looked at her reflection in a pool of water. She later entered a supermarket to steal boxes of Eggos, which she had developed a great fondness for. An employee attempted to stop her thievery, but she walked out and broke two glass doors using her powers.

Eleven comes to Mike and Dustin's rescue.

As Eleven sat alone in the forest with her Eggo boxes, she faintly heard Mike and Dustin shouting her name as they searched for her. The two boys were suddenly ambushed by Troy and his friend James, who were seeking revenge following his humiliation at the gym. They threatened Dustin with a knife and used that to blackmail Mike into taking a fatal plunge off a cliff into the water below. Eleven appeared just in time, levitating Mike back to safety and breaking Troy's arm. She reconciled with Mike and Dustin before returning to Mike's home.

Mike and Eleven shared an intimate moment in his basement before Dustin interrupted to alert them that Lucas was communicating via radio, warning them that the "bad men are coming." The three escaped on bike while agents from Hawkins Lab pursued them. Eleven used her powers to flip one of their vans over, and they made a narrow escape. The kids went to a junkyard, where Lucas and Eleven apologized to one another. After realizing that agents were still searching for them, they shoved their bikes under an abandoned bus and hid inside.

Eleven in the bathtub

Chief Hopper, who now knew of Eleven's existence, communicated with the group through Will's radio and came to escort them to the Byers house, where they met with Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy. Eleven tried communicating with Will and Barbara Holland through one of the boys' radios to no avail, but she suggested they could use a "bath" instead. The group broke into Hawkins Middle School and set up a kiddie pool filled with saltwater to serve as a makeshift sensory deprivation tank. Joyce commended Eleven for her bravery, ensuring she would be there for her while she looked for Will and Barb. Eleven got into the pool and began to float, entering her mental void. Eleven first found Barbara's corpse, and in response Eleven hysterically and repeatedly shouted, "Gone!" Joyce comforted her, calming her down. She eventually found Will alive, but weakened, hiding in Castle Byers. Eleven told him to stay strong and ensured him his mother was coming for him. Will responded, telling Eleven to hurry, before she suddenly lost contact.

The kids were left alone in the school while Joyce and Hopper went to the lab, and Nancy and Jonathan went to the Byers house. Mike invited Eleven to be his date at the Snow Ball school dance, and the two shared a kiss.

As part of an "agreement" he made with the laboratory to save Will, Hopper revealed Eleven's location. Agents arrived at the school to capture her, but Eleven killed most of them by crushing their brains, an exhaustive process which drained her of energy and caused her to briefly collapse.

Dr. Brenner and his team of agents and military police found Eleven and the boys. As the boys were restrained and held back by military police, Brenner talked to Eleven, telling her that she would be returned to the lab. However, Eleven resisted, calling and reaching out for Mike.

Eleven's sacrifice

The Monster was attracted to the pools of blood, breaking through the wall. The Monster began a spree of violence, attacking Dr. Brenner as military police let go of the boys and opened gunfire. This allowed the kids to escape, with Dustin carrying Eleven.

For a while, the four kids outran and evaded the creature, hiding in Mr. Clarke's classroom. Eventually the Monster found them, breaking into the room and attacking them. The boys attempted to fight it with their wrist rocket, but it had little effect on the monster. Though she was drained, Eleven decided to confront the creature, pinning it against the blackboard with her mind, while also immobilizing Mike to prevent his intervention. After wishing farewell to her friends, she proceeded to disintegrate the creature's body, vanishing as well in the process.

A month later, Hopper left the police station with Christmas party leftovers, including Eggo Waffles, and placed them in a concealed box in the woods.

Personality and Traits

Raised in Hawkins National Laboratory and completely deprived from socialization, Eleven was timid, socially withdrawn and extremely cautious of other people. However, she became fiercely protective and showed unyielding loyalty towards those who cared for her, to the point that she sacrificed herself to destroy the Monster when it threatened to harm her friends.

If Eleven attempted to defy Dr. Brenner's orders when under his control, she would be locked in a cramped room as punishment, potentially for hours on end. These painful experiences lead her to develop severe claustrophobia. She also showed some signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, frequently remembering her harrowing experiences at the lab following her escape.

Due to a very limited vocabulary, she could not effectively communicate her thoughts and emotions, and had little to no understanding of simple concepts such as friendships or promises. These difficulties communicating often lead to misunderstandings with the boys. Despite this, she was a quick learner and came up with creative ways of explaining concepts, as shown when she flipped the Dungeons & Dragons game board to explain the nature of the Upside Down.

Episodes of intense stress and fear had the potential to trigger Eleven's powers, releasing them in unpredictable and sometimes dangerous ways. She was reluctant to harm innocent life and had no malicious intent, but was sometimes forced to maim or kill in extreme circumstances. She did not take this lightly, as these instances were always followed by strong feelings of guilt and self-loathing (not to mention the physical toll these acts had on her body).

Powers and Abilities

Origin

While Eleven was in utero, her mother was being experimented on as a MKUltra test subject. In these experiments, Terry would be sensorily deprived via isolation tank, in addition to being under the influence of psychedelic drugs. The experiments likely affected Eleven's development, and were the source of her psychokinetic potential.

The effect of the subsequent direct experimentation on Eleven and her powers is unclear. It is possible that her powers laid dormant, and could only be unearthed through further experimentation. However, it is also possible that Eleven had access to these powers at birth, but merely gained understanding and experience of them during her time in the laboratory.

Description

By 1983, Eleven possessed a vast array of natural psychic powers.

Eleven flinging a large van in the air.

Her most recurrent power was telekinesis – the ability to move and influence physical objects without touching them. She demonstrated this by moving objects at will, even suspending people in mid air. The largest known object she manipulated was a Hawkins Power & Light van, which she flipped into the air. In addition, Eleven could manipulate living creatures, an ability sometimes referred to as biokinesis. She first demonstrated this when breaking the neck of a Hawkins Lab guard. She would go on to force Troy to urinate against his will, before breaking his arm. During the confrontation at Hawkins Middle School, she killed several agents by applying pressure to their brains, causing them to bleed from their eyes. Her most extreme act of biokinesis was the disintegration of the Monster; an act that even caused Eleven herself to vanish.

Eleven also had the ability to gain information through the mind rather than the physical senses, commonly referred to as extrasensory perception. She could recognize people taken into the Upside Down from photos, though she had presumably never met them before, and could sense Will's corresponding location in the other dimension. To some extent and with varying results, she could transmit the voice of people in other locations over electronic speakers.

Eleven in the void of her mind, using sensory deprivation.

Her extrasensory perception was at its strongest while she was sensorily deprived and floating in a completely darkened pool of water. Then, she could enter a mental void where she was able to observe people and creatures in different physical locations, and even alternate dimensions. She could also make contact with them, or remain unseen while eavesdropping on them if she chose to. While in this mental void, she was still able to communicate with her physical surroundings to some extent.

Side-effects

Eleven would often suffer nosebleeds and become physically exhausted when exercising her powers. Her most extreme acts caused her eyes to become bloodshot, and her ears would bleed. However, if Eleven was sufficiently satiated, this physical toll could be alleviated.

Eleven's powers would occasionally affect the nearby electricity; when attempting psychic communication, nearby lights would sometimes flicker, or even go out entirely. The Monster, while traveling between dimensions, had remarkably similar effects on nearby electricity.

List of Psychic Acts

	Use	Circumstances	Date	Episode
1.	Crushing a cola can	Instructed by Brenner	Unknown date (1971 – 1983)	Holly, Jolly
2.	Killing/Severely injuring two guards	Willing	Unknown date (1971 – 1983)	Holly, Jolly
3.	Eavesdropping on/transmitting the speech of a test subject	Instructed by Brenner	Unknown date (1971 – 1983)	The Body
4.	Void: Eavesdropping on a Russian agent	Instructed by Brenner	Unknown date (1971 – 1983)	The Flea and the Acrobat
5.	Void: Making contact with the Monster	Instructed by Brenner	November 6, 1983	The Monster
6.	Opening a rift to the Upside Down	Reactionary/Unintentional (The Monster was possibly partially responsible for the rift's creation, though this is somewhat unclear)	November 6, 1983	The Monster
7.	Stopping a fan	Willing	November 7, 1983	The Vanishing of Will Byers
8.	Killing/Severely injuring two agents	Willing	November 7, 1983	The Vanishing of Will Byers
9.	Locking a door	Willing	November 8, 1983	The Weirdo on Maple Street
10.	Floating a toy Millennium Falcon	Willing	November 9, 1983	Holly, Jolly
11.	Transmitting Will’s voice over radio	Willing	November 9, 1983	The Body
12.	Transmitting Will’s voice over radio	Willing	November 10, 1983	The Body
13.	Making Troy urinate	Willing	November 10, 1983	The Body
14.	Transmitting Will’s voice over the Heathkit ham shack	Willing	November 10, 1983	The Body
15.	Redirecting the boys’ compasses	Willing	November 11, 1983	The Flea and the Acrobat
16.	Flinging Lucas into the air	Reactionary	November 11, 1983	The Flea and the Acrobat
17.	Splashing her own reflection in a pool of water	Reactionary	November 12, 1983	The Monster
18.	Disrupting a shopping cart	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Monster
19.	Breaking the front doors of a store	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Monster
20.	Levitating Mike	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Monster
21.	Breaking Troy’s arm	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Monster
22.	Knocking James to the ground	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Monster
23.	Flipping a Hawkins Lab van	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Bathtub
24.	Attempting to find Barb and Will and transmit their voices over radio	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Bathtub
25.	Void: Finding Will and Barb	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Bathtub
26.	Crushing the brains of various government officials, agents and state police	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Upside Down
27.	Disintegrating the body of the Monster, causing herself to vanish in the process	Willing	November 12, 1983	The Upside Down

Relationships

Familial

Terry Ives

While Terry is her biological mother, Eleven has no knowledge of her or even the fact that Brenner had kidnapped her at birth. However, Terry tried desperately to get her daughter back and still believes she will one day return.

Becky Ives

Becky is Eleven's aunt. Like Terry, Eleven has no knowledge of her due to not knowing the circumstances of her birth. Becky believed Terry really miscarried, and in extension believed that Jane didn't exist.

Non-Familial

Martin Brenner

Eleven's history with Dr. Martin Brenner runs deep: not only did he define her childhood, but he was potentially responsible for her very existence. Brenner had experimented on her mother Terry, who had volunteered to become a MKUltra test subject. While undergoing these tests, Terry mysteriously became pregnant. After discovering the pregnancy, Brenner took the child away directly from birth, raising her at Hawkins Lab.

Throughout childhood, Eleven was treated harshly and severely. Brenner appeared to be Eleven's only source of social engagement, and thus she grew to be dependent on his attention. Brenner built himself up as a father figure, establishing a somewhat tender demeanor when in her presence. However, an unstated threat was present in even the most affectionate words he uttered, lurking just beneath the surface.

When Eleven performed well, Brenner would "reward" her with affection. When Eleven disobeyed him, she would instead be subjected to cruel psychological torture. Even when Eleven was on her best behavior, she spent much of her time in solitary confinement, locked in a "bedroom" cell. Brenner's only true interest in the girl was her extraordinary power; her physical or mental health was merely of tangential importance to his goal. When Eleven performed extraordinary feats, Brenner appeared proud of her accomplishments.

After Eleven escaped from the lab and experienced genuinely loving relationships for the first time, she could finally see through Brenner's façade. When he eventually found her and promised to take her home, she rejected his offer, instead crying and reaching out to her new friends.

Mike Wheeler

Mike and Eleven developed a special relationship in the six days they knew each other. Out of the three boys, Mike grew the closest to Eleven, partly due to her staying at his house. Though Dustin and Lucas eventually developed trust for her, Mike was the first to do so. Eleven, in turn, was clearly at her most relaxed while alone in the company of Mike. Unlike Dustin and Lucas, Mike understood right away that, despite her powers and strange appearance, she was ultimately just another kid, who didn't mean to cause trouble for him and his friends. His respect for her deepened when she aided and defended him and his friends in the search for Will. Mike even invited her to be his date to the Snow Ball, a offer which she happily accepted.

Lucas Sinclair

Lucas was initially suspicious of Eleven, dismissing her as a "psycho". Although Dustin and Mike made efforts to become friendlier, Lucas kept some distance from her, viewing her as a distraction from the search for Will. Eleven, lacking social skills and confidence, was unable to convince him that she was truly on their side. When Eleven was discovered to be manipulating the boys while they searched for the Gate, Lucas grew angry, accusing her of being traitorous. After Eleven ran away, Lucas had little interest in finding her. However, after Lucas realised that she was justified to keep the boys away from the dangerous forces at Hawkins Lab, his opinion of her changed. Following the kids' reunion, Eleven and Lucas apologized to one another, and remained friendly.

Dustin Henderson

Dustin's initial attitude to Eleven lay somewhere between Mike's open-mindedness and Lucas's skepticism. He became considerably kinder to her after discovering she had “superpowers”, although he retained a degree of indifference towards her. After the incident with Lucas, he was quick to call her out on a questionable use of her power, though he later admitted that it was “awesome”. While it's unclear if he saw her as a member of the “party” at that point, he did assist Mike in looking for Eleven after she had ran away. After Eleven saved him and Mike from bullies, he proudly declared that she was their friend, and genuinely cared about her from that point on.

Joyce Byers

Joyce became very protective of Eleven in the short time they knew each other. Unlike Brenner, who largely treated the girl as if she were a soldier, Joyce respected that she was only a child, treating her in a somewhat motherly fashion; this was likely the first relationship of that kind that Eleven had experienced. Joyce reminded her that she was very brave, thanking her for all her help in the search for her son.

Will Byers

Though Eleven and Will Byers were never formally introduced to one another, they could definitely be considered allies. Eleven was more than willing to help Will's friends and family find him, which they were deeply thankful for (especially Joyce). Eleven's only direct interaction with Will took place while she was immersed in her mental void; she found him in Castle Byers, comforting him and telling him to "hold on a little longer" while Joyce and Hopper searched for him.

Jim Hopper

Chief Hopper was an ally of Eleven. He rescued her and the boys from government agents, safely bringing them to the Byers house to meet with the others. Their relationship likely had little opportunity to develop, as they were preoccupied with saving Will. Hopper ultimately had to reveal Eleven's location to the lab in order to save Will, a decision he did not take lightly. Hopper appeared to have some awareness of Eleven's status following her self-sacrifice, providing her with Eggo Waffles on Christmas Eve.

When Will vanished, Hopper was reminded of the loss of his daughter, and became determined to find him. Eleven and her disappearance may have reminded him of Sarah in a similar way.

Benny Hammond

Benny was the first person Eleven encountered after escaping the lab. During their short time together, Benny treated her kindly and cared about her well being, a stark contrast to her treatment at the lab. Fearing that she was a victim of abuse, he called Social Services hoping to help her. Unfortunately, this good deed would lead to his death at the hands of DOE agent Connie Frazier. Eleven later killed Connie and other agents in order to defend herself and her friends; whether intentional or not, she avenged Benny.

Troy and James

When Eleven saw Troy and James bullying her friends, she instantly disliked them. After Mike stood up to Troy for insulting Will, she used her powers to make Troy "piss his pants" in front of his classmates, humiliating him. When Troy sought revenge and threatened to hurt Mike and Dustin, she used her abilities once again to push James to the ground and break one of Troy's arms. The two boys fled in terror; although they clearly didn't like Eleven, they had gained a newfound respect - and fear - of her and her friends.

Family tree

Andrew Rich †

Teresa Ives

Becky Ives

Jane Hopper

Memorable Quotes

• "Papa?"
• "Friends don't lie."
• "Mouthbreather."
• "Goodbye, Mike."
• "Promise?"
• "Pretty."
• "Bad."
• "What's 'putting'?"
• "Still pretty?"
• "Night, Mike."
• "I understand."
• "No more."

Behind the Scenes

The initial basis for Eleven's character was formed from the Duffers imagining an escaped MKUltra test subject, along with being heavily influenced by E.T. However, they also wanted to keep an underlying sense of danger and instability, saying "Eleven isn’t a normal girl, and she’s no gentle plant-collecting alien either. She has unpredictable supernatural powers that will most definitely put our boys in jeopardy." As a result, they also incorporated elements from the anime Elfen Lied, as well as the 1988 anime film Akira, into her character, though with “less bloodshed.” It's also possible Eleven was based on characters from the works of Stephen King, such as Carrie White from Carrie, and Charlie McGee from Firestarter, although the Duffers have not cited these as specific influences.

In an interview, the Duffers revealed that the show was originally going to be more “R-rated”, especially concerning Eleven's powers. Ross said, "The Eleven character, the kind of powers she has and to have a young protagonist that’s violent — it’s not E.T. It’s not a happy situation. She’s killing people, and brutally murdering them."

Out of all the roles, Eleven was the most difficult to cast due to her having to convey various emotions with little dialogue. The role also required staying in character even while not talking. The Duffers feared they wouldn't be able to find someone who could stay focused throughout an entire scene. However, when they met Millie Bobby Brown those fears vanished, with the Duffers even saying she has a "preternatural talent". To help ease her worries about shaving her head, the Duffers showed Millie pictures of Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road.

Trivia

• She is extremely fond of Eggos.
• The clothes Mike gave her to change into the first night she stayed are the same clothes he was wearing the day before.
• While Eleven's age is never explicitly stated, Joyce mentioned that Terry had been looking for her daughter for twelve years, indicating she is 12 years old during the events of the first season.
  • In the original pilot script she was only 10 years old.

• The pink dress she wears originally belonged to Nancy.
• The blonde wig she wore has a backstory—it originally belonged to Mike's grandmother who died of cancer.
• In Chapter Eight, she is wearing Hopper's blue plaid shirt instead of her usual windbreaker.
• As evidenced by the drawing on her cell wall, she does know how to write, though the quality of her handwriting appears to be below average.

  

  Eleven's drawing on her "bedroom" wall.

• While living in the lab, she owned a plush lion identical to the one Will had in Castle Byers. Both are similar to a stuffed animal that was owned by Sarah Hopper, though hers was a tiger.
• While she watched the Wheelers' television, the 1983 cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe briefly appeared on-screen.
• During a panel at Phoenix Fanfest, Millie revealed she filmed a scene in which Eleven reads Nancy's diary, which was cut due to unknown reasons.
• She only speaks 246 words during the entirety of Season One.
• She has a lot in common with Alessa Gillespie, a character from the Silent Hill series, which was one of the inspirations for Stranger Things. Both have supernatural powers and have lived abusive childhoods.
• El, her nickname, is also a Northwest Semitic word meaning God, as well as the name of a Canaanite god. This could be alluding to Eleven's role in defeating the Monster, as in mythology, Demogorgon is a god or demon associated with the underworld, and was even adopted by Christian writers as a demon of Hell.
• Before having a flashback, she reacts strongly to things that remind her of the lab's experiments. She appears to have one of these reactions while listening to Nancy's music box, however no flashback is shown.
  • The melody that the music box plays is Brahm's Lullaby. In the room that Terry kept for Jane, there is a baby mobile that plays the same lullaby. This has led fans to speculate that Eleven reacted the way she did because she “recognized” the melody.
  • It is possible that a flashback was originally intended to be shown but was removed, similar to the diary scene. Another possibility is that her reaction was simply one of surprise, since she most likely had never seen a music box before.
• The Void, the mental space she travels to while submerged in an isolation tank, was visually inspired by the 2013 film Under the Skin.
• There is a visual mistake in the scene where she splashes her reflection. When she looks at herself in the water, her reflection isn't flipped like it should be.
• Her reference to the scientist who raised her as 'Papa' is directly reminiscent of Elfen Lied's secondary powered character, the Diclonius Nana, whose name in Japanese also means 'Seven'. Unlike Eleven, Nana's relationship with her 'Papa', Doctor Kurama , is much more tender.

Gallery

For this subject's gallery, see Eleven/Gallery.