Stranger Things: 10 Reasons Why Mike & Dustin Aren’t Real Friends

Following its debut in July of 2016, Stranger Things has quickly taken over pop culture and become one of the most popular television series of all time. The sci-fi/horror show will no doubt go down in history as one of the best shows of the 2010s.

One of the biggest themes of Stranger Things is childhood friendship. That theme is played out between the four main characters of the series: Mike, Lucas, Will, and Dustin. Among those four, Dustin and Mike are supposed to be the best of friends. Upon further inspection, that doesn’t exactly appear to be the case. Here are ten reasons why Mike and Dustin aren’t real friends.

10 Mike Ditched His Friends For Eleven

At the beginning of the third season, Mike was spending all of his time with Eleven rather than with his close group of friends. For the first few months of the summer, Dustin had been away at summer camp so he really didn’t mind. When he got back, however, this became a bit more of a problem.

If Mike truly cared about Dustin, he would’ve considered the fact that Dustin would’ve wanted to hang with his friends after coming back from camp. Instead, he ditched Dustin so he could make out with his girlfriend.

9 Mike Made Fun Of Dustin’s New Hair

When Dustin had finally decided to become his own man, he went to the school dance with a whole new hairdo. This new “do” was Dustin attempting to finally break out of his awkward shell. In a moment such as that, Dustin needed some encouragement from his friends. That’s not exactly what he got.

Dustin is a vulnerable, sensitive guy. He was especially so at this moment. Instead of being there for his “friend” Mike decided to make fun of him.

8 Dustin Didn’t Trust Eleven

Mike understood from the get-go that Eleven was simply a child, just like them. Dustin did not have the same understanding or wisdom about the situation. He felt as though Eleven was a threat that needed to be turned in or tattled on.

When Dustin decided to go against Eleven in the beginning, he wasn’t just showing his distrust in her. He was also showing his distrust in Mike.

7 Mike Didn’t Believe Dustin Had A Girlfriend

Dustin was elated to inform his friends of his time at the summer camp just prior to the events of season three. While there, Dustin had met a girl. After talking for a while, they decided to start dating, making this Dustin’s very first girlfriend.

When Dustin had just a little bit of trouble contacting his girlfriend, Mike immediately assumed that he wasn’t telling the truth. That doesn’t sound like much of a friend.

6 Steve Is Dustin’s True Best Friend

Dustin and Mike are supposed to be best friends. In the friend group starring in Stranger Things, Mike and Dustin are supposedly the tightest pair. After three seasons of the show, that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. Instead of Mike, Dustin’s best friend is the older Steve Harrington.

It has become increasingly clear that Steve understands Dustin in ways that Mike never will. Because of the way that Dustin looks up to Steve, he’ll always have more affinity toward him then he’ll have toward Mike.

5 They Split Up In Season Three

The sign of a true couple of best friends is that they stick with one another in times of crisis. No matter how rough things get, they stay beside one another and watch each other’s backs. Over the course of the events in season three of the show, Mike and Dustin are completely separated from one another into different groups.

Dustin was instead with his true best friend of the series, Steve Harrington. It was at this point that it became perfectly clear that Dustin and Mike weren’t really besties.

4 Dustin Was A Late Addition To The Group

The other three friends Mike, Lucas, and Will had known each other and been friends long before Dustin entered the picture. This extra time the three had together before Dustin joined the group makes them all the more closer.

What it also does is that it leaves Dustin out of being a true core member of the group. Dustin will always be the fourth kid that joined the squad. He’ll never truly be a core or founding member of this specific group of friends.

3 Dustin Went Behind Mike’s Back

When Lucas first wanted to let Max hang out with the group, Dustin knew that Mike probably wouldn’t approve. Nonetheless, Dustin let Max join them and welcomed her into the fold with open arms.

This is the kind of move that can tear apart friendships. Dustin is smart enough to know that. He wasn’t afraid to offend Mike’s sensibilities in this way for one simple reason. Dustin and Mike weren’t friends in the first place.

2 Mike Attacked Dart

Dart was Dustin’s beloved little pet. Deciding to raise him like he would any other pet animal, Dustin poured a lot of love into the innocent little creature. If any harm were to come to Dart, that would’ve left Dustin devastated.

Clearly Dustin had a strong affinity for his new pet. Mike could see that. It also, at that time, wasn’t posing an immediate threat to anyone. Mike acted quickly and rashly without any regard for Dustin’s feelings.

1 Dustin Endangered The Group

Although Mike’s reaction to the small creature seemed a little over the top at the time, he was later proven to be completely in the right. Mike’s instincts about the creature were spot on as it was bred to be a killer that hunted down innocent kids like Mike and Dustin.

When it turned out that Dart was, in fact, an emotionless, evil creature from the Upside Down, he attacked the kids. Dustin’s careless actions resulted in his friends getting attacked.

About The Author

Michael Austin
(64 Articles Published)

Michael is a professional journalist, author and writer. He graduated from Iowa State University in 2019 and has written at Screen Rant for over a year.

More From Michael Austin