The third season of Stranger Things has just premiered on Netflix, bringing back beloved characters like Eleven and Sheriff Hopper as they face otherworldly dangers and complex human conspiracies.
In the show, our heroes encounter mysterious creatures and events from an alternate dimension known as “the Upside Down.” Meanwhile, the Stranger Things universe is also seeping into our world through some pretty cool tattoos!
Curious about the Stranger Things tattoos and the ink of your favorite cast members? Grab an Eggo, settle in, and keep reading!
What’s in a Name?
In a way, a tattoo is central to the Stranger Things storyline. It’s how we learn Eleven’s name.
Her backstory involves being part of a science experiment that gave her extraordinary powers—and left her with a tattoo of the number eleven on her forearm.
Since her memories are fuzzy, the characters call her “Eleven” (or sometimes just “El”) throughout the series.
While Eleven’s portrayer, Millie Bobby Brown, doesn’t have tattoos in real life, she inspired actor Matthew Lewis (famous for playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter films) to get one. Lewis had “eleven” inked in Roman numerals as a tribute to Brown and her performance.
One Ring to Rule Them All
The show taps into 80’s nostalgia, and sometimes that carries over to the casting choices. For example, Sean Astin (known for his role as Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings) appeared in the second season.
While Astin didn’t get any new tattoos for his role in Stranger Things, he does sport an iconic tattoo from his Lord of the Rings days. Astin, along with the rest of the core “Fellowship” cast, got the number “9” in Elvish to symbolize both their Fellowship of the Ring and the close bond they shared offscreen.
80’s Icon
Winona Ryder, another 80’s icon at the heart of the show, brings to life Joyce Byers, a mother whose son, Will, shares a mysterious connection with the Upside Down.
Ryder has a modest tattoo, an artistic design on her forearm, which she got in 2012. She hasn’t shared much about it, possibly due to her experience with ex-fiancé Johnny Depp, who famously got the tattoo “Winona Forever” during their engagement. After their split, Depp humorously altered it to read “Wino Forever.”
Like a Big Pizza Pie
While it wasn’t quite a “Fellowship” moment, several Stranger Things cast members got tattoos to commemorate the second season.
Finn Wolfhard, Natalia Dyer, and Charlie Heaton each got matching pizza slice tattoos after filming the season. Sadly, these tattoos were temporary, perhaps learning from Winona Ryder’s experience with Depp and his tattoo regret!
Final Thoughts on Stranger Things Tattoos
We may not know what’s next for Stranger Things, but we’ll be the first to catch the next round of tattoos and what’s happening in the wider world of ink!