Is Will Byers Gay, Bi, or Straight? His Sexuality Explained

Season 4 of Stranger Things has only made the entire project more enjoyable, especially with the growth of the main characters that we have been following since the very first season. Of course, the characters are also getting to know their own selves more and more as they grow older. As such, fans have actually speculated that Will Byers, one of the original children of the main character group, is a member of the LGBTQ community. So, is Will Byers gay, bi, or straight?

Will Byers is gay, the actor Noah Schnapp confirmed as much in his interview with Variety referencing his close relationship with Mike. The actor claims that the hints were there since season 1. This aligns well with multiple theories in the community that noticed the close connection two friends shared.

It is worth noting that Will is not the first member of the LGBTQ community in Stranger Things because, near the end of season 3, Robin admitted to Steve that she was lesbian. So this isn’t something new to the series. With that said, let’s look at Will Byers’s sexuality based on what we know or what we’ve seen lately.

Is Will Byers Gay, Bi, Or Straight?

Season 4 of Stranger Things continues to be quite entertaining, especially when we look at the fact that this series has expanded on its lore while also exploring more possibilities regarding the different characters involved in the story. With that said, we do know that the main characters, who are still in their freshmen year in high school and are still just 15, are still in the middle of their years of growth both on the physical and emotional levels.

With all of the adventures we’ve been with the Stranger Things kids, we often forget that they are still just young teenagers that are still experiencing normal life. So, with that, they are still trying to get to know their own selves as the series proceeds. And this is where it gets interesting for one of the main characters of Stranger Things.

We do know that Will Byers was hardly given any roles in season 1 because the entire season revolved around the group trying to find him after he got lost in the Upside Down. His story and character continued to see growth in seasons 2 and 3 as he was able to move past the traumatic event that he had to endure. In season 4, his family, along with Eleven, had to move to California for their safety after the events of season 3.

Of course, season 4 also allowed us to see more about Will’s personality and probably even his sexuality. Fans have always been wondering what Will’s sexual preference is, especially with the way he is portrayed to be the most sensitive of the four boys who were part of the original group. So, is Will Byers gay, bi, or straight?

There were hints throughout the entire season that could point to the possibility that Will could be gay. At the very start of season 4, Eleven was narrating in her letter to Mike Wheeler that Will was often spending his time painting as she believed that he could be in love.

Still, the hints were already clear as early as season 3 when the other kids started having girlfriends and were already dating. We know that Mike and Eleven were already dating. Meanwhile, there was something going on with Max and Lucas. And Dustin has a girlfriend all the way in Utah.

This left Will as the odd man out because he was the only person who seemingly wasn’t interested in dating at all. At one point, he just wanted the group to go back to playing Dungeons and Dragons like they always did when they were still younger. There was even a heated argument wherein Will told Mike that he was throwing away their friendship for some girl. To that, Mike responded that El was not just some stupid girl and even said, “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls.”

This was probably the first hint that Will was indeed gay and that he was just simply struggling with his identity because he was probably confused about the things he felt deep within himself. As such, the creators of the show are probably throwing hints that Will could be gay but are still wondering whether or not he actually believed that he was gay.

However, while Stranger Things has given out hints that Will could be gay, Noah Schnapps went one step ahead and confirmed Will’s sexuality in his interview with Variety.

I mean, it’s pretty clear this season that Will has feelings for Mike. They’ve been intentionally pulling that out over the past few seasons. Even in Season 1, they hinted at that and slowly, slowly grew that storyline. I think for Season 4, it was just me playing this character who loves his best friend but struggles with knowing if he’ll be accepted or not, and feeling like a mistake and like he doesn’t belong. Will has always felt like that. All his friends, they all have girlfriends and they all fit into their different clubs. Will has never really found anywhere to fit in. I think that’s why so many people come up to me and tell me that they love Will and they resonate with him so much, because it’s such a real character.

Of course, Will being gay isn’t the first gay person in the series. Remember that, at the end of season 3, Robin admitted to Steve that she was lesbian. The original plan was for Maya Hawke’s character to be Joe Keery’s new love interest. However, when the actors realized that they were better off friends, the showrunners changed the story and made Robin into a lesbian instead. 

As such, it shouldn’t be something surprising given the fact that gay people are now being represented all over television. But, considering that Stranger Things is set in the 80s, there is a good reason why he might be hesitant to come out of the closet and why Robin is still keeping her sexuality from everyone except Steve. Back then, people were not as open as they are now, and that could be the challenge that Will might want to overcome as the series progresses.

Is Will In Love With Mike?

In the same interview, the actor referenced his relationship with his best friend, he confirmed that Will is indeed in love with Mike although he struggles with emotions.

Of course, Will has always been seen with Mike throughout the entire series. At one point, he was even angry about Mike caring so much about El, who he called a stupid girl. At that time, a lot of us thought that Will was only angry because he wanted things to go back to what they used to be before things in Hawkins got weird. However, it could also be a hint that Will was always in love with Mike and was jealous of the fact that he cared so much about El.

This was also another issue that was brought up in season 4. After Eleven got bullied by her classmates and had disappeared from Mike, Will made clear that he was frustrated about the fact that Mike was not angry about how Eleven was lying to him the entire time about how “happy” she was in California. Will also brought up the fact that Mike only cared about Eleven and rarely sent him letters.

Will didn’t expressly say that he was in love with Mike, but it was hinted in that scene that he could be in love with him and was feeling jealous about the fact that his best friend was only giving his attention to Eleven. Then again, considering that Will is yet to reveal anything about his sexuality, this is all purely speculative.

Is Noah Schnapp Gay, bisexual or straight?

In a recent TikTok post that went viral, Noah Schnapp the actor that plays Will Byers in Strange Things came out as gay. He admitted that he has more in common with his character than he ever dared to admit. The caption of the video reads:

“When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was ‘we know,'”