Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when it was revealed in the Stranger Things season four trailer that Hopper is very much still alive and well (although, now bald.) This is because the Chief of Police is a firm fan favorite from the science fiction series, having won over the audiences over the course of the show. Sure, at times he can be a very grumpy character, but that's just part of his charm as deep down he is a big softy and is one of the show's true heroes. He consistently puts himself in the line of fire in order to protect people, proving how loyal he is.
However, for every incredible brave and heroic moment, Hopper does in the show, he seems to counterbalance it with a major mistake that upsets and angers others. It's the human element of his character as he's not perfect, and in this list, we will look at his five biggest mistakes and his five best shining moments.
Biggest Mistake: Jealous Magnets
Throughout the show, it is very clear that Hopper cares deeply about Joyce and is in love with her. So, when he thinks he is going to go on a date with her, it is a big moment for him. However, the date never happens because Joyce stands him up.
This leads to a hungover mistake the next day for Hopper as he loses his cool about Joyce visiting Will's science teacher instead of meeting him. It leads to him totally ignoring her magnet theory, which is actually accurate and proves that sometimes his attitude gets in the way of things.
Shining Moment: Entering The Upside Down
There are few adults in the series that truly understand the world of the Upside Down and what is happening, but Hopper is one. The main reason for that is because he steps into the Upside Down himself, proving just how brave he is.
Despite not really knowing what is going to await him on the other side, he heads into the Upside Down alongside Joyce in order to do everything possible to save her son. It's a truly shining moment for him as he doesn't hesitate in getting his hands dirty and venturing into the unknown.
Biggest Mistake: Not Listening
While Hopper eventually gets to know better than most about exactly what is happening with the Upside Down and the monsters that are taking over Hawkins, it takes him a minute to get to that conclusion. He could have stopped the situation going this far if he had listened to Joyce when she first told him the situation.
She tries to explain the madness as best she can at the start of season one, but instead of trusting his old friend, Hopper simply believes she is just going mad. It's a big mistake on his behalf because he knows Joyce well enough to trust her.
Shining Moment: It's A Bug
At times, Hopper comes across as the stereotypical, lazy, doughnut-eating police officer who doesn't really care about his job. However, as we learn throughout the series he is actually highly-skilled at his job, and the moment he worked out his home had been bugged was a great example of that.
This moment comes after he breaks into the Hawkins Lab (Which is another great moment in itself.) He wakes up and immediately starts tearing up his home, finding the bug that had been hidden. It's a genius moment that really showcases how smart he is.
Biggest Mistake: Not Telling Joyce About Will
A lot of Hopper's mistakes tend to involve Joyce, with the main reason for that being because it's who he cares about the most. He thinks he is making decisions to help and protect her, but in reality, it is quite the opposite of that.
The moment when he finds out that Will's body is actually fake and that he might still be alive is a prime example of this. Instead of telling his grieving mother immediately, giving her some hope, he keeps things to himself, which ends up making the situation worse.
Shining Moment: He Fought The Law And Hopper Won
Despite the fact that Mayor Larry is technically his boss and is in a position of power to fire Hopper, the Chief of Police has one of his shining moments by confronting him. He is desperate to learn the identity of the Russian Terminator (Grigori) and does everything in his power to find the information.
That includes having a fistfight with Larry. Not only does he break his nose but he then begins squeezing his finger to the point of almost chopping it off. Sure, it's one of his most violent and extreme moments, but it's effective and it gets the desired result.
Biggest Mistake: Falling Out With Eleven
This situation does come from a good place, as Hopper is simply wanting to be protective of Eleven like a father would. However, in the third season of Stranger Things, he does become overbearing to her, especially in regards to her young romance with Mike.
He screams at Will and makes things very awkward for them, with Hopper not wanting any form of relationship between them at all. It leaves things at an awkward stage between them for much of the season, which was a mistake on his behalf as he doesn't pluck up the courage to properly talk to her about his feelings.
Shining Moment: His Ultimate Sacrifice
While we now know that this moment didn't actually kill Hopper, at the end of season three fans were led to believe that when Joyce closes the gate to the Upside Down, Hopper gets caught up in the explosion and died. However, he actually gave her the nod, knowing it had to be done at that time and that he was going to die.
Hopper finds himself next to the machine because he is fighting Grigori to make sure that they can close the gate to allow everyone to be safe. However, the timing just doesn't work out, and he ends up having to make the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good.
Biggest Mistake: Threatening Mike
Without a doubt, Hopper's lowest moment is when he screams at Mike, threatening him because he is dating Eleven. While he is obviously finding the situation awkward, Hopper doesn't handle things well and the fact he pretends Mike's Grandma is poorly just to kidnap him in a car is a low moment.
He then threatens Mike about the situation, showing a very different side to his personality, one which audiences do not like. It's a big mistake, especially when you consider just how young Mike is during all of this.
Shining Moment: Becoming Eleven's Father Figure
Without a doubt, Hopper's greatest moment so far was opening up his life to Eleven to become her father figure. It's why his 'death' scene was so emotional, with Eleven clearly being heartbroken at the situation because they had formed an incredible bond together.
His trail of Eggos certainly works wonders in bringing her to his cabin, and he does his best to make life easy for her. While he does have his faults in of Eleven having a boyfriend, which leads to arguments, there's no doubt this is one of the reasons that fans love him so much.