Alexi
Thought Alexi was a new character in Season 3, his love of Cherry Slurpees and hilarious attempts at communicating with Jim Hopper were entertaining and lovable. The Russian scientist ended up being a helping hand in the Hawkins quest to close the Upside Down gap, yet again. Though his death was not entirely unexpected, it was still shocking.
What was most surprising about Alexi’s death was how quickly and visibly it happened. He was killed by his Russian allies for aiding the Americans, in the center of the Hawkins Fourth of July festival. With only a carnival prize to shield him, Alexi was silently shot in the center of the fair and later died between some carnival structures.
Billy
For nearly the entire season, Billy was the leading villain, having crafted an army to feed the Mindflayer. It seemed Billy would melt and join the larger-than-life monster, but he didn’t. It seemed likely the monster or Eleven would kill Billy, but instead, his demise was surprisingly honorable.
Moments before his death, Eleven reminded Billy of his mother, through a memory she shared directly to his mind. A tear fell from Billy’s face, and he stood up to face the Mindflayer. In his slow, gory death, Billy tried to hold off the beast so Eleven and her friends, including his stepsister Max, could escape. The monster ultimately ended Billy’s life with a graphic chest stab. Though Billy was a villain all season, he died a hero, saving his sister.
Jim Hopper
In the most shocking death of the season, lead character Hopper lost his life similarly to Billy, in an effort to protect the children while isolated with the machine used to open the Upside Down. Joyce Byers was about to turn two keys to shut down the device and close the portal. It seemed both Joyce and Hopper knew the decision would kill him. She paused, and he smiled and nodded, knowing his fate.
When Joyce pulled the keys, Hopper’s body was demolished by the machine. There are hundreds of reasons why Hopper’s death was devastating, not only for the show’s characters, but for viewers. One is the fact that his death leaves his adopted daughter, Eleven, without parents yet again. Another is the storyline of his possible romantic connection with Joyce died along with him, just minutes after the pair agreed to a formal, first date.
