The Stranger Things animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is set between seasons 2 and 3 because that’s the only time in the Netflix series that all the kids are hanging out together in Hawkins. But instead of just giving the established party a new adventure, showrunner Eric Robles made the surprising decision to expand the group by introducing the punk tinkerer Nikki Baxter (Odessa A’zion).
“I think what the Duffer brothers do so well is they always introduce these characters that end up adding to the universe,” Robles told Polygon in a video interview. “They did that with Max. In the early days, I remember people were just not liking Max, until you realize the importance of having Max. Then the same thing happens with Robin. The same thing happened with Eddie Munson.”
Robles believes each of those characters filled gaps in the story, and that Nikki does the same. She’s stronger and tougher than the other kids — a barbarian, in the Dungeons & Dragons lingo that the show draws on. That’s important in the spin-off, which stays focused on the younger characters rather than getting their older siblings or parents involved in the mystery. But Nikki also gives Will Byers (Ben Plessala) more to do.
“At this point, Mike is so head over heels at the fact that Eleven is alive and she’s back in his life, and he’s so excited about showing her everything about being a kid,” Robles said. “Lucas and Max are dealing with their new relationship and their drama at the same time, so they’re very caught up in their own lives. And then you got Dustin, who’s really just looking for the big next adventure. That leaves Will alone.”
A newcomer to Hawkins, Nikki is introduced defending Will from bullies who call him “Zombie Boy” because he was declared dead and then found alive after escaping from the Upside Down in season 1. Will is a perpetual outsider who doesn’t embrace his own strength until season 5, but Tales from ’85 uses Nikki to accelerate that journey.
“We realized that we need somebody that Will can confide in, somebody who just can look at him as Zombie Boy not in a negative way, but as, Dude, are you kidding me? That’s a freaking cool name. You went to another dimension, you fought monsters, and you just went back to school again. That’s pretty amazing,” Robles said. “If we look at it from that perspective, then you start realizing how cool Will is.”
It’s obviously odd for a midquel to introduce a new character and plot that the characters never mention in the original series, and Robles admits that his show won’t fit perfectly into the existing Stranger Things canon.
“At the same time, we do have plans in the future, if this continues to go well, on what we might do with this character, and how her story will end, and where it goes from there,” Robles said. “We’re not just dismissing it, and we’re not just going to ignore it. We’re going to take it seriously.”
Tales from ’85 ends by teasing a new threat growing in the Upside Down, though Netflix has yet to announce additional seasons.
“We leave it open for the opportunity of something more and something pretty big,” Robles said. “I just want to make sure that the fans love it. I just want to make sure that people embrace it and really enjoy the idea of going on new adventures with these kids. And if they really genuinely love the adventure, then we’ve got plenty more ways we can tell this story.”
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is streaming on Netflix now.
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