My personal favorite Byler Proofs that keep me believing that might help others with doubt as well:
- The difference of Mike calling El a superhero versus calling Will a sorcerer. Will wonâEl didnât.
- Elmike rooftop scene discussing the happily ever after of the whole party, rather than secluding themselves like all the other couples have done when they make plans.
- Mike called El a superhero because of her powers. Will became a superhero because Mike said he had the potential to become one.
- âI knew right then and there that she was the oneâ âRobin regarding TammyââI knew right then and there that I loved youââMike to El.
- Mike returning to referring to El as ElevenâŠwhilst Hop called her Jane.
- Will thought of meeting Mike first to restore his self-love and find powers because Mike made him feel loved. Like he wasnât a mistake one might sayâŠ
- Mike in danger is the last thing Will sees before activating his powersâand the first thing he sees when he does activate them.
- Before we see Will being sexy and aura farmingâthe camera pans to Mike looking at the demogorganâthen back at the demogorgan as if we are seeing through Mikeâs eyes, and then the camera pans towards Will. Showing how Mike sees Will.
- The look of absolute pride and love that Mike gives Will after Will snapped all of the demogorgan bonesâversus Joyce being terrified of and for her son.
- Mike donât gaf that El is in the Upside Downđđand not that it is the same situation but itâs a vast comparison from his need to find and save Will in season 1ânot to mention she went into the UD to find his sister.
- Lucas talks more about El and more highly of her than Mike does.
- The same flowers Mike gifts to El in 4x02 are the dead flowers that El holds up in the last moments of 4x09 and now at the beginning of 5x01 when Vickie is throwing away more dead yellow and purple flowers.
- âWeâre hoping this emotional arc for Will is what ties this whole series togetherâ -The Duffers
- âThe show is to empower outcastsâ -Shawn Levy, The Duffers, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Ma- I could go on.
- âYou could never really tell if it was something romantic or just a special friendshipâ -Noah Schnapp on Mike and Willâs friendship at a Comic Con
- âMike goes on a journey this seasonâŠâ -Cara Buono following Schnappâs words from the bullet point above.
- Midleven kiss at the end of S3.
- âThey [Mike and El] have such different paths in lifeâ -Finn Wolfhard on Mike and Elâs relationship
- âDoes he still see her as just the superhero?â -Millie Bobby Brown (2022 or 2023) saying her favorite Midleven scene was their fight over âFrom, Mikeâ with Sarah D. (Forgot her last name, sheâs the hair stylist for the show)
- Mikeâs behavior in the airport scene.
- Mike and Willâs Rink oâ Mania fight, specifically Mike saying Will not having a good time or smiling was what sabotaged the day, and not El being severely bullied and humiliated.
- Willâs feelings were what made Mike confident, and they are the reason for Leader Mikeâs return in season 5âonly Will disguised those feelings as Elâs.
- Mike being paralleled to Brenner and Hopper. Especially Brenner.
^would love to put every single parallel on this list but thatâll take too long LMAO
- No midleven scene post the âloveâ monologue in season 4, and instead we get confirmation that El didnât talk much to Mike for two days after it on their way to Hawkins.
- Mikeâs arc has been failing to please El for two seasons straight whereas she is able to forget Mike for the majority of her seasons.
- Familial Parallels. Obviously. And ew.
- Will was the one to push Mike to say he loves El, and Mike still hesitated, as well as lied about experiencing love at first sight.
- âThe Heartâ being constantly associated with Mikeâs character, tying him directly to Willâs love for him. Every time they say it, it is tied to the ship.
- Mike and El, although unintentional, continue to hurt each other and make one another feel inferior and less than.
- âMaybe I was worrying too much about Elâ To Will, after El was severely bullied and then taken away to a top secret location to get her powers back. Like dude.
- Final shot of season 4, and jancy, jopper and byler being coupled together.
- âWe ask Finn to carry a lot of weight, we ask Noah to carry a lot of critical emotional contentâ -Shawn Levy at the ST5 LA Premiere.
(Will add more later when I think of them)
