byler theories !

i mostly tweet. twitter is @byersfolklore

[byersfolklore]

remember when taylor swift liked a byler tiktok and troye sivan liked a byler comment? https://x.com/byersfolklore/status/1723804822187418014?s=46&t=Xuer6eIbNT8Gowg_8-YX9Q

[mokurono]

hey byler tumblr/st tumblr !!!!!!!!!!

i, in fact, finished this before stranger things day ended (okay i finished it like 5 min before it ended)!!! ANYWAY. i saw this tweet and i just HAD TO draw it. so heres my version of how i see this scenario happening! hope you like it <3 (haha funny i drew byler art back to back)

[imactuallyreallycool]

OH WOW, FUCK OKAAY, THIS IS AMAZING OMGGGGG ISJQISIDHSHJSOQKANABDISJAJSBJSJSNZ

[byersfolklore]

guys!!! i tweeted a thread ( VERY LONG AND DETAILED AS WELL ) that shows the major differences between mike’s monologue to will and mike’s monologue to el. please retweet if you have twitter and read, thank you :)

[mokurono]

hey byler tumblr/st tumblr !!!!!!!!!!

i, in fact, finished this before stranger things day ended (okay i finished it like 5 min before it ended)!!! ANYWAY. i saw this tweet and i just HAD TO draw it. so heres my version of how i see this scenario happening! hope you like it <3 (haha funny i drew byler art back to back)

[lillie98]

“You Can’t Be What You Can’t See.” Positive, authentic representation means the difference between feeling like an alien in your community and discovering your identity. I’ve been on this journey for the last four years. Diving into media, my past, and other autistic creators to put together some semblance of what it means to be me. A large piece of that puzzle snapped together last year after watching Stranger Things Season 4, specifically the Painting Scene. I could not wrap my head around why Mike didn’t take the time to comfort Will as he cried or why he didn’t seem to understand Will was talking about himself. I thought back on his whole characterization and what I would have done in that situation, and the lightbulb dinged: Mike is autistic…just like me.

It was an overwhelming moment of joy, understanding, and identity that not only did we share the same diagnosis, we practically share the same brain. Since then Autistic Mike has taken over my mind and taught me more about myself than any doctor. I’ve explored him through my writing and used his (eventual) relationship with Will as something to aspire to, that maybe someday my Will will come for me. Someone to accept, love, and understand every part of me. It is incredibly healing and life-giving and I’m so thankful for everyone involved in creating such a beautiful story. When Bhavna announced she had opened commissions for her art, I knew I had to have this turning point in my life memorialized. We worked together for about a month to come up with this piece and I could not be happier. I sobbed when I saw the preliminary sketch—I finally felt seen.

All that to say, never be embarrassed about something you love. There is someone out there who needs to see it’s okay to exist. Please enjoy Mike’s latest DnD info-dumping session while his boyfriend, Will, looks on. It’s late, they should be in bed, but Mike can’t stop and Will’s too infatuated with Mike’s happiness to make him. The world is a little too loud, so Mike donned his headphones, and Will loves the way they relax Mike and allow him to process the world a little easier. Thank you, Bhavna. Happy Stranger Things Day. ❤️

[axquiva]

[theonebyler-deactivated20230411]

Will and El's Arcs (Rant)

I feel like the people who say things like "why is romance not important for El's happy ending but it is important for Will's" are just being dense on purpose.

Romance is not the MAIN focus of either of their arcs, but it definitely plays a bigger part in Will's than it does in El's. And that is because of Will's sexuality, whether people want to accept that or not. It ties into his arc about his coming of age, his sexuality, his acceptance and etc. I know a lot of people get uncomfortable with the idea of romance being a big part in a gay character's arc and not being a big part in a female character's arc, but boohoo. Get over it. That is what's happening.

It plays a bigger part in Will's arc because romantic love is something he desperately wants but he has convinced himself he can NEVER have. He believes love is not in the cards for him and he will never find it because ONE) his sexuality and the time period. And TWO) because he has fallen in love with his supposed "straight friend." He has resigned himself to a lifetime without romantic love even though we have seen it is something he deeply desires and wants. He genuinely believes it is not something that can happen for him. He believes he can't have the same opportunities in life as other people when it comes to love because he is gay.

So, what kind of happy ending for him would it be if he was proven right and he just never finds the love that he wants (and deserves)?? What kind of happy ending is "gay kid who thinks he will never find love and will be romantically alone forever is proven right and ends the show single and sadly pining after his best friend"?? That just isn't a happy ending for Will especially since the writers have gone out of their way to show us that reciprocated love and romance is something he REALLY wants and is REALLY important to him. He has the familial and platonic love he wants. He's got enough of that to last him a lifetime. What he doesn't have is the romantic love he wants and craves. That is what he wants in life but is lacking. So, in order for him to have his happy ending, he should get everything that he wants...and that INCLUDES a relationship with the boy he is in love with. A happy ending for Will SHOULD include him being proven wrong and him finding love. That should be one aspect that is a necessity for his happy ending.

On the other hand, El's arc is the opposite. What she desperately craves and desires more than anything is a family, a home, and an identity/independence. We have seen that is something she has wanted since season one. A family and a home and an identity is something she never had but deeply wants. That is what's the most important thing to her. And YET...she practically had romance thrown onto her BEFORE she got a family, a home, or found an identity for herself. She had something she barely knew anything about practically thrown into her hands before she got what she genuinely wanted.

Romance has always seemed like something El THOUGHT she should want and she convinced herself she wanted because it is what "normal girls have" and it is what Mike wanted from her in season one...but it doesn't actually seem like something she ever genuinely desired or thought about for herself. It never seemed like something that was actually important to her. And that is clear by the end of season four. She has realized it is not something she particularly cares about or wants anymore. And that's not to say there won't come a time later in her life where she decides she wants a relationship, but as of the end of season four, romance is the furthest thing from her mind. It is not important to her. It is not a necessity for her happy ending. The way her arc is set up, the only things that are really NECESSARY for her happy ending is if she is alive, has a family, has a home, and has her own identity and autonomy. That is it.

Romance will NEVER be as important to El or as much of a necessary aspect for her happy ending as some fans want it to be. Meanwhile romance will ALWAYS be more important to Will and his happy ending and his arc than some fans want it to be. That is just how the show and those characters are being written. And to the people who are mad or uncomfortable about that, then I say....cope!!

[merth-or-nothin-deactivated2025]

Occasionally I see some confusion regarding romance being a positive thing to include in some character's arcs, and a negative thing to focus on in others. Due to the way the narrative was written, some characters will benefit from romantic relationships at this stage in their lives, while others will not. There are also certain messages that will be sent out to the audience based on whether the character is coupled in the finale or not.

Steve has spent so much time trying to find a girlfriend. It's been a huge focus for his character, and he has tied his self worth to finding a romantic partner. If he comes to realize that he doesn't need a relationship to be happy, and that he's a complete and wonderful person on his own, that sends a positive message to the audience.

El was raised in a lab. She was never given the opportunity to figure out who she is or what she likes. After escaping the lab, she was immediately placed into a relationship before she even knew what a boyfriend was. Allowing her to focus on self discovery and learning that she is a strong woman who can make her own choices sends a positive message to the audience.

Will is gay and does not believe he'll ever find love. He feels that everyone else's feelings come before his. He loves Mike and El so deeply that he is willing to sacrifice his own feelings to try to help them fix their relationship problems. Will ending up single sends the message that gay people cannot expect to be with the person they love, and their feelings are inherently worth less. This sends a negative message to the audience.

[ramdom333-deactivated20240825]

some of u aren’t carrying a constant yearning for love that consumes u and that must be nice

[hoteadepresso]

[byersfolklore]

BYLER ENDGAME PROOF ONCE AGAIN… WE WON https://x.com/byersfolklore/status/1720156048588210313?s=46&t=Xuer6eIbNT8Gowg_8-YX9Q

[nateswinehart]

You're the heart, Will 💔

[foresttoffee]

Day 2 of bylerween. I think this one is my favorite.

[boxxecl]

Bylerween 2023 • Day 4 • Sweater Weather

too old for trick or treating, too unpopular to get invited to parties; err we could watch scary movies and cuddle- i mean hang out - i mean-

[mikeslawyer]

i don’t know if we’ve talked about this but i need the m!leven break up to be either mike’s idea or a mutual agreement.

because imagine if it’s el who breaks up with mike and mike then tries to kiss will. will’s already spent the past three years convincing himself he comes second to el, he’s going to think he’s a rebound. and he will settle for it. i know he wouldn’t even question it because he’s used to not being able to ask for more and to just accepting what’s thrown his way.

hell no.

[ghostlycleric]

itd be so funny if mike had an arc where he was trying NOT to tell will he loves him in s5

like the irony of going from struggling aggressively to tell his gf he loved her and only saying it in the heat of the moment when hes not sure if she can hear

to a blushy geniuenly in love mike who is afraid to say ily because he doesnt want to put will in the position he was in. even though theyve been best friends for so long he feels like it has extra weight to it and doesnt know when “too soon” is so hes constantly tripping over his words.

(will definitely notices too but he doesnt say anything. hes afraid to be presumptious but also he thinks mike is adorable. everytime it happens will just gets all smilely, and when mike finally does say it will says it back almost immediately.)

[bylrndgm]

The shed scene.

Ok, if Byler isn’t endgame, then explain why in this scene, in the Byers’ shed, there were Joyce, Jonathan and Mike. Wouldn’t have been more intimate to just have Joyce and Jonathan, who are his mom and brother? Why is Mike there?

Let me give a little context here:

We’re in S02E08 and Joyce, Mike, Will and Hop just escaped from Hawkin’s Lab

Will’s unconscious and the characters are trying to find a way to defeat the Mind Flayer

Mike has an intuition which is that Will is the only one that knows how to defeat him

At this point, they need to wake up Will, but doing so would put them in danger as he’s a spy for the Mind Flayer

So they make the Byers’ shed a safe place to connect with him.

We know, from the previous episodes, that the Mind Flayer is increasingly taking up Will’s brain, almost eating Will’s memories. Indeed, he just remembers Mike and his mom.

So, to understand how to defeat the Mind Flayer, they need to talk to Will, but how to, if the Flayer is “commanding him”?

The answer is clear, because we see that: they need to talk, connect to him, through memories of his.

Joyce talks about the moment she brought Will’s drawing to work and Will felt embarassed

Jonathan talks about the moment he and Will built Castle Byers, to escape from the sadness and anger of their household

Mike talks about the moment he asked Will to be his friend and we know for sure that this memory is all about joy and love.

Yeah, any of his other friend could’ve pulled out some joyful memories (e.g., some adventures they had or some DnD campaigns) but could any of them pull out memories that awake LOVE in Will?

Mike’s speech is different: it’s the only one that awakens in Will a positive emotion (and the only one, through which, Will seemed to resurface and have some kind of reaction) and it’s just after that, that Will starts morse coding (he was kinda trying through Jonathan’s speech, but was after Mike’s that he started doing that 100%).

Mike chose their very first memory to reach Will, pretty much what he tries with El*ven in S4, could any other members of the party come up such an emotion-dense memory? I believe not. 

Also you can notice that as soon Mike starts speaking, Will’s face is immersed in light:

The light pushes away the darkness. The light, which is the good, eliminates any shadow (evil). Will is fully exposed to the good feelings that his first memory with Mike evokes in him and this is enough to take away any evil.

Mike’s presence is crucial, through love he can help Will out: shortly after Mike stopped talking, Will was eventually able to code:“close gate”.

As I said, Mike tried to do the same thing when El*ven was piggybacking in S4 but did that work? Not even a tiny bit. That’s because his love for her is not the same love he feels for Will.

And this to me screams endgame.

[gayofthefae]

I would also like to add that during the montage of Morse Code, they continue to tell stories, one of which from Mike is about and D&D campaign, BUT the difference is that it isn’t just about it having been fun. He’s emphasizing, once again, his love for Will. Just like in season 1 when he formed the search party, he’s emphasizing how he sees Will as a hero. He tells him that he saved the entire party. He is using D&D, yes, but once again, he is using a story specifically as an example of why he loves him.

[ifonlyicouldrun-deactivated2025]

My favorite anti Byler argument is : “You are overestimating the Duffers. They are not that smart”

So you admit that narratively speaking this would be the smart way to go?