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This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
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| “ | How many children are you friends with? | „ |
| ~ Robin Buckley to Steve Harrington upon seeing him reunite with Dustin. |
| “ | We all die my strange little child friend. It’s all a matter of how... and when. | „ |
| ~ Robin to Dustin Henderson. |
Robin Buckley is a major character in the Stranger Things franchise. She is also the titular main protagonist of the novel Rebel Robin.
A self-described "band dweeb", Buckley lives in Hawkins, Indiana and attended Hawkins High alongside Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler during the 1980s. She worked at the Scoops Ahoy in the Starcourt Mall with Harrington, and later became an ally of the Party to stop the Mind Flayer and the Russians from opening the gate. Having developed a friendship with Steve during the ordeal, Robin is given support by Harrington with her feelings towards her classmate Vickie. In 1986, Robin and Steve continue working at Family Video, and assists their friends in dealing with the new threat - Vecna.
She is portrayed by Maya Hawke, who voiced Anxiety in Inside Out 2.
History
Background
Robin was born on March 10th, 1968 to Richard and Melissa Buckley, and she was supposedly conceived in the back of a van off the Oregon coast. Though the truth of this fact is unknown, Robin and her family lived in Hawkins, Indiana by the 1970s. As a child, Buckley displayed a talent for music, being a member of a band since she was young. She also played soccer when she was young, and witnessed one of her teammates be brutally injured during a game. At some point, Robin developed a fluency with multiple languages, such as French, Spanish and Italian. Additionally, Buckley showed some fluency in Russian, as she learned of their alphabet and could translate their language.
By 1983, Robin was attending Hawkins High School alongside her classmates Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler, whom she labeled a "douchebag" and "priss". During the disappearance of Will Byers and Barbara Holland, Buckley theorized that the latter simply ran away from home. She became to despise Harrington, as while they were classmates in Ms. Click's history class, she displayed his cocky and aloof behavior by being late, eating, and asking dumb questions. Her dislike for him grew when her crush Tammy Thompson became attracted to Steve, something that leave her screaming into her pillow when she returned home.
Stranger Things
1985
When the Starcourt Mall opened, Robin got a job at "Scoops Ahoy", a ice cream palor in the food court, and also became Steve's co-worker. The two didn't get along very well, as Steve attempted to pick up dates while working, and Robin making sarcastic comments about him (often calling him "dingus"), his friends, and teasing customers.
While he would try to pick up dates, Robin made a tally of his success and failures, with him unsuccessfully doing so (with Robin writing "You Suck" for his fails). Additionally, Robin would tease customers that would irritate her, a notable example is Erica Sinclair, a frequent customer who abuses the free sample policy.
When Steve's close friend and brother-figure Dustin Henderson returned from camp, Robin witnessed their comrade and asked her co-worker how many children was he friends with. Robin continued to serve customers, but overheard Dustin speak of finding Russian transmission. As they tried to translate the communications, Robin revealed that she could translate since Russians use a different alphabet than Americans. Revealing that she is multilingual, the trio are able to translate the communications, with Steve realizing that the Soviets are somewhere in the Starcourt mall due to hearing the carousal in the background. Once completing the transmission, Robin encounters a delivery man having a silver cat symbol on him, something she notices that was mentioned from the Russians communications.
Realizing that the Russians were disguising themselves as delivery men and transporting boxes, and the trio (which became known as the Scoops Troop) decided to continue spying on them. Needing someone to enter the air ducts, the troop recruited Erica to do so in exchange that she could get all of the ice cream she wanted. With Erica's assistance, they managed to enter the Imperial Panda delivery room and discovered a container containing a green-like substance. When prepared to leave, they became stuck as the room went underground since it was an elevator. Stuck inside, the group remained trap for a day until Russians arrive with a kart, allowing them to escape with Steve using the container to keep the door open.
The troop then entered the secret base, where Robin witnessed Steve defeat a Russian officer within their communications room. After Dustin congratulated Harrington for winning his first fight, the group discovered an underground area where the Soviets were trying to open a portal to the Upside Down with their machine. The Russians then discovered their presence, and Robin and Steve helped Dustin and Erica escape as they were captured. Accused of being agents of the American government, Robin and Steve were interrogated and later injected with a truth serum. Due to the serum being botched, Robin and Steve become high off the substance, but they are later saved by Dustin and Erica.
Still suffering from the effects of the drug, Dustin has Erica put Robin and Steve into a pack screening of Back of the Future while he tried to get in touch with the Party. Robin and Steve later leave the screening to vomit in the bathroom, and the latter admits his feelings for her. However, Robin admits her sexuality to him, and finds solace in Steve's acceptance. Following this, Dustin and Erica find them and have them meet with the Party, where Buckley learns of the Upside Down and its inhabitants. Agreeing to help them stop the Mind Flayer, Robin works with Steve and Dustin to meet with Murray Bauman to navigate the Soviet's base. While doing this, they learn that the Flayer has sent his proxy spider-form and the flayed Billy Hargrove to kill the Party.
After Steve hits Billy with his car, Robin was stunned from the impact, and was later shocked to learn that Dustin did have a girlfriend named Suzie. The Mind Flayer is defeated when the gate is closed at the cost of Jim Hopper's "sacrifice", and Starcourt is closed following the incident. Despite losing their jobs, Robin becomes best friends with Steve, and the two latter apply to Family Video three months later.
1986
A year after the events at Starcourt, Robin has developed feelings for her classmate Vickie, and is supported by Steve on trying to tell her.
Personality
| “ | Why so sensitive, Harrington? Afraid of losing cool points to a 10-year-old child? | „ |
| ~ Robin to Steve. |
At first, Robin showed herself to be sarcastic and sassy, often mocking Steve in every interaction. She doesn't hesitate to be sassy in front of customers she has issues with, such as Erica Sinclair, who abuses the free sample policy. She dislikes Steve's flirtatious behavior, even going as far to create a "You Rule/"You Suck" board on Steve's interactions with girls. Despite this, she shows herself to be highly intelligent, as she was able to crack the code for Steve and Dustin, and notices that it wasn't in Russian as they believed.
It's later revealed that her snark personality is to protect herself, as she has faced adversity her entire life. She states back in high school, she was somewhat of a loser, and didn't have many friends (excluding her band mates). In addition, she is also brave, as she spit in the face of her Russian captor. She officially reveals that she is a lesbian, and admits that she didn't tell Steve because she worried of their friendship, and was envious of Steve's crush on Tammy Thompson back in high school. However, Steve's accepts who Robin is after admitting his feelings for her, and the two continue to help and protect the children from the Mind Flayer.
Quotes
| “ | Have a nice day. | „ |
| ~ Robin to customers. |
| “ | That's pig latin, dingus. | „ |
| ~ Robin to Steve and Dustin. |
| “ | Why so sensitive, Harrington? Afraid of losing cool points to a 10-year-old child? | „ |
| ~ Robin teasing Steve. |
| “ | So like, I wasn't super focused in there or anything, but... I'm pretty sure that mom was trying to bang her son. | „ |
| ~ Robin to Steve while still high from the Russian's drugs. |
| “ | But she couldn't pull her eyes away from you. | „ |
| ~ Robin to Steve on Tammy Thompson. |
| “ | Tammy Thompson. I wanted her to look at me. | „ |
| ~ Robin to Steve. |
| “ | Did you just refer to yourself in the third person? | „ |
| ~ Robin to Steve when taking the police car. |
Trivia
- Robin Buckley is the second LGBTQ+ character is be identified and confirmed on the show, first being Will Byers. That said, Robin came out prior to Will.
- Maya Hawke who portrays Robin, is the daughter of legendary actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.
- Her three favorite movies are The Apartment, The Hidden Fortress, and Children of Paradise.
- She has a huge crush on Julie Christie.
- The character was originally written to date Steve Harrington, but this was changed when the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, Maya Hawke and Joe Keery agreed that the character should be a lesbian instead, as they all felt that having Robin date Steve would feel too cliché and predictable.
- Francesca Reale originally auditioned for the role, but was instead casted as Heather Holloway.
External Links
- Robin Buckley on the Near Pure Good Wiki
- Robin Buckley on the Stranger Things Wiki
 Heroes
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The Party Wheeler Family Byers Family Scoops Troop Others | ||