Stranger Things: Tales from '85 – release date, episodes, new characters, and timeline details explained.

      The original Stranger Things series concluded on December 31, 2025, after five seasons of chilling adventures in Hawkins that spanned nearly a decade. However, Netflix had no intention of allowing one of its biggest franchises to simply disappear into the Upside Down.

      Less than four months after the series finale, the universe is expanding with an animated spinoff titled Stranger Things: Tales from ’85. The familiar core group returns, along with a bold new character and a new monster hidden beneath the snow. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the animated Stranger Things show's launch.

      What is Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 about?

      The series is set in the winter of 1985 in Hawkins, Indiana. Following the tumult of Season 2, life is expected to be relatively peaceful for Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max. The gate to the Upside Down is shut, and the kids have resumed normal teenage activities, such as playing Dungeons and Dragons, engaging in snowball fights, and enjoying some well-deserved tranquility. But in Hawkins, peace never lasts long.

      Beneath the layers of ice and snow covering the town, something horrifying has stirred. The official synopsis poses three questions that the show claims it will answer: Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from someplace entirely different? The group must rush to uncover the mystery and save Hawkins once more, rendered in a vibrant animated style that captures the essence of the 80s while maintaining real stakes.

      When does Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 take place?

      If you’re curious about its position in the timeline, here’s what you should know. Tales from ’85 is not a sequel and does not continue from the Season 5 conclusion. Instead, it fills in a gap that the main series previously overlooked.

      Stranger Things addressed a specific timeline throughout its five seasons. Season 1 occurred in the autumn of 1983, followed by Season 2 in the autumn of 1984, which ended with the Snow Ball dance in November of that year. Season 3 advanced to the summer of 1985, starting with the Starcourt Mall fully operational.

      Tales from ’85 takes place during the winter months between Season 2 (December 1984) and Season 3 (June 1985), after Eleven had just closed the gate, Will returned from the Upside Down, and the couples formed during the Snow Ball were still in their early stages.

      Who voices the characters in Stranger Things: Tales from ’85?

      One of the most discussed aspects of the show is its cast. None of the original live-action actors will reprise their roles as voice actors; instead, the animated series has recruited an entirely new lineup for the iconic characters.

      Here is the complete voice cast for Tales from ’85:

      - Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven

      - Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler

      - Benjamin Plessala as Will Byers

      - Braxton Quinney as Dustin Henderson

      - Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas Sinclair

      - Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max Mayfield

      - Brett Gipson as Jim Hopper

      - Jeremy Jordan as Steve Harrington

      - Alessandra Antonelli as Nancy Wheeler

      - Alysia Reiner as Karen Wheeler

      - Jack Griffo as Jeff

      - Valeria Rodriguez as Rosario

      - Lou Diamond Phillips as Daniel Fischer

      - Janeane Garofalo as Anna Baxter

      - Robert Englund (Victor Creel in Season 4) as Cosmo

      - Odessa A’zion as Nikki Baxter

      Who is Nikki Baxter in the new Stranger Things show?

      Nikki Baxter is the most notable new character in the Stranger Things universe introduced in Tales from ’85. She’s characterized as a punk rock outsider and a transfer student who arrives in Hawkins with no intention of making friends.

      With a striking pink mohawk and a rebellious demeanor, she stands out from the established group. Early images show her wielding a sword-like weapon, indicating she might take on an active combat role against the new threat of the season.

      Nikki Baxter is voiced by Odessa A’zion, a rising star in Hollywood following her Oscar-nominated role in Marty Supreme and a leading role in HBO’s I Love LA.

      However, her relationship with Will Byers is the most significant aspect of the story. Following the Snow Ball dance in Season 2, Mike and Eleven are now a couple, as are Lucas and Max, leaving Will feeling like an outsider among his own friends, a theme that resonates with his character arc throughout the original series.

      Nikki provides Will with someone he can truly confide in, who understands what it's like to feel different and excluded. Her character serves as an entry point for new viewers, arriving in Hawkins with fresh perspectives, allowing those unfamiliar with the original series to explore the world alongside her.

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