Jim Hopper, portrayed by David Harbour, is a major character in the first and second seasons of Stranger Things. Hopper was Chief of Police in the small, sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana, where he used to live out a carefree existence - yet haunted by a troubled past. After the young son of an old friend disappeared mysteriously, Hopper's life became infinitely more complicated. As many events unfolded, he came to know about Eleven, a young girl who was experimented upon by Hawkins Lab for her inherited abilities. However, in order to save Will, he had to give up her location, a decision he would regret. Later Hopper found Eleven and unbeknownst to everyone, took her to his cabin for her safety. Living together for almost a year, the two formed a father-daughter bond. After the pumpkin patches began to rot suddenly, he discovered the corrupted tunnels beneath Hawkins were responsible for it. Following the massacre at Hawkins Lab, Hopper reunited with Eleven and they closed the Shadow Monster's Gate together. Eventually, he adopted Eleven as his daughter and took her to the Snow Ball. Contents[show] History Main article: Jim Hopper/History Personality and traits The loss of his daughter and family life left Hopper emotionally reserved and cynical. To manage his pain, he regularly drank alcohol, smoked several cigarettes a day and developed an addiction to anti-anxiety drugs. Instead of making real connections with people, he slept around with several women who he never contacted again. Despite being the Police Chief, he didn't care about his job, as he regularly slept in and showed up late, and had an indifference to the cases brought to his attention. Only when Will Byers went missing and it turned out to be a government cover-up did he start caring about doing his job properly, as he had a personal interest in the case. After discovering Eleven and taking her in to his cabin as her new home, Hopper grew to be highly sympathetic and responsible, which was why they quickly formed a father-daughter bond. To ensure her safety as well as fear for losing her like his daughter, Hopper placed trip-wires around their location and had no other choice but to prohibit Eleven from leaving the cabin at all. His care for her was so fierce that one day, he got mad at her for putting herself in jeopardy, an act he regretted. He later acknowledged this and asked her forgiveness. His sense of duty also didn't waiver during their time together, as he would often go to check out Will's condition and help him out as well as scrutinizing the reason behind the abnormal incidents of Hawkins. Hopper's empathy for Eleven was the reason why, with the help of Dr. Owens he later took her as his adopted daughter. Skills and Abilities Gunmanship: As a former Army veteran and the present Police Chief, Hopper is noteworthy for his experience with a variety of firearms, ranging from short handguns to .22 LRs to sub-machine guns. While he mostly carried his revolver around with him during investigations and settling minor disputes, he was shown to be remarkably proficient in handling assault rifles and shotguns when he fought side by side with Eleven and protected her from the Demodogs by shooting a substantial number of them without much difficulty. Survival Instincts: Hopper's basic surviving skills helped him considerably when he was trapped in the tunnels corrupted by the Upside Down, such as, placing cigars for leaving a trail to follow, as well as crafting a makeshift torch from a branch. Craftsmanship: His military life led him to be familiarized with some crafting skills too, as displayed in "The Pollywog" when he constructed trip-wires around Eleven's location. Morse code: Hopper also had some knowledge regarding radio operation and its mechanisms, as he taught Eleven how to communicate over the radio using Morse code during their time together, as well as was very quick to infer the Morse Codes the then possessed Will was trying to signal. Relationships FamilialNon-Familial Sara Hopper Sara is Hopper’s late daughter who died of cancer. Her death severely affected him, causing him to enter a deep state of grief and depression. Sara’s death provided him with motivation to help Joyce find Will, and later played a part in his decision to take in Eleven. Additionally, he wore her blue hair tie around his wrist as a memento, which he later gave to Eleven who wore it during the Snow Ball. Diane Diane is Hopper's ex-wife and Sara's mother. They were married for seven years, but divorced shortly after Sara’s death. In “The Flea and the Acrobat”, Hopper called her, telling her he doesn’t regret the time they shared together. Eleven After her defeat of the Demogorgon at the end of the first season, it is revealed that Eleven is alive and comes back through a Gate to escape the school. Hiding in the woods, Hopper had been leaving food for her in a lock box until she one day arrives during one of his drops. Hiding her for almost a year in his grandfather's old cabin, for what he believed to be her own safety, the two form a father-daughter bond. While Hopper thoroughly cared for Eleven, his decision to prohibit her from leaving the cabin ultimately infuriates her as she became enraged for being continued to be promised to see Mike, even though it had been almost a year. They argue one night which causes Eleven to shatter all the windows. The next day, she leaves the cabin to visit her mother. Hopper, who was taken to Hawkins Lab for his injuries, regretted his actions and apologized Eleven for his misbehavior and admitted that he only wanted to protect her, though unaware that she already left. After passing through many hardship and challenges, they reunite again to forgive each other and finally close the Mind Flayer's Gate together. At the end of the events of Season 2, Hopper adopts Eleven officially as his daughter "Jane".