who is will in stranger things

Will Byers is a central character in Stranger Things. He is portrayed by actor Noah Schnapp and appears as a boy from Hawkins, Indiana who vanishes in the show's early episodes, triggering the main investigation by his friends, family, and local authorities. Will’s disappearance ties the group to the supernatural mysteries of the Upside Down and drives much of the first season’s plot, with his return revealing lasting consequences that influence later seasons.