Why Is Jonathan Byers Missing From Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Season 2?

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Season 2 brings back most of the Hawkins characters who surrounded the H.I.C. during its first adventure. Hopper, Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler all remain part of the animated world as Eleven, Mike, Will and their friends investigate another supernatural threat. One familiar face, however, has quietly disappeared from the screen.

Jonathan Byers appeared at the beginning of Season 1, with Griffin Burns providing his voice, but he does not return for Season 2. His absence is particularly noticeable because Will remains one of the show’s central characters and Nancy, Jonathan’s girlfriend at this point in the Stranger Things timeline, still appears.

Related: Why Is Joyce Byers Missing From Stranger Things: Tales From ’85?

Jonathan Appeared in Tales From ’85 Season 1

Jonathan’s role in Season 1 was small, but the series made a point of establishing that he was still around.

The opening minutes show Mike and the others arriving at the Byers house, where Jonathan gives Will a new mixtape. Netflix described the moment as Jonathan trying to get his younger brother to listen to something other than The Clash. Griffin Burns voiced Jonathan in the animated series.

Jonathan was always a supporting character rather than part of the Hawkins Investigators Club, so he never became heavily involved in the Horde Queen storyline. His appearance instead helped establish where the Byers family stood during the winter of 1985.

Season 2 takes a different approach. Netflix’s official returning cast includes Hopper, Anna Baxter, Steve, Nancy, Rosario and Jeff alongside the main H.I.C. members, but Burns and Jonathan are absent from the list.

Where Is Jonathan in Season 2?

There is no indication that Jonathan has left Hawkins. Tales From ’85 takes place between Stranger Things Seasons 2 and 3, so Jonathan should still be living in Hawkins with Joyce and Will during this period. His relationship with Nancy is also continuing, and the events that eventually lead the Byers family to move away have not happened yet.

Season 2 even acknowledges that Jonathan still exists in the characters’ everyday lives. During the investigation, Mike worries that information could reach Jonathan and then Joyce. The reference makes it clear that Jonathan has not mysteriously disappeared within the story. He is simply not shown.

That makes his Season 2 absence a production and storytelling choice rather than a new Stranger Things mystery.

Why Doesn’t Jonathan Return?

Netflix and the creators have not announced a specific reason for leaving Jonathan out of Season 2, so there is no confirmed in-universe explanation.

His limited Season 1 role makes the decision easier to understand. Tales From ’85 primarily follows the younger characters, while only a handful of older Hawkins residents become involved when the story needs them. Steve has a direct connection with Dustin and the group, while Nancy becomes useful to the Season 2 investigation itself.

Jonathan does not have a comparable role in the Lich and Golem storyline. Keeping him offscreen also allows Will to operate more independently with the H.I.C. instead of introducing another family member who could potentially discover what the children are doing.

Why Does Nancy Return but Jonathan Doesn’t?

Nancy’s appearance makes Jonathan’s absence easier to notice. Both characters are together during this part of the Stranger Things timeline, but Tales From ’85 does not treat them as a package.

Season 2 uses Nancy in connection with the children’s investigation, including the events surrounding their attempt to contact Bloodaxe Bill. Jonathan, meanwhile, remains outside the supernatural adventure.

Netflix’s Season 2 cast announcement confirms Alessandra Antonelli’s return as Nancy while Griffin Burns is not among the announced returning performers.

There is therefore nothing in Season 2 suggesting that something happened to Jonathan between seasons. He is still in Hawkins and still part of Will and Nancy’s lives. Tales From ’85 Season 2 simply leaves him offscreen while the H.I.C. deals with its latest case.