The 10 Best Jim Hopper Quotes In Stranger Things, Ranked

May 3, 2024, 1:20 p.m.

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The 10 Best Jim Hopper Quotes In Stranger Things, Ranked

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Summary Compromise was key to Hopper's parenting, as seen in his willingness to buy candy and watch a movie with Eleven instead of letting her go out alone on Halloween.

Hopper's "Don't be stupid rules" were created out of necessity to protect Eleven, showing his deep care and concern for her safety.

Hopper's emotional connection to Eleven is evident in his advice to her, showing his growth as a character and father figure.

The Hawkins Chief of Police, Jim Hopper, was responsible for some of the very best quotes in Stranger Things. As the town’s sheriff and the adoptive father of Eleven, some of Hopper’s very best lines related to his role as a police officer, but just as many were based around his overbearing, protective, and often endearing love for the teenage daughter he helped save from the horrid experimentation she was subjected to at the Hawkins National Laboratory. Hopper was expertly portrayed by David Harbour who brought incredible comedic timing, dramatic acting chops, and intense vulnerability to his character.

As one of the very best characters in Stranger Things, Jim Hopper’s best quotes included beautiful ponderings on the nature of life, hilarious meditations on fatherhood and the challenges it brought, and witty comebacks thought of at a moment’s notice. Throughout Stanger Things, Hopper went through a lot of character development, and his best quotes were as varied as life itself. Hopper was a fantastic character with some of the most memorable lines in Stranger Things and helped make the show the cultural phenomenon that it became.

10 “C-O-M-promise. Compromise. How About That's Your Word For The Day?”

Season 2: Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak

By the second season of Stranger Things, the Hawkins Chief of Police, Jim Hopper, had taken in Eleven and was learning what it was like to be a single father with a child on the verge of becoming a teenager. As the two characters became much more comfortable with one another, Eleven began pushing the boundaries and seeing how much she could get away. Hopper tested his new parenting tactics as Eleven pleaded her case to be allowed to go trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Instead of taking the risk of being captured and letting Eleven go outside, Hopper suggests he buy “a bunch of candy” so they can “sit around and get fat and watch a scary movie together” as a compromise. Eleven didn’t know the word, so Hopper spelled it out for her and said, “How about that’s your word for the day?” While it wasn’t an ideal situation for Eleven, it was an endearing moment that showed Hopper slowly getting the hang of this parenting thing.

9 “I Call ‘Em The Don’t Be Stupid Rules. Cause We’re Not Stupid, Right?”

Season 2: Chapter Three: The Pollywog

After Sheriff Jim Hopper took Eleven into his home, he knew that she was still very much in danger and that, if given the chance, Dr. Brenner would try to take her back to the Hawkins National Laboratory for more experimentation. To keep El safe, Hopper came up with a “couple of ground rules” that she had to follow, which included always keeping the curtains drawn, only opening the door after Hopper’s secret knock, and never going out alone. These three “don’t be stupid rules” were what Hopper felt were needed to protect El from danger.

Hopper's rules for Eleven were created out of complete necessity, and although sometimes they felt overly restrictive, they also showed how much he cared about keeping her safe. Hopper was one of the few people who knew just how much danger El was in, and as he grew closer to her, he did everything he could for her. While Hopper was often joking and acted light-hearted with El, the seriousness with which he told her these rules made it clear they were not to be broken.

8 “An Owl Attacked Eleanor Gillespie's Head Because It Thought That Her Hair Was A Nest.”

Season 1: Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers

Before Hawkins, Indiana, became overrun by supernatural forces and the dark alternate dimension known as the Upside Down, it was a quiet, small midwestern town with practically no crime. Sheriff Jim Hopper was Hawkins' Chief of Police, but he rarely had anything serious to investigate. When Joyce Byers was worrying about her missing son, he told her to calm down as “nothing ever happens” in Hawkins. In one of Hopper’s funniest lines, he told Joyce that the worst thing that ever happened was when “an owl attacked Eleonor Gillespie’s head because it thought that her hair was a nest.”

This hilarious quote showcased how free from controversy Hawkins was and that Hopper had never encountered a threat as significant as the Upside Down before. As a small-town sheriff, Hopper was not prepared for all the dangerous and unusual events that would take place in his town. However, Hopper stepped up to the plate and was precisely the kind of Chief of Police that Hawkins would need, as he was forced to fight threats far greater than an aggressive owl.

7 “Leave The Door Open Three Inches”

Season 3: "Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?"

The third season of Stranger Things began with Jim Hopper dealing with a threat larger than anything he had ever encountered: His adopted teenage daughter and her new boyfriend. With a time skip of several months since the end of Season 2, Eleven and Mike had grown older, and Hopper started worrying about what might happen if they spent too much time alone. Even though Hopper was almost asleep, once he noticed Eleven’s door nearly closed, he shot up and screamed at them not to forget the rule about keeping the door three inches open.

Although Hopper knew he had to let Eleven grow up, he had still turned into somewhat of a helicopter parent who did not like Mike spending so much quality time with his young daughter. Their relationship would infuriate Hopper throughout the third season as he struggled to talk with them about setting boundaries and following his rules in his house. While this was all part and parcel of having a teenage daughter, Hopper’s anger about the situation led to some hilarious quotes.

6 “Did You Hear The One About The Fat Man With The Beard Who Climbs Down Chimneys?”

Season 2: Chapter One: MADMAX

Although Hawkins Chief of Police Jim Hopper tried to cover up the supernatural events of the first season of Stranger Things, he, unfortunately, managed to arouse the suspicion of a conspiracy theorist named Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman), who was aware of a "psychic little girl" who shattered a door with her mind. With incredible quick thinking, Hopper replied that he had heard that story and asked if Murray had heard “the one about the fat man with the beard who climbs down chimneys.”

This line, which David Harbour delivered with incredible comedic timing, served two purposes. First, it told Murray that his theories would not be taken seriously, and second, it quickly hid the fact that Hopper knew everything Murray was saying was true and wanted to get him out of the police station as soon as possible before he blew Eleven’s cover. Although Hopper and Murray would later work together, this first meeting was highly antagonistic.

5 “Just Make Sure You Heat Up Some Real Food. Not Just Eggos.”

Season 2: Chapter Six: The Spy

By the time Stranger Things had entered the second half of its second season, Jim Hopper was truly a father figure to Eleven, and his parental love for her ran incredibly deep. As Hopper tries to speak with an absent Eleven over his radio in “Chapter Six: The Spy,” he gives an emotional speech and apologizes for their fight. While holding back tears, Hopper said he would be back soon and that she should “heat up some real food” and “not just Eggos.”

Eleven’s love for Eggos symbolizes the security she gained from meeting Hopper.

This emotional moment was one of Hopper’s most powerful quotes, as for Eleven Eggos represented far more than just her favorite food. As the first thing that Hopper gave her to eat when they met, Eleven’s love for Eggos symbolizes the security she gained from meeting Hopper. As Hopper continued to tell her to “eat all the peas, even if they’re mushy and gross,” this showcased how, even in their difficult times, Hopper couldn’t help trying to guide and parent the young girl who had become like a daughter to him.

4 "That's A Lie. They Didn’t Need Me. I Needed Them.”

Season 4: Chapter Five: The Nina Project

In Stranger Things' fourth season, Jim Hopper was imprisoned in Kamchatka, Russia, as the Soviet connection between the scientific efforts in Hawkins started to reveal itself. With plenty of time for contemplation, Hopper felt intense guilt over all that had happened, how he had put his Hawkins in danger, and how when he helped Eleven, Joyce, and the others, he told himself it was because “they needed me.” But now, without any of them around, he realized that was a lie and needed them just as much.

This outpouring of pure honesty from Hopper was a powerful and sentimental speech that highlighted how much character growth he has gone through over the past four seasons. Having hidden behind a strong exterior for so long, Hopper was ready to talk about just how much the people in his life meant to him. With Hopper’s tragic backstory involving his ex-wife and deceased child, he now knew, as he sat in prison, that he had gained a new family in Eleven and Joyce, whom he was unsure if he’d ever see again.

3 “When Life Hurts You, Because It Will, Remember The Hurt.”

Season 3: “Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt"

The third season of Stranger Things ended on a very dramatic note, as viewers were unsure if Hawkins Chief of Police Jim Hopper had died after seemingly disintegrating following the gate closure of the Upside Down. Out of this confusion, Eleven read the letter that Hopper had left for her and Mike. This letter was full of such beautiful wisdom that it stood as one of the most powerful pieces of dialogue in all of Stranger Things.

Hopper gave Eleven his advice for the future, which was highly influenced by his own heartbreaking experience of losing his daughter to cancer. When Hopper told Eleven, “life hurts you,” he knew this was true, but when he reminded her to “remember the hurt,” it showed how much he had learned from negative experiences. This fatherly advice to Eleven was a beautiful reflection on growing up and not becoming bitter like he was before she entered his life.

2 “Maybe I’ll Just Kill Mike. I’m The Chief Of Police. I Could Cover It Up”

Season 3: Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?

The true difficulties of being a father to a teenage girl really came to the forefront when Eleven and Mike finally got together, and Sheriff Jim Hopper had to deal with the consequences of their young romance. Hopper went to Joyce Byers for advice, where he told her that the way El and Mike spent so much time together was “not normal” and that he wanted to set some boundaries for them. While Joyce tried to help Hopper find the right words for this, he jokingly came up with a better idea: To kill Mike and cover it up.

Hopper was joking about using his power as a police officer to cover up the murder of a teenage boy, this was an understandable comment from an overprotective dad.

This was one of Hopper's funniest quotes, as he showed he had fully become Eleven’s father and had all the same fears and anxieties around crushes and boyfriends that all parents of teenagers had. While Hopper was joking about using his power as a police officer to cover up the murder of a teenage boy, this was an understandable comment from an overprotective dad like Hopper. Although he would never harm Mike, Hopper felt like he would like to.

1 “Mornings Are For Coffee And Contemplation”

Season 1: Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers

When viewers first met Hawkins Chief of Police Jim Hopper in the very first episode of Stranger Things, he did not appear to be the most capable sheriff, as his morning routine involved smoking cigarettes, chugging some beer, and lazily making his way to work. When the police secretary, Flo, tried to tell Hopper that Joyce Byers was worried about her missing son, he was not very concerned. In annoyance, Hopper stated, “mornings are for coffee and contemplation,” representing the laid-back attitudes of a small town where nothing bad ever happened.

However, Hopper's laissez-faire view on investigating missing children was soon turned on its head as he was met with a distraught Joyce in his office. Before long, Hopper had to step up and do his job, and once he recognized the seriousness of the situation, he proved to be a more than capable sheriff who would stop at nothing to protect the Hawkins’ residents. This original image of Hopper in Stranger Things as an inept police officer with months’ worth of cases he’ll never look at was a funny and memorable introduction that turned out to be completely false.