Kelly is a recurring character in the comic one-shot Stranger Things: Erica the Great. She is one of Erica Sinclair's close friends and serves as the healer (Bard/Cleric) in their local Dungeons & Dragons group.

Biography

Kelly resides in Hawkins, Indiana, with her father. Throughout her childhood, she was often tasked with running errands for their neighbor, Miss Dorothy, a woman Kelly found eccentric and somewhat intimidating. By 1985, she formed a tight-knit social circle with Erica Sinclair, Tanya, and April.

1985

Following the events of the "Starcourt Mall Incident," Erica invited Kelly and their friends to a sleepover to introduce them to Dungeons & Dragons. Kelly was initially drawn to the game after Erica utilized a My Little Pony analogy to explain the fantasy setting.

During their first session, the group faced several challenges:

• Role Friction: Erica assigned Kelly the role of a Cleric. Kelly found the mechanics of magical healing stressful and confusing, leading to tension within the party.
• The "Unicorn" Incident: The session collapsed after Erica's competitive nature led to the "death" of Tanya’s character, upsetting Kelly and the others.
• The Parakeet Rescue: The tension escalated when Tanya’s parakeet, Eliot, escaped into Miss Dorothy’s house. Kelly provided pragmatic (though cautious) advice during the crisis, suggesting they call for adult help.
• Teamwork: Eventually, Kelly and April assisted in an "ambush" to safely recapture Eliot. This real-world quest mirrored the teamwork needed in D&D, leading the girls to reconcile.

By the end of the night, the group restarted their campaign. Demonstrating her selflessness, Kelly chose to play a Bard/Cleric multiclass—balancing her desire to play a musical character with the party's practical need for a healer.

Personality

Kelly is depicted as the "voice of reason" among Erica’s friends. She is more cautious and risk-averse than Erica or Tanya, often suggesting safer alternatives during their misadventures. However, she is also deeply loyal and willing to compromise her own preferences for the benefit of the group.

Appearances

• Stranger Things: Erica the Great (First appearance)

Trivia

• Potential Live-Action Cameo: Fans have speculated that Kelly appeared in Season 3 as one of the unnamed girls seen with Erica at the Starcourt Mall. The background character portrayed by Alayna Burgess shares physical similarities and a similar hairstyle to Kelly's depiction in the comics.
• Class Mechanics: Kelly is the first character in the expanded lore to explicitly choose a multiclass (Bard/Cleric) to optimize a party's composition.

References