How old is Max in season 2?
When feisty skateboarder Max Mayfield first bursts onto the scene in the second season of Stranger Things, she immediately shakes up the dynamic of the original group of pre-teen boys at the show‘s heart. The Duffer Brothers wasted no time in confirming that Max, played masterfully by Sadie Sink, is 13 years old when she moves to Hawkins with her abusive older step-brother Billy and begins attending Hawkins Middle School with the rest of the cast.
Max‘s Age Fits Right In with the Other Kids
Fans of Stranger Things know that chronologically, Season 1 is set in November 1983 and Season 2 picks up almost a year later in October 1984. This means that in Season 2, the core group of boys are intended to be the following ages:
| Character | Age in Season 2 |
|---|---|
| Mike Wheeler | 12 years old |
| Dustin Henderson | 12 years old |
| Lucas Sinclair | 12 years old |
| Will Byers | 12 years old |
| Max Mayfield | 13 years old |
| Eleven ("El") | 13 years old |
With Max hitting that pivotal 13-year-old mark along with Eleven, she fits right in with the tightknit pack of pre-teens who find themselves once again having to face supernatural forces threatening their small town.
Sadie Sink Was 14 Portraying a 13-Year-Old Character
Portraying Max Mayfield is actress Sadie Sink, who turned 14 in April 2016, right before Season 2 began filming. This meant she was playing a character intended to be just a bit younger than her real age. In interviews, Sink spoke about the transition and learning to tap into the mentality of a 13-year-old versus her life as an increasingly mature teenager. This involved thinking back to her own middle school experiences and priorities. As a devoted actress diving into a breakout TV role, Sink impressively captures Max‘s feistiness and vulnerability despite being slightly older herself.
Max‘s Age Shapes Her Character Arc and Relationships
Being 13 is a pivotal age for any pre-teen on the brink of adolescence. Max enters the show as an outsider struggling to find her place in a new town and friend group where she initially feels left out. She skates confidently alone and observes the boys from a self-imposed distance, envying their camaraderie. As she gets reluctantly pulled into their supernatural quest and proves herself, she begins testing the waters of first crushes and romance with her caramel-covered banter with Lucas.
Max‘s conflicts with her abusive step-brother Billy also stem from their age dynamic. Billy is intended to be 17 or 18, putting extra power and control in his hands over his middle-school aged stepsister. This makes their tense dynamic all the more unsettling. As Max continues growing into her own over subsequent seasons, she channels her traumatic past with Billy into dedication to protecting her friends.
Tracking Max‘s Progression into Young Adulthood
Season 2: In moving to Hawkins and navigating new friendships as a 13-year-old, Max is vulnerable yet learning her own strength.
Season 3: At 14, she officially joins the party and dates Lucas, balancing her first romance with battling monsters.
Season 4: At 15, traumatized by past losses, Max withdraws but ultimately finds courage.
Max‘s evolution into older adolescence allows actress Sadie Sink to portray her with increasing nuance, emotional range, and maturity each season. Despite incredible trauma, Max moves toward claiming agency over her life and relationships.
Tracking the kids‘ specific ages each season helped the Stranger Things creators reinforce their coming-of-age themes. As the show‘s creators Matt and Ross Duffer explained about setting Season 2 at Halloween 1984 shortly after Season 1, "It‘s that period when you‘re on the cusp of becoming an adult, but you still feel like a kid…It‘s the best time for scary stories."
The series‘ loyal fanbase grows along with the characters, keeping Max feeling like both a peer and a big sister. As Sadie Sink herself told IndieWire: "It’s crazy how much older I feel compared to Season 2. These kids are growing up." Both Sink and fans watch Max grow before their eyes.
Conclusion: An Iconic 13-Year-Old Character Comes Into Her Own
As a fiery 13-year-old shaking up Hawkins in Stranger Things Season 2, Max Mayfield establishes herself as a complex and instrumental part of the Stranger Things world. From her strained home life to her skateboarding skills to her magnetism drawing in Lucas, Max makes her mark on the show as she comes into the maturity of teendom without losing her kid-like charms.
Sadie Sink enlivens Max on screen, conveying her outsider toughness and inner sensitivity at 13. Tracking Max‘s growth into 15 by Season 4 allows viewers to mature with her, creating an even stronger attachment to one of Stranger Things‘ most iconic female characters. In exploring important adolescent themes via their nuanced age differences, the Duffers expand their coming-of-age story in compelling ways by adding Max to the mix. Viewers will surely continue following her journey eagerly as Stranger Things plans its 5th and final season in 2024 when in-world Max will turn 16 or 17.
