Credit: Netflix

The Netflix animated series, set in the Stranger Things universe, Tales from ’85, is inching closer to its spring release with each passing day. And it’s about time viewers met Nikki Baxter, the new interesting character on the block.

Scheduled to be released on April 23rd, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 follows our Hawkins heroes – Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max – as they settle into their old ways, playing Dungeons & Dragons and all that.

But when something not so ordinary starts brewing underneath the snow-covered town, the Hawkins kids must gather all their courage to uncover the unimaginable. With horrifying new monsters peaking on the horizon, luckily for the gang, a new ally is set to join the club, Nikki – a pink-haired transfer student who is supposed to be “super punk rock,” according to voice actor Odessa A’zion.

Nikki has been mostly on the move for the majority of her life, which is why making real friends has usually been a challenge, forcing her to remain self-content at all times. However, her arrival in Hawkins changes all that.

Just like the D&D fanatics play crucial roles in the group, like Will as the cleric and Mike as the paladin, Nikki is introduced as “the barbarian and the protector,” says A’zion. “They had everything, and she was the missing puzzle piece. You need a little muscle in that crew.” So, as a muscle, she wants to stand up for those who struggle to do it themselves, making her a “badass” on her own.

Speaking of Nikki, showrunner Eric Robles told Tudum, “Nikki is the audience’s eyes. She comes into this world completely new. She’s got her own issues that she’s been dealing with, and it’s these kids who step into her world in a sense.” As a result, when the unthinkable begins to unfold, she has to join the party and uncover the mystery because she cannot live in denial and pretend like it never happened.

Robles and the Duffer Brothers, who are executive producing Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, reportedly had lengthy discussions about the introduction of the show’s latest member, which they felt was crucial to ensure that the tone of the series was attained in the desired way and that the new character felt like an exciting addition to the cast, basically someone new to look forward to.

“It’s not until we found what makes Nikki special to the team, what makes her unique, that we were just like, ‘OK, now we need to go all in,’” Robles explains.

Now that fans have an idea of what she could be like, make sure to meet her on April 23rd when Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 hits the Netflix shelves.