[5] Upon casting Keery, the Duffer Brothers "fell in love" with his portrayal and decided to keep Steve alive and give him a small redemption arc in season 1.

Steve protects the children as Demodogs start ravaging across Hawkins, giving time for Eleven and Jim Hopper to close the gate to the Upside Down, and for Will Byers to have the Mind Flayer exorcised from his body.

With the mall's destruction from the battle, Steve and Robin lose their jobs at Scoops Ahoy and get work at the local Family Video.

When Vecna possesses Max, Steve alongside Dustin and Lucas frees her from his curse by playing her favorite song, "Running Up That Hill", on her headphones, having learned from Nancy and Robin that music breaks his spell.

Based on Max's account of what she saw while possessed, Steve and the others investigate the abandoned home of Victor Creel, who was arrested for the deaths of his wife, son and daughter (which the group believes Vecna to have committed) in the 1950s.

The gang traces the source to Lover's Lake; Steve dives down to investigate, but is dragged into the Upside Down by a tendril and swarmed by bat-like creatures.

The group finds another gate at the site of Chrissy's murder and escapes the Upside Down, but Nancy is briefly possessed by Vecna and shown a vision of Hawkins being torn apart.

The group finds Vecna inside the Creel house; Steve and Robin set him ablaze using Molotov cocktails while Nancy shoots him, apparently killing him.

Writing for Collider, Daniela Gama noted that although Steve was originally was meant to be despised by viewers in Season 1, he has since become "one of the most beloved characters in the series" due to his courage, kindness, acceptance, and evolving hairstyle.

[9] Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue described his redemption arc as a "masterclass in how to treat your characters," noting how Steve continually strives to change himself for the better.

[7] Evan Romano of Men's Health also praised Steve's evolving role, particularly his friendship with the younger children and his transition from "popular kid" to "reluctant but outstanding surrogate babysitter."

David Harbour, who plays Jim Hopper in the series, referenced the meme in 2019 when he posted a screenshot of Steve to Instagram and captioned it "Happy Father's Day.

Writing for Screen Rant, Damien Lykins lists Steve's reaction to Robin's coming out as his best moment in the season, describing the interaction as "sweet and heartfelt.