We all knew a guy like Steven Hyde. Maybe you were that guy. The one with the tinted aviators, the battered Led Zeppelin t-shirt, and a profound, bone-deep suspicion of "The Man." In the basement of the Forman house, Hyde was the undisputed king of the circle, the philosopher-king of Point Place, Wisconsin. He didn't just represent a character; he represented a specific 1970s subculture of rebellious, working-class cynicism that felt incredibly real.
But if you’ve watched the recent revival, That '90s Show, or followed the news over the last couple of years, you know the legacy of Steven Hyde has become... complicated. Honestly, it’s a mess. One of the most beloved characters in sitcom history has essentially been erased from the narrative. It’s a strange thing to witness—a character so central to a show's DNA becoming a ghost.
The Kid from the Wrong Side of the Tracks
To understand why people still care about Hyde, you have to look at where he started. He wasn't just "the cool friend." He was the heart of the show's more grounded themes. While Eric Forman was complaining about his Corvette model kits, Hyde was dealing with actual, heavy-duty abandonment.
His mother, Edna, was—to put it mildly—unreliable. His "legal" father, Bud, was a disappearing act. When Hyde moved into the Formans' basement in Season 1, it wasn't just a sitcom trope. It was a lifeline. Red Forman, despite all his "foot in your ass" bravado, saw something in Hyde that he didn't see in his own son: a certain grit. A toughness.
The Evolution of the Rebel
For most of the series, Hyde’s arc was actually pretty inspiring. He went from a high school dropout candidate to a business owner. Remember Leo? Tommy Chong’s character was Hyde’s first real mentor at the Foto Hut. Later, when Hyde discovered his biological father was William Barnett—a wealthy Black businessman played by Tim Reid—the show took a fascinating turn.
Hyde didn't just take the money and run. He worked. He managed Grooves, the record store. He found a sister in Angie. He grew up.
And then there was Jackie Burkhart.
The Hyde and Jackie relationship is still debated in fan forums today. It shouldn't have worked. The rich, vapid cheerleader and the anti-establishment burnout? It was the classic "opposites attract" dynamic, but it felt earned. They made each other better. Jackie learned to be less shallow; Hyde learned it was okay to care about someone.
Why the Season 8 Ending Felt So Wrong
If you ask any die-hard fan about the final season of That '70s Show, they’ll probably give you a look of pure exhaustion. Season 8 was rough. Topher Grace (Eric) and Ashton Kutcher (Kelso) had largely left the building. The writers were scrambling.
The way they handled Hyde’s ending was particularly jarring. After years of character growth, he ended up in a nonsensical marriage to a stripper named Samantha. It was a "Vegas wedding" plot that felt like a cheap gimmick. Then, the show revealed Samantha was already married to someone else, effectively nullifying the relationship.
By the time the final New Year's Eve countdown happened on December 31, 1979, Hyde was just... there. He was the owner of Grooves, sure, but the emotional core of the character had been hollowed out to make room for new, less interesting characters like Randy.
The Elephant in the Room: Danny Masterson
We can't talk about Steven Hyde without talking about the real world. This is where the nostalgia hits a brick wall.
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In 2023, Danny Masterson, the actor who played Hyde, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. He was convicted on two counts of forcible rape stemming from incidents in the early 2000s—right when That '70s Show was at its peak.
This wasn't just a celebrity scandal; it was a devastating revelation for fans who grew up with the show. The character of Hyde was defined by his loyalty and his internal moral code. Seeing the actor behind that character convicted of such heinous crimes made re-watching the show difficult, if not impossible, for many.
Steven Hyde in That '90s Show
When Netflix announced That '90s Show, everyone wondered: how do they handle the Hyde situation?
The answer was simple: they didn't.
In the first two seasons of the revival, Steven Hyde is never mentioned. Not once. We see Eric and Donna. We see Jackie and Kelso (who are somehow back together). We see Fez running a hair salon. But the guy who lived in the basement, the guy who was effectively Red and Kitty’s second son? He’s gone.
It’s a "Damnatio Memoriae"—a Latin phrase for the "condemnation of memory." The show creators decided that acknowledging the character would inevitably bring up the actor’s crimes, and in a lighthearted sitcom, there’s no room for that.
The Mystery of the "Missing" Friend
In the world of the show, where is Hyde? Fans have come up with their own head-canons to fill the void.
- The "Leo" Theory: Maybe he followed in Leo’s footsteps and is traveling the country in a van, completely off the grid.
- The Business Route: Maybe he expanded Grooves into a massive chain and is too busy being a "corporate sell-out" to visit Point Place.
- The Falling Out: Some fans think Hyde and Eric simply grew apart. It happens. Life gets in the way.
But honestly? None of those feel right. Hyde was the guy who stayed. He was the one who valued the "circle" more than anyone. His absence is a gaping hole in the nostalgia.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Legacy
People often say that a character can be separated from the actor. In theory, that's true. You can appreciate the writing of Steven Hyde—the way he challenged authority, his love for vinyl, his unexpected tenderness toward Kitty Forman.
But the reality of modern media is that characters are often inextricably linked to the faces that portrayed them. Steven Hyde wasn't just lines on a page; he was Masterson’s delivery, his smirk, his specific energy.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’re struggling with how to view the character now, you aren't alone. Here is how most people are navigating the "Hyde" problem in 2026:
- Focus on the Writing: Remember that the character was a collaborative effort. Mark Brazill, Bonnie Turner, and Terry Turner created Hyde. He belongs to the writers and the fans as much as he did to the actor.
- Support the Victims: Many fans have found that the best way to process the news is to support organizations that help survivors of sexual assault, like RAINN. It’s a way to acknowledge the harm done in the real world while still holding onto the positive memories of the show.
- Appreciate the Other Cast Members: Don't let the actions of one individual ruin the incredible work of Kurtwood Smith (Red), Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty), or the rest of the gang. They created a classic, and their performances still hold up.
Steven Hyde remains one of the most complex figures in sitcom history. He was the rebel we all wanted to be, living in the basement we all wanted to hang out in. While the real-world ending to his story is tragic and dark, the character himself remains a frozen-in-time icon of 1970s teenage defiance.
If you want to revisit the best of Hyde without the baggage of the later seasons, stick to the "Classic Era" (Seasons 1 through 5). That's where the character truly shines, before the writing—and the world—got messy. You can find curated "Best of Hyde" episode lists on fan wikis that skip the Samantha era entirely, allowing you to remember the character for the loyalty and wit that made him a favorite in the first place.