Stranger Things: Does Barb Show Up in Season 4?

Stranger Things fans have had to say goodbye to a number of characters over the years, though one of the deaths that still hit fans the hardest was Barb (Shannon Purser) in Season 1. As if any character’s death isn’t sad enough, Barb’s friendship with Nancy is what ended up costing Barb her life, which ignited various “Justice for Barb” campaigns on social media, resulting in subsequent seasons finding ways to pay respects to the character. With all the years that have passed, fans are still looking for ways in which the series can pay respects to the character, including the recent Season 4 – Volume 1, which is now streaming on Netflix.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Season 4 – Volume 1 of Stranger Things

Despite Barb definitively being dead in the series, flashbacks and tributes to the character have allowed her to appear after being taken to the Upside Down. In Season 4, Barb does make an appearance, though it’s arguably her most ghastly cameo yet.

In Season 4, Episode 7, Vecna reveals to Nancy (Natalia Dyer) that he has been taken various victims from Hawkins, Indiana into the Upside Down as part of a much bigger plan. During this exchange, we see a glimpse of Barb’s corpse, which has been rotting in the Upside Down for years.

Given the grotesque appearance of the character, it’s unknown if Purser was at all involved in the appearance or if her likeness was crafted using prosthetics. Surely fans will be disappointed that we don’t get any actual scenes of the beloved version of Barb, but it does add some depth to the overall series by connecting the most recent episodes to some of the earliest deaths from back in Season 1.

This season, three characters were all killed by Vecna, all of which had experienced various traumas in their lives. Additionally, Max (Sadie Sink) is targeted by the creature, seemingly due to the trauma she suffered while coping with the death of her brother. This ends up tying back into the events of Season 1 and the capture of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), a seemingly random target, with it now appearing as though he could have been captured because of undisclosed trauma he might be coping with that has yet to be fully revealed. 

Stranger Things Season 4 – Volume 1 is now streaming, with Volume 2 premiering on July 1st.

Were you glad to see Barb show up in the new episodes? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!