Yes, the Demogorgon took Barb and eventually killed her, though she wasn't eaten whole like the scientists; Eleven found Barb's body in the Upside Down, covered in growths, with a slug-like larva emerging from her mouth, indicating the creature's feeding process. Barb's fate was sealed after being dragged into the Upside Down, where she succumbed to the creature and its environment, with her body later discovered and given a makeshift funeral.
Hurt and disoriented, Barb woke up in the Upside Down's version of the pool, which was empty. Upon noticing the Demogorgon, she screamed, alerting his attention and she tried to climb out of the pool. The Demogorgon sadistically allowed Barb to almost leave, but dragged her back into the pool and mauled her to death.
Its victims included Barbara Holland, hunters Dale and Henry and a wounded deer. After Nancy Wheeler entered the Upside Down through a temporary portal, she observed the Demogorgon as it feasted on the deer. The Demogorgon noticed her, chasing her until she returned through the portal.
While Nancy Wheeler loses her virginity to Steve Harrington, Barb Holland awakens in a waterless, dark version of Steve's pool, every surface covered in fleshy black vines.
10 Most Heartbreaking 'Stranger Things' Deaths That Still Have Fans Crying—From Eleven to Eddie
Before they embark into the Upside Down, Will comes out as gay to his family and close friends, explaining that Vecna showed him visions of his failed and distant relationships with his loved ones after they learnt the truth.
Yes, Dr. Martin Brenner died at the end of Stranger Things Season 4, shot by a helicopter sniper in the Nevada desert after his plan to help Eleven failed, seemingly marking a definitive end to his character, despite previous instances where his survival was hinted at.
Nancy's guilt about her best friend's death has been the driving force of every decision she has made since early in Stranger Things' first season. Before Barb went missing, Nancy was a typical teenager. She was a good kid trying to find who she was and how she fit into the world.
Yes, Will Byers is in love with Mike Wheeler, not Eleven; this was confirmed by actor Noah Schnapp and heavily hinted at through Will's art and actions in earlier seasons, with Season 4 making his feelings for Mike explicit, leading to a complicated "love triangle" dynamic with Eleven.
Sam Owens's confession, which compelled Hawkins Lab to acknowledge their coverup of Barb's death. They claimed her death occurred due to the leak of an experimental chemical asphyxiant, a cover story that Nancy, Jonathan and Murray reluctantly agreed to.
In Stranger Things, several characters say the F-word, including Will Byers, Billy Hargrove, and most notably, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) in a significant Season 4 moment when confronting Vecna, delivering a rare and impactful "You f***ed with the wrong family". Other instances come from characters like Billy (often possessed), and even faint or muffled uses have been noted from others like Jonathan.
Yes, Dart (D'Artagnan) is a baby Demogorgon, specifically an adolescent stage called a "Demodog," which Dustin Henderson found and raised in Stranger Things Season 2; he's essentially a younger, less aggressive version of the main monsters from Season 1, evolving from a pollywog-like creature into a four-legged, predatory form.
A month after returning home, Will coughed up a larva and washed it down his bathroom sink drain. The tendril seemed to essentially 'impregnate' Will, using his body as a means to grow slugs. Barbara Holland: While immersed in the Void, Eleven scoured the Upside Down to find Will and Barbara.
Ross Duffer said Eleven's death, or disappearance, was integral to the story ending. Eleven represents childhood — and the finale is all about the kids of “Stranger Things” growing up. "For us and our writers, we didn't want to take her powers away.
And with that, the finale officially laid Barb to rest with a proper funeral. Guess this means it's time for us to say goodbye as well, now that justice has, at long last, been served.
Temporary gates
How the Demogorgon came to possess this ability is unclear. Considering that it would take a massive amount of energy for a dimensional rift to open, it can be assumed that the Demogorgon somehow possessed the amount of energy required to do so.
Vecna targets Will Byers because Will shares deep psychic similarities, being a sensitive outsider, and became a crucial anchor or "phylactery" for Vecna's power after being connected to the Mind Flayer; Vecna sees Will as a vessel, a mirror of himself, and potentially a key to his immortality, needing him alive to maintain his own strength while also wanting to corrupt and use him.
It's official: Will Byers is gay. In a new interview with Variety, Noah Schnapp revealed that one of the most popular “Stranger Things” fan theories circulating the Internet is true. His character does, in fact, have romantic feelings for Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard).
He is married to Rachel Zane.
There's no single "saddest" death, as it's subjective, but Eddie Munson, Bob Newby, and Alexei (Smirnoff) are consistently cited as the most heartbreaking due to their heroism, innocence, or tragic circumstances, with fans often debating Eddie's heroic sacrifice vs. Bob's pure-hearted loss or Alexei's joyful demise. Other significant sad deaths include Barb Holland, the first major character loss, and Billy Hargrove's complex redemption.
In Stranger Things, Will Byers had a fleshy, vine-like tendril from the Upside Down inserted into his mouth and down his throat, which was pumping dark particles (Mind Flayer essence/goo) into him, essentially "impregnating" him and connecting him to the hive mind, leading to his eventual cough-up of a slug-like larva after returning home.
Yes, the final scene between Jonathan and Nancy in Stranger Things Season 5 was explicitly a breakup, confirmed by the creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, who intended it as a mutual parting for Nancy to find independence, despite the confusion caused by their loving words and the ambiguous proposal question ("will you not marry me?").
Dr. Martin Brenner and the Hawkins National Laboratory faked Will Byers' death in Stranger Things Season 1 to cover up their involvement in his disappearance and the existence of the Upside Down, creating a dummy body (rubber with stuffing) and having state police plant it in the quarry to mislead the town, according to. Chief Hopper discovered the cover-up when he found the body was a fake, realizing the lab was involved.
Yes, according to the show's creators, Mike did realize that Will's "crush" in his coming-out speech referred to him, even though it wasn't explicitly stated in dialogue; his reaction shots and subsequent apology scene were designed to show he understood the depth of Will's feelings, though the payoff for their storyline was minimal in the finale.
Dr. Brenner raised Jane under the "name" Eleven. Brenner built himself up as a father figure in the mind of Eleven and seventeen other child test subjects, making them refer to him as "Papa". Kali Prasad, also known as Eight, managed to escape the lab before September 8, 1979.