Stranger Things has had a plethora of stunning moments throughout its runtime, but among all, the most shocking moment was the early and sudden death of Barb Holland. The audience not only noticed that, but reacted in loud volume; the iconic 'Justice for Barb' movement started, and the Duffer brothers had to clarify the early death of Barb the way it did, thus confirming the explanation fans have been waiting to hear for years.The creators have indicated that Barb's death in the series was due to the need for a strong narrative that would help show the reality, the danger, and the consequences of the Upside Down from the very beginning. The brothers have expressed quite clearly that Barb’s death was a heavy scene, with the theme meant to show the character’s emotional neglect not only in the town of Hawkins but also in the Upside Down itself.In an interview with Time, Duffer Brothers mentioned,"The reason we had Barb in there as a character was we wanted Nancy to have some real direct connection to these supernatural going ons"This was not a random shock or a have-it-your-way moment; it was a clear storytelling decision they recently revisited and explained in detail.Here's the interview for reference:Barb's death in Stranger Things was a purposive signal of Hawkins' real perilThe Duffer brothers, during the interviews and in recent comments, have said that one of the major reasons why Barb had to die was to convey the fact that Stranger Things was prepared to suffer and to show the burden of real consequences. They elaborated to TIME that they want the death of a character to “resonate in a big way,” and they do not want the audience to feel the world of the story is a safe one, just because the characters are nice.Barb’s death showed that the Upside Down is a real danger even to the most innocent and ungrounded characters who are not hunted by supernatural storylines.They added that Barb had very little screen time, only about 25 lines in Season 1, which was all part of the plan. Duffer brothers reasoned that the limited visibility and the town’s unawareness of her disappearance were “part of the point” in explaining their decision.As per TIME, they said,"..that was part of the reason she became a phenomenon because of how little the town seemed to care about her, which is part of the point of that character. We neglected her and as such Hawkins neglected her and it made her that much more famous"This narrative absence became a pivotal factor in how the audiences perceived her death and in why it soon turned into a defining aspect of the Stranger Things fandom.The Duffer brothers admit they understand the backlashThe Duffer Brothers have openly acknowledged that the great reaction surrounding Barb was something they did not expect at first. According to TIME and Popverse, even Netflix asked the Duffer brothers why the audience connected so much with a character having such little screen time. They said,"I mean, Barb was kind of the first that was the first time we kind of experienced a viral moment with the show or what felt like a very viral moment"The brothers, however, after a while, have been convinced that the connection fans made with the character Barb was entirely due to her off-screen presence in the series.In their very words, the neglect from Hawkins to Barb was indeed the same attention that the show itself was giving her. That unintentional emotional gap created a protective feeling among the audience, and hence Barb became the most discussed character in the history of Stranger Things.Fan response turned into a cultural momentThe “Justice for Barb” campaign was the earliest and one of the biggest fandom movements that were associated with Stranger Things. Viewers not only opposed her death but the silence that followed it, too. The Duffers have come clean and said that the strength of the fanbase eventually made them reconsider the way they handled the aftermath.Season 2 is much more explicit in dealing with Barb's death, including a funeral scene and a direct storyline follow-up with Nancy, who feels guilty about what transpired. This was the series' way to tap into the dialogue that the fans were pushing for globally.Shannon Purser’s reaction to the attentionShannon Purser, the actress who played Barb, has often talked about how daunting and unexpected the public reaction was. Reports from Yahoo and SoapCentral, among others, state that Purser was really touched by the fans and already considered that her part in Stranger Things would just be a small one and not a large cultural touchstone.She has always shown her appreciation for the reaction and also recognized the role of the character's unexpected popularity in her career launch. Her view is in line with the reflections of the creators themselves: nobody intended for Barb to become a symbol at that time, but she did.Barb’s legacy in Stranger Things and the show’s reflection on her deathSeason 2 of Stranger Things deals with the aftermath directly, and among other things, it tries to address what the fans very loudly pointed out: she did not deserve to just disappear. Giving Barb proper resolution was important for the Duffer brothers once they realized just how much emotional investment viewers had in her.They have given an explanation, but they also concede that, partially, the lack of the cultural reaction was due to Barb being given very little attention in the early episodes. The focus that was lacking, together with the slow response from Hawkins, turned out to be the very thing that defined Barb’s legacy among the characters of Stranger Things.The Duffer Brothers have finally clarified that Barb's death in Stranger Things was thematic and intended; it outlines the stakes that drive the entire series. It was never meant to be cruel or dismissive; it was a storytelling choice to show that the danger in Hawkins was real and would not spare anyone, even down-to-earth and highly relatable characters like Barb.Her death is still associated with the larger issues of negligence, ignored people, and lack of empathy in stories and communities, which is probably a reason why people are still talking about it. And despite the limited time she spent on screen, Barb remains one of the most striking characters in Stranger Things; not because she lived, but because she didn't.Also read: Stranger Things stars give out spoilers for the final Season with a twist