WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 4!

Actress Millie Bobby Brown's criticism that the Duffer brothers need to include far more deaths in Stranger Things season 5 misunderstands the show's careful approach to its characters' fates. The Eleven actress explained that there weren't nearly enough character deaths in Stranger Things season 4, suggesting that the stakes for their battle against the Upside Down aren't high enough. Considering how profoundly important the few character deaths in Stranger Things have been so far, however, Brown's criticism ignores the realism and core purpose behind the series' supernatural battles.

Brown referred to the Duffer brothers as "sensitive Sallies" for being too reserved in their willingness to kill off Stranger Things' characters. Rather, the actress suggested Stranger Things' final season should take a page from Game of Thrones' book, which was notable for killing off the vast majority of its main characters. While Stranger Things' creators have used certain aspects of Game of Thrones as inspiration before, the Duffer brothers were largely referencing the hit fantasy series in terms of how the scope of the Netflix show was growing.

Related: Stranger Things 4 Continued Its Biggest Death Trend (With A Twist)

Stranger Things' approach to character deaths has long been a source of contention, particularly regarding its death fakeouts. While Will's death, Brenner's death, Hopper's death, and, now, Max's death have been reversed, few fatalities of the recurring characters have been established as permanent. As Stranger Things season 5 concludes the series, Brown's criticism joins a common suggestion that the Duffers need to up the ante by permanently killing off a few of the main characters. However, this criticism is wrong regarding how Stranger Things' character deaths have been treated so far, which truly have signaled high stakes in the battle against the Upside Down. Stranger Things doesn't require killing just for the sake of it to prove the catastrophic nature of Vecna's wrath.

Stranger Things' Deaths HAVE Been Enough So Far

Split Image: Barb, Bob, Alexie, and Eddie from Stranger Things

While Stranger Things has yet to kill off any of its core characters, the major deaths in the show have been powerfully executed by the writers. Barb's death in Stranger Things season 1 set the tone of the series in terms of the stakes truly being high – if Barb couldn't survive, Will may not either. Not only did Barb's death become an integral aspect of Nancy's character arc, but it also began an online campaign to get Justice for Barb after so many figures ignored her fate. Perhaps the first death in Stranger Things that gutted audiences was that of Bob Newby (Sean Astin) in season 2. Bob had been built up as a lovably geeky guy who offered a sense of normalcy and innocence to the Byers family, with his final moments seeing him become an action superhero after being doubted so much throughout his life.

In Stranger Things season 3, Dr. Alexei only had about three episodes' worth of character development before being killed by a Russian hitman, but his death proved once again that innocence and attempting to fight for good wouldn't make a character invincible. While Billy had been a major antagonist in Stranger Things season 3, his sacrificial death proved a return to the person that he could have been, which became a haunting realization for Max in season 4. Stranger Things season 4 would present two of the most important deaths so far in the series, with Papa/Dr. Brenner finally being killed before new fan-favorite character Eddie Munson sacrificed himself in a heroic battle. Papa's death was a significant turn for Eleven's character, while Eddie's death was a wake-up call for the Hawkins teens and the danger – similar to Bob – of becoming a hero for a place that never loved him in return.

Each major death in Stranger Things had a massive impact on the core characters' journeys, with none being enacted simply for shock factor or the ticking of a box. Millie Bobby Brown's criticism that only the deaths of Stranger Things' main characters mean the stakes are high undermines the sacrifices and fatal journeys of those that did die. Had Max or Steve died in Stranger Things season 4, Eddie's powerful death would have been completely overshadowed. If any of the major Stranger Things characters are killed off, the impacts of the deaths of the newer or recurring characters would be lessened.

Related: Stranger Things 4's Biggest Death Continues 1 Brutal Character Tradition

The Duffers Are Right; Stranger Things Doesn't Need To Kill For The Sake Of It

Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven with Stranger Things season 4's final shot

While death certainly marks the highest of stakes in Stranger Things, an abundance of fatalities isn't effective storytelling for the show. For Stranger Things, it's not entirely about who dies, but how and why a character meets their end. Life is far more precious in the world of Stranger Things; despite the series being a sci-fi story with villains like Vecna intent on taking as many lives as possible, it's still grounded in the real world in which even the smallest character deaths take a massive toll. The Duffer brothers are right in their comparison of Stranger Things' and Game of Thrones' approaches to death: This is Hawkins, not Westeros.

Deaths don't need to be used for shock factor in Stranger Things, as this would betray the most humanizing aspect of the series that relies on the personal character journeys for high stakes rather than if they'll be killed in battle. Whether or not Hopper is able to reach Eleven and overcome his "cursed" fate is far more integral to Stranger Things' storytelling than the suspense of whether he'll die fighting a Demogorgon with the Conan the Barbarian sword. At the core of Stranger Things is how the character groups in Hawkins band together to fight the unknown while improving themselves and their bonds along the way, so if a major character should die, it will be because it's the most effective end to their story.

Next: Did Nancy Secretly Tease A Major Stranger Things Season 5 Death

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