TV-Series
Description
Barbara is a Shadow residing in the Children's Building of Shadows House, where she holds the prestigious position of leader of the Star Bearers, the elite group responsible for maintaining order among the children. Her living doll and face is named Barbie, and the two share a deeply intertwined existence. In appearance, Barbara is entirely black like all Shadows, appearing as a silhouette of Barbie. She is depicted with very fluffy, long hair that is decorated with blue roses, and she wears a blue-purple dress with a white triangle trim and a light blue neckline shaped like a rose stem with thorns.
Barbara possesses the highest soot output of any child in the mansion, being single-handedly responsible for approximately sixty percent of Shadows House's soot exports. This immense quantity of soot is both her defining trait and her greatest burden. Unlike other Shadows who develop specific soot powers, Barbara has not awakened any such ability. The sheer volume of soot she generates makes it impossible for her to control, leading to dangerous emotional outbursts that release her soot in violent, explosive blasts capable of destroying structures and fatally injuring others. These uncontrollable seizures cause her significant physical pain and represent a constant vulnerability.
Despite the harsh demeanor often displayed by Barbie, Barbara herself is described as a sweet and caring individual, particularly toward her fellow Star Bearers, whom she considers friends and is extremely protective of, even willing to lie to the adult supervisors to keep them safe. However, she is also highly anxious and feels the full weight of her responsibilities as leader. This pressure, combined with her naturally emotional nature, makes her prone to anger and outbursts, which in turn trigger her dangerous soot emissions. Her personality has been shaped by a traumatic past. In her early years, Barbara was timid and considered an inferior student among her peers. She was befriended and encouraged by Maryrose, whom she looked up to like an older sister, and she also adored the previous Star Bearer leader, Christopher, hoping to become an adult alongside him. However, Christopher was invited to the Adults' Building and subsequently lost contact, while Maryrose withdrew into her room and refused to see her, events that devastated Barbara and contributed to a major soot seizure that left a permanent scar on Barbie's face.
The scar on Barbie's face is a crucial detail, as one of the conditions for a Shadow to become an adult is that any wounds on their living doll must be healed. This makes Barbara's path to adulthood exceptionally difficult, a fact exploited by Thomas, a Shadow who manipulates and gaslights her with promises of advancement while ensuring the wound remains unhealed. Her motivation is heavily tied to her past; she wishes to become an adult to reunite with Christopher and earn his praise again, clinging to this hope even as it is used as a tool against her.
Barbara's key relationships define much of her role in the story. Her bond with Barbie is one of complete interdependence. Barbara relies on Barbie to act as her emotional wall, cultivating a harsh and intimidating public persona to maintain Barbara's leadership authority, while internally Barbie grapples with self-doubt. They are on good terms despite being fully aware of the Fusion ceremony that will one day unite them. With the protagonist Kate, Barbara is initially suspicious and willing to blame her on the orders of the supervisor Edward, but over time she grows softer, eventually granting Kate a team leader position as a sign of gratitude and trust. Barbara respects Edward's authority but disapproves of his methods, privately questioning why he became supervisor instead of Christopher. Interestingly, the presence of Patrick is noted to have a calming effect on her during soot seizures, something for which she is grateful. Throughout various story arcs, Barbara's health declines due to her unsustainable soot production, yet she persists in her duties out of a sense of responsibility and loyalty to the Shadow Grandfather.
Barbara possesses the highest soot output of any child in the mansion, being single-handedly responsible for approximately sixty percent of Shadows House's soot exports. This immense quantity of soot is both her defining trait and her greatest burden. Unlike other Shadows who develop specific soot powers, Barbara has not awakened any such ability. The sheer volume of soot she generates makes it impossible for her to control, leading to dangerous emotional outbursts that release her soot in violent, explosive blasts capable of destroying structures and fatally injuring others. These uncontrollable seizures cause her significant physical pain and represent a constant vulnerability.
Despite the harsh demeanor often displayed by Barbie, Barbara herself is described as a sweet and caring individual, particularly toward her fellow Star Bearers, whom she considers friends and is extremely protective of, even willing to lie to the adult supervisors to keep them safe. However, she is also highly anxious and feels the full weight of her responsibilities as leader. This pressure, combined with her naturally emotional nature, makes her prone to anger and outbursts, which in turn trigger her dangerous soot emissions. Her personality has been shaped by a traumatic past. In her early years, Barbara was timid and considered an inferior student among her peers. She was befriended and encouraged by Maryrose, whom she looked up to like an older sister, and she also adored the previous Star Bearer leader, Christopher, hoping to become an adult alongside him. However, Christopher was invited to the Adults' Building and subsequently lost contact, while Maryrose withdrew into her room and refused to see her, events that devastated Barbara and contributed to a major soot seizure that left a permanent scar on Barbie's face.
The scar on Barbie's face is a crucial detail, as one of the conditions for a Shadow to become an adult is that any wounds on their living doll must be healed. This makes Barbara's path to adulthood exceptionally difficult, a fact exploited by Thomas, a Shadow who manipulates and gaslights her with promises of advancement while ensuring the wound remains unhealed. Her motivation is heavily tied to her past; she wishes to become an adult to reunite with Christopher and earn his praise again, clinging to this hope even as it is used as a tool against her.
Barbara's key relationships define much of her role in the story. Her bond with Barbie is one of complete interdependence. Barbara relies on Barbie to act as her emotional wall, cultivating a harsh and intimidating public persona to maintain Barbara's leadership authority, while internally Barbie grapples with self-doubt. They are on good terms despite being fully aware of the Fusion ceremony that will one day unite them. With the protagonist Kate, Barbara is initially suspicious and willing to blame her on the orders of the supervisor Edward, but over time she grows softer, eventually granting Kate a team leader position as a sign of gratitude and trust. Barbara respects Edward's authority but disapproves of his methods, privately questioning why he became supervisor instead of Christopher. Interestingly, the presence of Patrick is noted to have a calming effect on her during soot seizures, something for which she is grateful. Throughout various story arcs, Barbara's health declines due to her unsustainable soot production, yet she persists in her duties out of a sense of responsibility and loyalty to the Shadow Grandfather.