Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Heroes

There are few things cooler, at least to a young child experiencing the series for the first time, as a man with a gun for an arm. Barret’s appendage may be hugely impractical and conspicuous upon further thought (you have to wonder how he’d get into any venue or onto any form of transport), but he makes an instant impression as he joins Cloud to take down the Mako Reactor in Final Fantasy VII’s prologue.

Initially coming across as impatient, impulsive and hot-headed, with an ‘act first and worry about the consequences later’ approach, Barret ultimately proves to be an invaluable companion. His fiercely protective relationship of Marlene shows his soft side, whilst the ultimate revelation that he is not her actual father and that he assumed her guardianship from the twisted (and believed dead) Dyne hammers home his integrity.

His hatred of Shinra is perfectly justified by a backstory that sees him ostracised for his initial buy-in to their manipulative ways and although AVALANCHE (and the deaths of its members) quickly becomes an afterthought in the overall narrative, Barret emerges as one of the most well-rounded and dependable members of the party, gradually warming to Cloud after initially dismissing his mercenary ways.

Such relationship development was replicated with Steiner’s ultimate respect for Zidane in IX and Barret will be fascinating to explore in even more detail with subsequent Remake episodes, particularly now that he has been brought back from the dead.