Barret Wallace

"Head of the underground resistance movement AVALANCHE, Barret depends on brute strength and his 'Gun-arm' to see him through..."

Barret Wallace is a playable character in Final Fantasy VII. He is the leader of an eco-group called AVALANCHE, located in Midgar. He is sometimes criticized as being a stereotype of African-Americans, with his manner of speech and action rooted in the same vein as popular television icon Mr T. Many weapons can be placed in his artificial arm socket, most notably guns, but also boxing gloves and a chain saw.

Barret is the leader of AVALANCHE, an eco-group trying to prevent Shin-Ra from using Mako, the planet's life source, as a form of energy. Barret uses profuse amounts of slang and profanity but is still an intelligent figure, being able to successfully recruit and form a radical terrorist group based on environmentalist ideology (he also displays great social awareness having studied the works of the Cosmo Canyon elders, texts concerned with implicitly difficult subjects) and coordinate large scale attacks on a nearly omnipresent world power (Shin-ra). Though he is headstrong and resilient, often using a metaphor concerning trains to urge the party onwards. "This train don't got no brakes, we gotta keep goin' until we reach the station." It is his love as a father that makes him a believable human - he is torn between saving the world for her future and selfishly being with her as it crumbles apart around him.

Corel's Destruction
Barret grew up in the small, forested coal mining village of Corel. He was happily married to a woman named Myrna, but it was due to her suffering (because of Corel's lagging economy or a coal-related ailment) that Barret decides to advocate co-operation with Shin-Ra in building a Mako reactor into Corel. His childhood friend, Dyne, disagrees at first but Barret convinces him to sign up. The reactor was built, but shortly afterwards, an explosion at Gongaga's mako reactor was blamed on terrorists from Corel, despite Barret's innocence. In retaliation for the fatal act, Shin-Ra did not blink before burning down Corel and the surrounding forests until the land was barren sand. Myrna and Eleanor, Dyne's wife, were among the townfolk killed. Barret and Dyne were visiting the Corel reactor when they were attacked by Shin-Ra troops. After both Barret and the MPs proved worthless with a fire-arm, Scarlet grabbed a gun and shot Barret and Dyne, who were attempting to flee.

Dyne was shot in the leg and fell towards the chasm, but Barret grabbed hold with his right arm. Scarlet promptly shot their arms, rendering Barret's right arm and Dyne's left arm useless. Dyne fell into the blackness of the chasm below and Barret assumed he was dead. After the troops cleared out of Corel, Barret returned to find Dyne and Eleanor's daughter, Marlene. Taking Marlene with him, he left Corel as the last of the forest turned to sand.

The Leader of AVALANCHE
Throughout the next four years, Barret raised Marlene with an artificial arm, but found his rage against Shin-Ra was too much to bear. He replaced his artificial limb with an artificial arm socket and a Gatling gun. He formed AVALANCHE with Biggs, Wedge and Jessie with the promise of fame and fortune and a celebratory trip to Cosmo Canyon, where AVALANCHE was born. At sometime in the four years, he arrived in Midgar and fell in with Tifa Lockhart using the hideout underneath her bar as base of operations. Barret and Tifa developed quite a rapport, and she convinced him to sign on Cloud as extra help, but it is evident that Cloud's participation was not needed except for their run-in with the Guard Scorpion on their first mission.

Barret expresses his concerns about Cloud's arrogance from the get-go, although this is mostly due to his ambitions for Marlene's education funds. He is quick to leave Cloud hanging off a collapsing bridge on their second mission to secure his - and Tifa's - safety. He objects to her espionage mission to get to Don Corneo, but shortly after she leaves, Shin-Ra assaults the Sector 7 pillar.

Biggs, Wedge and Jessie die in the collapse of the Sector 7 pillar, and Barret believes that Marlene had been crushed as well. He is heartbroken at the loss of his friends - although he had been cold to them in the past. When he finds that a flower girl saved his daughter's life, he vows to rescue her from the Shin-Ra Building, where he learns of a greater threat to the Planet than just Shin-Ra. At this point, Barret completely abandons his vendetta against Shin-Ra and begins to practice what he had been preaching, as the prospect of the Planet being in immediate danger is more pressing than continuing his rebellion. Barret and Cloud butt heads again, however, when the time to pick a leader comes about. Cloud is chosen unwillingly over Barret, who takes this as an insult.

Hunting Sephiroth
Barret signs up to follow Cloud around the world after Sephiroth, despite his confusion about the game's plot. During their travels, they come across North Corel, where Barret is blamed as the cause of Corel's destruction. He does not deny this, as, in his mind, bringing Shin-Ra to Corel set in motion the events that would lead to its destruction. Shortly after, Barret discovers Dyne in the ruins of Corel. Dyne has a limp from where he had been shot and a gun-arm on his left arm. Barret is overjoyed at the sight of him, but Dyne's mind has been warped by the trauma. He intends to destroy everything, even Marlene and Barret. Barret subdues Dyne (with bullets aplenty) and Dyne asks Barret to give a pendant to Marlene, which was his wife's memento. Before they can talk further, Dyne throws himself off a long cliff, most probably dying.

Throughout their journey around the world, Barret and Cloud develop a profound respect for one another (it is even possible for the two to spend a romantic outing together at the Gold Saucer). After betraying the party at the Temple of the Ancients, Cloud decides to quit the journey but Barret assured him that he is among friends and that he will look out for him and face it when it happens. The icy tundras of the Great Glacier take a toll on Barret. He shows cynicism (and humanity) at the base of Gaea's Cliff when he briefly understands why Shin-Ra began to use Mako, before greed and power blinded them. "If I did have to live here, I'd change it around an' make it better. I guess the complete opposite of this would be Midgar. When you think of it like that, the Shinra ain't so bad..."

While Barret is skeptical about Cloud's identity after Meteor is summoned, he realizes that he is not fit to be leader and hands control over to Cid after the earth-shattering abandonment of Tifa. In the quest for the huge materia, North Corel is once again on the brink of destruction from Shin-Ra. If it is saved, Barret becomes a local hero; if it is destroyed, further blame is put on Barret and AVALANCHE for their woes.

Up until the last moments of the game, Barret still remains fuzzy about the plot-line as do the rest of the characters having been following the assumptions of a mentally blighted Cloud, but satisfies himself knowing that he has done well. As judgment is placed upon the Planet, it is irony that he and his daughter should still be split apart, she sees the light of Holy from Kalm and he from the Highwind.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Barret leaves Marlene in the care of Tifa while he searches the world for an alternative energy source, and his peace of mind. He leaves a message on Cloud's cell phone saying that he has found a large oil field. His right hand is still used as a weapon, but it can be converted into a mechanical hand.

Barret appears in the movie for a brief period of time near the ending. During this sequence all of the Final Fantasy VII playable characters show up and help Cloud fight a battle against Bahamut SIN. Barret still uses his gun on his right hand as a weapon. He is seen using his Big Shot Limit Break during the fight, as well as Ungarmax; although he uses the latter as his most basic attack.

Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-


Barret makes two brief appearances, one during the assault on Midgar against Deepground, and the other when the former AVALANCHE members and Vincent take on Omega Weapon.

Limit Breaks

 * See videos of the various Breaks here

Barret Wallace