Barbaneth Beoulve

Barbaneth Beoulve
(バルバネス・ベオルブ, Barubanesu Beorubu?) Alternate names: Balbanes Beoulve
Sprites
Biographical information
Affiliation	Order of the Northern Sky, House Beoulve
Occupation	Knight Devout Knight Gallant Heavenly Knight
Zodiac sign	Unknown
Physical description
Race	Hume
Gender	Male
Gameplay details
Type	Non-player character
Behind the scenes information
Designer	Akihiko Yoshida
Japanese voice actor	Tsutomu Isobe
English voice actor	Nicholas Boulton

Hear me, Ramza. For generations, we Beoulves have stood foremost of those who serve the Crown. Ours is the soul of the knight. Become a knight worthy of your name. Tolerate no injustice. Stray not from the true path. You will know the path you must walk. A Beoulve can walk no other.

Barbaneth Beoulve, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions § "Father's Passing"

Barbaneth Beoulve, also known as Balbanes Beoulve, is a minor character in Final Fantasy Tactics. The father of Ramza Beoulve and patriach of House Beoulve, Barnabeth was the lord commander of the Order of the Northern Sky for Ivalice, and earned the title of gallant knight, the highest rank of any knight. During the Fifty Years' War, he won countless victories for Ivalice against Ordallia.

Barbaneth had four children: Dycedarg, Zalbaag, Ramza, and Alma. He also adopted both Delita Heiral and Tietra Heiral, taking them into House Beoulve and affording them opportunities their common lineage would not normally allow. Barbaneth was hailed as a hero amongst Ivalice, and feared by Ordallia for his military strength.

History

Lord Barbaneth Beoulve led the Order of the Northern Sky in the Fifty Years' War, during which he earned the rank of gallant knight—the highest rank in all of knighthood. His countless victories against Ordallia during the war compensated for Ivalice's inferior numbers, and Ordallia's fear of him contributed to them agreeing to peace (despite in effect winning the war). Lord Barbaneth's counterpart, Cidolfus Orlandeau of the Order of the Southern Sky, had great admiration for him, and was later described as the only man Lord Barbaneth could call a friend.

Barbaneth had four children, three sons and a daughter, by two women. His eldest son, Dycedarg, was a military tactician who served Duke Larg. Lord Barbaneth requested he cede the position of commander of the Order of the Northern Sky to Barbaneth's second son, Zalbaag, who had become a Knight Devout during the Fifty Years' War.

Barbaneth at some point had two children with another woman, who was a commoner bearing the surname Lugria, and gave birth to Ramza, and later Alma, who attended the Royal Military Akademy and Eagros Preparatory Akademy respectively. Lord Barbaneth also adopted Delita Heiral and Tietra Heiral, children of commoner lineage whose parents passed away to Black Death, into the family. He arranged for Delita to be allowed into the Royal Military Akademy as a knight apprentice despite his common lineage. In their youth, Lord Barbaneth taught them how to make a whistle from a blade of grass. When Ramza was around three or four years old and attempted to lift Count Orlandeau's sword, Lord Barbaneth scolded him to the point of tears, but luckily, Ramza was unharmed.

Not long after the war's conclusion, as depicted in chapter 1, "The Meager", Lord Barbaneth fell fatally ill, as a result of mossfungus poisoning from his son Dycedarg (unbeknownst to others at the time).

On his deathbed, Barbaneth continued taking reports from Zalbaag and Dycedarg as to the concluding military campaign in Limberry and efforts to broker peace with Ordallia's Lenarrio. In his final moments, he advised his children to carry on the House Beoulve name with dignity and justice, and died peacefully. When Zalbaag and Ramza later learned that Dycedarg had been responsible for poisoning Lord Barbaneth, they both teamed up to avenge their father.

Barbaneth's grave, visited by his son Zalbaag.

The map of the cemetery where Barbaneth is buried.

Characteristics

Appearance

Barbaneth had brown eyes, and in his scene was shown with a wrinkled brow, a goatee, and light gray hair tied in a ponytail. On his deathbed, he wore a dark brown robe with a pale yellow collar and a high-collared light pink shirt.

Count Cidolfus Orlandeau reported Ramza strongly resembled Barbaneth in his youth.

Personality

Barbaneth appeared as a noble, honorable, principled, and paternal figure. His adopting of Delita and arranging for him to enter the Akademy shown he did not place emphasis on social class.

Even on the verge of death, Barbaneth remained dedicated to ending the Fifty Years' War, and extended his affection towards all of his children, asking his older sons to watch over their half brother and instructing Ramza to take care of his younger sister. In his final words he encouraged Ramza to live up to their house's chivalric ideals and to show his brothers "what it is to be a knight". Dycedarg later characterized Barbaneth as overindulgent regarding his youngest son, and unambitious in his direction for House Beoulve, claiming that he was content to "watch as hist'ry passed us by".

Ramza's honorable traits, strong moral compass, and penchant for justice have been likened to Lord Barbaneth, by Count Orlandeau (described as the only man Lord Barbaneth could call a friend), Goffard Gaffgarion,, and Elder Simon Penn-Lachish, who noted Ramza was not like his brothers. Dycedarg differed greatly from his father's ideals, looking down on those of common lineage, and while seeking more power, felt his father had been unambitious in his direction for House Beoulve, claiming he was content to "watch as history passed us by".

Other media

In Vagrant Story, a jewel named Balvus is associated with Barbaneth Beoulve.

Behind the scenes

Voice

Barbaneth is voiced in The Ivalice Chronicles. He was voiced by Tsutomu Isobe in Japanese and Nicholas Boulton who shares a voice with the Tavernmaster in English. Barbaneth now speaks in a royal British accent with an old pitch.