Barry Burton is a character in the Resident Evil survival horror franchise.
Barry, along with most of the characters who originally appeared in the first Resident Evil, is a member of S.T.A.R.S. and the "backup man" and weapons expert of Alpha Team. He is described as a veteran of numerous special forces, as well a gun enthusiast who wields a Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver (changed to a .44 Magnum in the GameCube remake) instead of the standard-issue 9mm handgun used by the other members. Following his appearance in the original game, Barry makes a cameo appearance in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and has a starring role in Resident Evil Gaiden. Barry returns and his older daughter Moira is introduced in Resident Evil: Revelations 2 who had their strained relationship until they reconcile in the end.
He was voiced by Barry Gjerde in the original Resident Evil and Ed Smaron in the later GameCube remake. Jamieson Price voices Barry in Resident Evil 5 and Mercenaries 3D and Michael McConnohie in Resident Evil: Revelations 2 who also voices the main antagonist, Seth in the Street Fighter IV series. Barry is infamous for delivering the line: "You were almost a Jill Sandwich" in the original Resident Evil. He also refers to Jill as "the master of unlocking" in the same game. He later reused his famous lines and jokes in Revelations 2.
Biography
Personality
Barry is shown to be calm and reliable person to his comrades especially to both Chris, Jill and Rebecca. He also befriended Chris' younger sister Claire during the events of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 due to her strong friendship with Moira and becomes a good mentor to the Redfield siblings.
Upon his family, he is a family man and the reason why Albert Wesker used him due to his threats to his family. In the events of Resident Evil: Revelations 2, he has a strained relationship with his older daughter Moira as Neil Fisher dubbed this as an "emotional minefield". Although, it was done by Barry himself when he left his guns in the cabinet when his daughters are playing in the house, resulted that one of his guns had accidentally shot Polly, leading him to blame Moira and their family relationship becomes soured. He also shared this to Natalia about his faults until they later reconcile following the entire incident.
Like Chris and Jill, he dislikes Albert Wesker for using him to threaten his family and later Alex Wesker for hurting his older daughter Moira whom he calls her as "She-Wesker" and he wanted to put an end to the Wesker family.
Appearance
Barry appears to have short brown hair and brown eyes. Starting from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and onward, Barry is depicted to have a facial beard.
Barry's outfit in Resident Evil is a red vest with a white S.T.A.R.S. T-shirt, gray pants and brown combat boots. This outfit is later used when he is a playable character in both Resident Evil 5 in Raid mode and in Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D.
In Resident Evil 3: Nemesis during the game's ending, Barry is wearing a brown bomber vest, supposedly gray pants, a white T-shirt, and a black ball cap where he rescues both Jill and Carlos Oliveira from the bombing in Raccoon City.
In Resident Evil Revelations 2, Barry's appearance is similar as in Resident Evil 3, but has a mustache and a fully beard and has slight wrinkles on his forehead due to his age.
As the combat advisor for the BSAA where he rescues Claire in the ocean and takes her to the hospital and in the end of Revelations 2, Barry wears a brown bomber jacket with a white button shirt underneath, gray pants and black shoes.
In his six months appearance, Barry now wears a dark red jacket with a brown belt holsters where he keeps his extra guns on front, he has a pocket on his left shoulder and a black combat belt where he tucks on his jacket, khaki camouflage pants with a gun holster on his right thigh, a single brown kneepad on his right knee and brown and gray combat boots. He also has a brown backpack on his back.
He has two DLC outfits in the game which is his S.T.A.R.S outfit and his BSAA advisor attire known as the "Commandant" outfit.
Barry made his first appearance in the original Resident Evil as one of the few surviving members of S.T.A.R.S. in the game. He would appear in various portions of Jill Valentine's scenario in order to lend a hand whenever the scene called for Barry's raw strength. Depending on the choices made by the player, one could finish the game with or without saving Barry at the end.
It's worth noting that Barry never appears in Chris' scenario after the opening intro and his disappearance is never solved in that scenario. Likewise, Rebecca (a supporting character in Chris' scenario) never appears in Jill's game, either. Despite the discrepancies between both scenarios, both Rebecca and Barry escaped alive.
Barry is also famous for his awkward-sounding lines in the first game. Resident Evil notoriously suffered from a terrible and often laughable translation and much of the dialogue was reminiscent of engrish. Out of all the characters, however, Barry seems to be an enigma at the same time, the funniest character. Some of his lines included "What?! What is this?!" at the sight of a giant puddle of blood, or his infamous "The master of unlocking" line when referring to Jill's ability to use a lockpick well. By far, his most famous bad line is the legendary "You were almost a Jill Sandwich!" line. This is said to Jill after she is rescued from a collapsing room and has been lampooned countless times, for example, in the Capcom-made zombie action game Dead Rising, one of the locations in the mall's food court is "Jill's Sandwiches". Barry's dialogue is considerably improved in the REmake, "What is this?!" and "Master of unlocking", as well as many other awkward sounding bits of dialogue, are completely cut from the remake and replaced by more natural-sounding speech, although a variation of the "Jill sandwich" line and a scene involving Barry "examining" blood remains. However, the "Master of Unlocking" line is occasionally referenced throughout the series, with the most notable being the "Masters of Removing" achievement or trophy available in Resident Evil 5.
Barry is also an extra figurine in the updated Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition, along with Rebecca Chambers, as they appear under extra figurines. His voice phrase is: "I have THIS!", referring to his magnum, the same phrase he used when speaking with Jill in the first game.
Barry is a playable character in Resident Evil 5's "Mercenaries Reunion" that comes with either the DLC or the new edition of Resident Evil 5, unlikely though it is possible that this could be related to the fact that Barry was supposed to have a major role and appearance in Resident Evil 5 as seen in the beta storyboard, Barry was also presumed to be a part of the BSAA.
Barry is a playable character in Resident Evil Revelations 2, this is the first time that Barry is a protagonist in a canon game in the series (he was previously a protagonist in the non-canon game Resident Evil Gaiden), it is also officially stated that Barry is an advisor for the BSAA.
History
Burton's career began in 1983, when he joined the U.S. Air Force, serving in the same unit as Chris Redfield, with whom he became good friends. After completing his service, he joined a certain police department's SWAT team, where his mentor in law enforcement was Enrico Marini. During that time, he and his loving wife, Kathy, had two daughters named Moira and Polly. Later, Barry joined the Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) in 1996, where he employed his vast knowledge of weaponry. Chris was eventually discharged from the force and began drifting. Barry met up with Chris and managed to talk him into joining S.T.A.R.S. His partnership with him would eventually become excellent, because thanks to his support, Barry was able to successfully complete several difficult cases. Because of this, he tolerated Chris's rebellious attitude and was unmoved by the complaints that Captain Albert Wesker and Chief Brian Irons had about him.
When he came to Raccoon City to join S.T.A.R.S., in his private life, Barry frequented J's Bar and became friends with Gun Shop owner Robert Kendo. The two were close friends and often went fishing together in Stoneville. Due to their friendship, Barry commissioned Robert's brother, Joe, to modify most of S.T.A.R.S.' arsenal, including their side arm, the Samurai Edge. Barry had his specially modified to fire .40S&W caliber rounds.
Resident Evil
In the original Resident Evil, Barry serves as the partner of Jill Valentine and does not appear in the Chris Redfield scenario beyond the game's introduction. Barry aids Jill during the course of the game, often saving her from some of the more dangerous predicaments in the game, as well as providing her with additional ammunition and items.
As the game progresses, Barry's actions in the story will start to become suspicious. At one point, the player must decide whether Barry is worthy of Jill's trust. This is done in the original game by choosing whether to wait for Barry to retrieve a rope when Jill falls into a secret passage, and later when Barry asks the player whether or not to accompany him in the courtyard's underground tunnels. Choosing not to wait for Barry or not follow or accompany him in the underground passage will result in the player finding a dying Barry at some later point of the game, who gives Jill a photograph of his family before passing away. On the other hand, the player can choose to survive the game with Barry. It is then revealed that Barry was being threatened by the real traitor, Albert Wesker, into following his orders. The remake version of the first Resident Evil. Barry's role in the game remains relatively unchanged, but his actions are made even more traitorous. At one point in the game, he actually pulls a gun on Jill before Wesker reveals himself to be the traitor. He is also easier to be killed in the remake, as all the player has to do is refuse to give him back his gun during the fight with Lisa Trevor.
In the events of Resident Evil 2 reveals that Barry did indeed survive the events of the first game along with Jill, Chris and Rebecca Chambers.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
After returning to Raccoon City, in August 1998, Burton, Redfield and Valentine decided to continue an independent investigation into Umbrella Corporation and planned to begin at the company's headquarters in Europe. Burton then immediately moved his family to Canada in order to keep them safe. Is uncertain whether or not Burton was involved in the Valentine's escape from Raccoon City during the viral outbreak that consumed it in late September, but an account indicates that after learning the situation of the city by the news, he left immediately to rescue her. However, after driving to Raccoon City, he was stopped by the military blockade. Burton then chartered a civilian helicopter with the help of an old friend from SWAT and waited until the moment the military lifted its blockade before approaching the city at a low altitude. On 1 October, the blockade was lifted due to the government's decision to eradicate the city with a missile. Burton then came in contact with an Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service mercenary Carlos Oliveira (who was assisting Valentine amidst the chaos) and was able to locate Jill in time to rescue both her and Carlos before the missile destroyed Raccoon City.
Post Resident Evil 3: Nemesis through pre Resident Evil: Revelations 2
After Raccoon's destruction, Burton was scouted for B.O.W. combat experience by the Anti-Umbrella Pursuit and Investigation Team, a secret military organization under US-STRATCOM, until Umbrella's shut down by the U.S. Government in 2003. He also worked with fellow agent Leon S. Kennedy. After the team's dissolution, he refused to become an Special Operations Agent or Special Operations Unit of the newly founded BSAA in order to spend more time with his family. He then received the custom Samurai Edge Barry Burton Model Ver.II from Quint Cetcham.
At some point after this, one day, Burton forgot to lock up his guns in his home. An M1911 handgun was found by his daughters while they were playing and Moira accidentally shot Polly. He rushed to them after hearing the shot and shouted at Moira, despite knowing it was his own fault. Polly survived, but this incident deeply traumatized Moira and gave her an ingrained fear of firearms, leading to a strained and hostile relationship between them.
In mid-2006, Barry had been informed by the BSAA of Jill's alleged death, which left him devastated by the news, however, like Chris, he still believed that Jill was alive, and was subsequently happy to learn of her survival after the Kijuju Autonomous Zone Incident in 2009. Posteriorly, Chris, Jill and Barry finally had the time to catch up with each other and it was around this time that they requested Barry again to join the BSAA. Eventually, Barry became a consultant for the organization as a combat specialist, training a young generation of soldiers alongside Chris to become the future of the BSAA. He also became more close friends with Chris' younger sister, Claire Redfield due to her friendship with his older daughter, Moira, and later becomes a mentor to the Redfield siblings.
Barry is also playable character in the Mercernaries mode in Resident Evil 5 and in Resident Evil: Mercernaries 3D.
Resident Evil Revelations 2
Barry is a playable character in the second part of the game after Claire's story which takes place six months after Claire's playable appearance where she and his older daughter Moira Burton are been captured by the Overseer known as Alex Wesker. He is also playable in Raid Mode.
Sometime in 2011, Moira wanted to join TerraSave but Barry denied her, and told her not to get involved. Moira joined the organization anyway and got abducted by the militia sent by Alex Wesker. After the incident, Barry manages to rescue Claire after it is revealed that she and his daughter Moira were taken to an Island, after which he rushed her to the hospital trying to wake her up. Claire later opened her eyes as she was asked by him what happened to Moira. Claire sadly apologizes about what happened to Moira only to be stopped by the doctors as she was immediately taken inside the intensive care unit. Barry becomes upset after hearing about what happened to his daughter. Refusing to accept that his daughter was dead, Barry tried his best to gather as much information as he could about the island, and prepared to look for his daughter.
Six months later, Barry was able to intercept an S.O.S message sent by Moira, and believing it to be a recent transmission, he was able to determine the island's coordinates. Arriving at the island, he met a young girl named Natalia Korda. Barry initially asked Natalia to stay behind on the boat, but she refused and insisted to go. He had no choice but to take her with him. Barry soon found out that Natalia has a special ability to detect the presence of enemies as well as items to aid him in his investigation. By the time they arrived at the radio tower, he heard Moira and Claire's voice on the radio which stated they are heading to the Wossek, made approximately six months ago. However, much to Barry's shock, Natalia claims while suffering from a severe headache that Moira was deceased.
Natalia shows Barry a tower where Claire and Moira went to six months ago, and as the two travel together, Barry is told by Natalia that she was present during the Terragrigia Panic; it was around that time when she lost her parents and rescued by Neil Fisher, a senior Terra Save member. Barry also discovered deceased Terra Save member Edward Thompson, and battles a mutated member named Pedro Fernandez, which Claire and Moira fought before. This brings a memory in Barry's mind when he expresses his concern to Moira regarding the dangers of working in the front line against Bioterrorism.
They make it to the now-ruined tower, where a room is filled with candles and photographs. Among the scattered objects is a painting of Albert Wesker and a blonde woman. Natalia becomes afraid by merely looking at the painting, and identifies the woman as Alex Wesker. Barry is confused and dismayed to hear her name, but before he can ask Natalia any further, a female's laughter is heard and a mysterious cloaked figure approaches them, pointing its finger towards Natalia. The feminine creature reveals itself as Alex, living in a monstrous form after she barely survives from committing suicide from getting shot in the head, resulted into her mutation. A short conversation follows shortly as Alex claims to have murdered Moira. As she summoned several Revenants to kill Natalia, Barry escorts her out by shooting at the building's frail structure, collapsing it on the Revenants.
With no more reason to search for Moira, Barry changes his objective to take Natalia out of the island safely. On their way to the sewers, they found Evgeny Rebic's corpse in his house at the sewers where both Moira and Claire encountered him six months ago. Around the premises is Moira's cellphone, with a recording made by her six months ago. Barry angrily clenches his fists knowing that Alex did hurt his daughter, and decides to protect Natalia from Alex. Barry resumes his journey across the island, unaware that Alex stalks them along the way. Alex found an opening to launch a surprise attack on him, throwing him into a gorge and captures Natalia. However, Natalia's second personality appeared briefly, scaring Alex away.
Barry regains consciousness and reunites with Natalia. Willing to exact his revenge for Moira's death, Barry and Natalia head to Alex's secret laboratory, located deep within the Sejm Island mines. As they travel deeper, Alex begins to taunt Natalia, intending to discourage her. Alex went even further by ripping Natalia's doll apart and nailed it to a wall for her to see.
Confronting her in the lab, Barry discovers Alex already injecting a vial of Uroboros Virus into herself. He battles the tentacle-consumed Alex to protect Natalia until Alex collapses. However, Alex is actually playing dead, and immediately springs to life to knock him away and seize Natalia. Before he can do anything, Moira appears and uses her handgun to stun the Monster Alex, saving Natalia from being crushed. Barry's reunion with his daughter is short-lived, as Monster Alex uses her tentacles to mutate even further. She chases the three of them to a seaside cliff. At first, it seems that all is lost, until Claire arrives with a helicopter just in time.
Claire shoots Alex right on her vulnerable spot with her sniper rifle, much to Moira's amusement. However, the Monster Alex is not finished yet. Taking a stand between his daughter and the beast, Barry once again fights Alex with Claire's assistance. After dealing enough damage to Alex, Barry instructs Claire to fire a RPG-7 towards Alex's weak point, to which Claire successfully does. As they all leave the island, with the BSAA sending more troops to Sejm Island, the Burtons express their relief after what had happened. Barry understands that he, as a father, should give Moira a little more space in the world. He then decides to adopt Natalia as his own child.
In 2013, two years after the incident, Barry returns to be a good father to his children. At his home in Canada, he is getting prepared before Claire arrives in his home. He asks Polly where his jacket is, whilst the television he watched earlier broadcasts a news report on the Global Bioterror Attacks perpetrated by Neo Umbrella.
Novel
Resident Evil Gaiden attempts to expand on this idea by having Barry as its main character. In Gaiden, Barry is sent to the Umbrella-owned ship, the "Starlight Cruiser", when another member of the same group (Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 2) goes missing during a mission. He eventually finds Leon, and the two team up with a young orphan named Lucia to fight one of Umbrella's newest Bio Organic Weapons.
Other appearances
Barry also appears as one of nine playable characters in Deadly Silence, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D and features in the Japan-only Biohazard pachislot game.
Trivia
In Resident Evil: Revelations 2, after breaking a gate with a crane mechanism, he says "Ha! Who's the master of unlocking now, huh?", which is a reference to his infamous Resident Evil quote about Jill's skill with lockpicks.
Gallery
