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The man, the myth, the legend Barret Wallace was introduced in 1997's Final Fantasy 7 as the hot tempered and emotionally driven leader of an Eco terrorism group known as Avalanche, who lived in the poverty ridden slums of sector 7.
When it was all said and done, Barret would go down as one of the most memorable characters to appear in the game, for not only his resemblance to Mr T, or for being the first Token Black character of relevance in an Jrpg, but most notably his slick mouth.
For many, the English translation was a hot mess which did a disservice to the original script, but at the same time, it also gave players an unforgettable character in Mr Barret, for better or worse. Here 's 10 of his most memorable quotes in the original FF7.
10. "Stop actin' like a damn kid. Si'down and shu'up!"
From the very beginning, Cloud and Barret never saw eye to eye due to the ex-soldier's indifference to Barret's cause of saving the planet. This very reason is why Barret wouldn't miss an chance to belittle his partner in crime.
During the long train ride back home after blowing up a Mako rector, Barret would give his accomplice the cold shoulder when he attempted to make small talk, pretty much dismissing the former soldier like a child in hilarious fashion.
9. "It's Cuz Of That &^#$# 'Pizza' That People Underneath Are Sufferin'!"
Midgar is essentially about the rich vs poor, surrounded in a cesspool of nuclear waste. The wealthy are on top and the poor are neglected in an oppressive system, controlled by a evil mega corporation who are sucking the planet dry.
Barret's activism lends sympathy to the oppressed people of Midgar whose view of the sun is blocked out by a deliberately place roof, which he simply refers to as a pizza.
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8. "Don't go thinkin' you so bad jes ‘cuz you was in SOLDIER."
Barret may talk tons of smack, but in the same breath he can easily back up his words. He clearly didn't become the leader of an extremist group for nothing.
During a job with Cloud, a mercenary he paid to accompany him during a dangerous mission, he amusingly checks the merc, asserting his dominance and belittling Cloud's accomplishments as a seasoned war vet.
7. "Oh Yeah? Well To Me It Looks Like A Golden Shiny Wire Of Hope."
While Barret is fondly remembered for being an unintentionally funny character regardless of the situation, he also asserts himself as a motivational voice when the road ahead is long and tough.
While on their way to infiltrate the Shinra headquarters, Barret would motivate his allies when it felt like all hope was lost, as they climbed up an enormous wall.
6. "I've Been Here Since The Beginning And I Still Don't Know What The Hell's Goin' On."
Final Fantasy's 7 plot has always been confusing, so much that your average player may feel lost. However what's funny is the game's self awareness, which is expressed through Barret, as a possibly inside joke from the English translation team.
While staying in a hotel at the Gold Saucer amusement park, new party member Cait Sith would ask the crew about their story, however despite being around since the start, Barret was completely out of the loop.
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5. "Cetra? That some kinda disease?"
This would be Barret's dim-witted response when he found out about the ancient civilisation who once inhabited his home planet of Gaia in the olden days.
Though in his defense, no one outside of Shinra HQ really knew about the forgotten race of people who were nearly wiped out to extinction.
4. "The planet's dyin', Cloud!"
In the elevator on their way to blow up the first mako reactor during a briefing mission, Barret tried to lecture and convert Cloud into becoming a freedom fighter, who of course at the time wasn't having any of it, because to him it was just another job and about getting paid.
Although he was speaking to a brick wall, Barret efforts immediately showed he stood for something. He wasn't just a raging buffalo with a gun arm, he was also a compassionate, passionate leader who was fighting for the greater good.
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| © SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. |
3. "Where's its $#&*&@ head? This whole thing's stupid. Let's keep goin'."
While snooping on Shinra property, to the party's horror they would come into contact with a headless corpse which was being preserved in some sort of cryonics machine.
Naturally the gang was baffled by what they had just witnessed, to the point that the Avalanche leader had to break the moment of silence with obscene cursing, while rallying his confused troops to move onto more pressing issues at hand.
2. "Y'all Shinra're the VERMIN, killing the planet! And that makes you King VERMIN! So Shu'up jackass!"
When the gang first meet the president of Shinra, Barret wants all the smoke, which is understandable considering he's the source of all the problems in Midgar. This is the guy who is destroying the planet for monetary gain and oppressing the downtrodden.
So, when Midgar's president calls the party members vermins, Barret's clapback is explosive, (no pun intended) and straight from the heart. While he didn't manage to get his hands on the president, he held his own down in the verbal barrage.
1. "I know you got problems... hell, we all do. But you gotta understand that there ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, till we get to the end of the line."
Simply put, Barret is a character with more depth than meets the eye, and this in spite of the over exaggeration of his personality and speech by the English translation.
While riding the train through Midgar, the freedom fighter would share a humane moment with Cloud and admit that no one in the world is without fault and there's no escaping fate. Of course Barret was right, and this iconic quote would reach millions of players.