| Barry Burton | |
|---|---|
| Resident Evil character | |
 Barry Burton inResident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015) | |
| First game | Resident Evil (1996) |
| Created by |
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| Designed by |
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| Voiced by |
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| Portrayed by | Greg Smith (Resident Evil live-action cutscenes)[2] Kevin Durand (Resident Evil: Retribution)[3] |
| In-universe information | |
| Nationality | American |
Barry Burton[a] is a character inResident Evil (Biohazard in Japan), asurvival horror series created by the Japanese companyCapcom. He was first introduced as asupporting character in the originalResident Evil (1996) and became aplayer character inResident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015).
Created bydirectorShinji Mikami and designer Isao Ohishi, Barry Burton was added to the firstResident Evil game late in development. They originally envisioned a muscularcyborg named Gelzer, before deciding that the game should emphasizehorror instead ofscience fiction. Burton re-used some of Gelzer's design and story elements, such as his massive stature, military background, and status as a member of the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (STARS).Video game publications have described Barry as among the best and most likable characters in the Resident Evil franchise. Several publications also praised the character's writing, and he has gained popularity due to his awkward dialogue in the originalResident Evil game.
Barry Burton was created bydirectorShinji Mikami and designer Isao Ohishi, and first introduced inCapcom's 1996survival horror video gameResident Evil.[2][4] Unlike mainstay charactersChris Redfield andJill Valentine, Burton was not included in the original game design.[5] According to writer Kenichi Iwao, he had initially designed a cyborg character named Gelzer, before deciding that his science fiction elements were inappropriate for the game's horror aesthetic.[5][6] Some of Gelzer's design elements were recycled for Burton, including his large stature and military experience.[5] Burton also took on some of the story elements previously intended for Gelzer, such as rescuing Valentine from being crushed in a locked room with a descending ceiling.[5]
Iwao wanted a name that was easy to remember, so he chose the alliterative name Barry Burton. Initially, Iwao wanted Burton to be ablack character, but his final design became white after opposition from designerHideki Kamiya.[6] For the firstResident Evil, designerJun Takeuchi helped create the in-game character model. He suggested giving Burton a red vest to help differentiate him from the other characters.[7] Mikami thought Burton's model was too slim, so he made him a little heftier, but not so much that the character became unrealistic.[8]
Barry Gjerde voiced Barry Burton in his initial appearance in the American release of the originalResident Evil.[1] Barry is played in the game'slive-action cinematics by a retired principal, Greg Smith.[2] Smith recalls earning the role due to his resemblance to the character design, as well as his ability to act as a "rudimentary character that stifles around, stiff-legged. [...] It was close to 2,000 dollars American a day or something. It was good money back in 1995."[9]
The character was later voiced by Ed Smaron in the remake ofResident Evil,[1] Michael McConnohie inResident Evil: Revelations 2,[1] andJamieson Price in bothResident Evil 5 andResident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D.[1] In Japan, he was voiced byYusaku Yara for both the originalResident Evil and its remake, as well asResident Evil: Revelations 2.[1] For the live-action filmResident Evil: Retribution, Burton was played byKevin Durand.[3]
In theResident Evil series of games, Barry Burton appears as a member of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) alpha team.[8] He makes his debut in the firstResident Evil game,[10][11] which is set in a mansion near the fictional town of Raccoon City in 1998.[12] Burton and his team search the mansion for their colleagues,[10][11] where he is the secondary protagonist in a Jill Valentine campaign.[13] Burton helps discover that the property is a façade for abiological warfare laboratory operated by theUmbrella Corporation, and itsundead occupants are the scientists who developed the T-virusmutagen. Their commander,Albert Wesker, is revealed to be adouble agent for Umbrella.[13] Burton, Valentine, and Chris Redfield are among the five survivors of the incident,[13] who form a strong relationship around their shared opposition tobioterrorism.[12] Burton returns inResident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999); depending on the player's decisions, he may appear to help Valentine and Carlos Oliveira escape from Raccoon City as it is destroyed.[14]
Burton becomes a playable character in the spinoff gameResident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015). While makingResident Evil: Revelations 2, Michiteru Okabe responded to Burton's popularity by adding his daughter,Moira, as a playable character.[15] Set in 2011, Burton travels to an island after receiving a distress call from his estranged daughter, Moira, who is trapped with Redfield's sister,Claire.[16] Soon after arriving, Barry meets a young girl calledNatalia Korda, with whom he searches for Moira and Claire among the island's monsters. Natalia had met the two women, but was separated from them by antagonistAlex Wesker. Burton arrives in time to interrupt Wesker's efforts to transfer her soul into Natalia. Burton initially believes that Alex killed Moira, and eventually defeats her with the help of Moira and Claire. It is revealed in the "good ending" that Alex succeeded in transferring her consciousness into Natalia so she may live on.[17][18][19]
Burton appears as a playable character in theGame Boy Color gameResident Evil Gaiden (2001),[20] being sent to locate Leon after he goes missing while investigating a cruise ship that is rumored to host Umbrella's latest experiments.[21] He also appears in the mobile gameResident Evil: Genesis (2008),[22] as well asResident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (2011).[23] There is also a Mercenaries Reunionminigame inResident Evil 5: Gold Edition (2015), in which Burton is also a playable character.[24] In 2025, he also appears in a mobile gameResident Evil Survival Unit.[25]
Barry appears in the non-canon live-actionResident Evil filmResident Evil: Retribution (2012).[3] He appears in several comic books based on the games,[26] and he is a character inBandai'sResident Evil Deck Building Card Game (2011).[27] Capcom's themed restaurant Biohazard Cafe & Grill S.T.A.R.S., which opened inShibuya, Tokyo, in 2012, sold a noodle dish named after him.[28]
Barry has received mostly positive reviews, mainly due to his personality. He was deemed the bestResident Evil character by Zac Thompson ofBloody Disgusting, who commented, "No other character in the series evokes such a sense of excitement with little more than their presence alone."[29]Eurogamer's Aoife Wilson posted a video tribute to Barry, describing him a "big confused colt-wielding teddy bear" who "has always been there for Jill when she needs him, and frequently shows up at the right times."[30] According to Melissa Sarnowski ofScreen Rant, Barry's series debut made him the best non-player character due to his "clever one-liners and well-rounded biography".[31] Maxwell McGee ofGamesRadar+ called Barry a "comedy goldmine" and "a fan-favorite amongResident Evil fans, most notably for his voice actor's amazing work" in the originalResident Evil game.[32] The staff ofIGN described Barry as "a charismatic buffoon with a heart of gold, and out of all the characters you'll meet playingResident Evil, he's the most likeable."[33]
The firstResident Evil game, according todigital media scholarEsther MacCallum-Stewart, gained notoriety for its "very clunky dialogue and voice acting, an element which lent the otherwise suspenseful game an element of charm that endeared it to players."[34] Although the weak dialogue might be attributed to poor translation of the original Japanese text, she argues that it inadvertently helped differentiate the series from its rivals.[34] Several lines from the game achieved enduring popularity: "You were almost a Jill sandwich",[35] a remark made by Barry in an unnatural voiceover after a falling ceiling trap nearly crushes Jill, was brought back to life as anInternet meme ten years after the game's debut.[36] Multiple sources have also noted the dialogue.[29][37][31][32] Capcomreferenced the line in several of their later games, includingDead Rising (2006),[38][39]Resident Evil: Uprising (2009),[36]Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015),[40] andResident Evil Re:Verse (2022).[41] Another piece of dialogue spoken by Barry – "Jill, here's a lock pick. It might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you" – also gained notoriety.[42][43] The quote has been alsoparodied for containing an excessive amount ofsilence between words.[44] Both lines were removed from later editions.[45]
Jill Sandwich
For example, the mall shop 'Jill's Sandwiches' inDead Rising might be considered a reference to the line, 'you were almost a Jill sandwich' inResident Evil.
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