Barbas (Charmed)

[1]Barbas, the Demon of Fear, is a fictional character cast as a major foe (an upper level demon in the Charmed universe) from the WB Television Network television series Charmed, who had the ability to sense the greatest fears of his opponent(s) and use it against them. He was played by Billy Drago [2] and repeatedly plotted against the Charmed Ones—the three sisters who happen to become powerful good witches.[3]

Barbas
Charmed character
Billy Drago as Barbas
First appearance	February 10, 1999 (episode 1.13; "From Fear to Eternity")
Last appearance	September 12, 2004 (episode 7.01; "A Call to Arms")
Created by	Constance M. Burge
Portrayed by	Billy Drago
In-universe information
Species	Upper Level Demon; Demon of Fear

Episode appearance

"From Fear to Eternity"

Season 1, Episode 13, first shown 10 February 1999

He makes his first appearance on Friday the 13th. His plan is to kill 13 unmarried witches, by using their greatest fears to scare them to death, before midnight or else he will stay trapped in the underworld. If he succeeds, he will be allowed to wreak havoc on the world, every single day. Prue Halliwell believes she vanquishes him by overcoming her fear when he targets her, but it is later revealed he is not dead but in purgatory.

"Ms. Hellfire"

Season 2, Episode 9, first shown 13 January 2000:

It is another Friday the 13th, and Barbas somehow manages to return, angry at the sisters for previously having defeated him. It is revealed that if he is able to defeat the Charmed Ones, who stopped him previously, he will be able to leave Purgatory. Because Barbas is stuck in Purgatory he is unable to kill the sisters himself, so he hires Bane Jessup and Ms. Hellfire, two assassins, to kill the sisters for him. Prue repels the bullets using her powers, killing Ms. Hellfire and Bane is later caught and ends up in jail, which leaves Barbas in purgatory.

"Sympathy for the Demon"

Season 5, Episode 7, first shown 3 November 2002

After learning how to astral project, Barbas manipulates Cole Turner into getting rid of his powers. After taking his powers Barbas is once again free from Purgatory. He attacks the sisters at their home, using their fears against them. Eventually Paige is able to expose him to a potion that strips Barbas of the stolen powers and gives them back to Cole. After his powers are returned he vanquishes Barbas by shooting him with an energy ball.

"Crimes and Witch Demeanors"

Season 6, Episode 18, first shown 25 April 2004

Barbas returns, brought back from Purgatory by a Tribunal of powerful good and evil leaders to prosecute the sisters' for misusing magic. However, he actually set up the sisters by possessing people with phantasms, which lead to them using magic would be exposed without their knowledge. In the end his plot is exposed, but he proves that Phoebe has been reckless with her magic, leading to her being temporally being stripped of her powers. As a stipulation of the trial, after winning the case Barbas is now free of Purgatory. Barbas also discovers the Elder Gideon's worst fear, that others will find out that Gideon plans to kill Wyatt Halliwell, but promises to tell no one.

"It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World (Part 1)" /  "It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World (Part 2)"

Season 6, Episode 22–23 (double-hour season finale), first shown 16 May 2004

The sisters are accidentally sent to a parallel world where evil is dominant, and encounter evil versions of themselves and a good version of "Barbas" who is the Demon of Hope. The good version of Barbas reveals that his counterpart and Gideon are working together to kill Wyatt. The evil Charmed Ones send their counterparts home, and work to stop Barbas and Gideon. Leo eventually tracks down and kills Gideon to restore balance to both worlds, while Barbas watches secretly.

"A Call to Arms"

Season 7, Episode 1, first shown 12 September 2004

Barbas is being tracked by Leo for conspiring with Gideon. In this episode he tries to kill the sisters by infecting Piper and Leo with their worst fears. Although he manipulates Leo into killing an Elder, he fails yet again to kill the sisters as Phoebe and Paige are there to help them. Phoebe and Paige make a strong vanquishing potion, using it against Barbas. Before being vanquished, Barbas states that he will return again because "fear always comes back".

See also

Barbas

Episode footnotes

References

1. O'Reilly, Julie D. (2013). Bewitched again : supernaturally powerful women on television, 1996-2011. McFarland. ISBN 9780786447114. OCLC 862800001.
2. "Billy Drago". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
3. Napierski-Prancl, Michelle (June 2015). "Bewitched Again: Supernaturally Powerful Women on Television, 1996-2011 Julie D.O'Reilly. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2013". The Journal of American Culture. 38 (2): 151–152. doi:10.1111/jacc.12309. ISSN 1542-7331.