Final Fantasy VII Remake: Barret Wallace (ESFP)

Ryan and I have been enjoying the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series. We have been working our way through both games that are currently out: Final Fantasy VII Remake and Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion. We ultimately intend to type Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and Sephiroth as well. Perhaps others. We’ll see how much development some of these characters get. Some may not be type-able until more games come out. For Barret, we considered various types, but ultimately landed on ESFP.

Se:

“So I got an idea. Frontal assault, guns blazing. Make for a good story.”

“Stealth ain’t my style.”

“Too easy. If this keeps up, I’m gonna get bored.”

Barret prefers to be in the center of the action. He dumps a lot of that energy into the fight against Shinra. He fights as a member of Avalanche, and even leads his own group of followers. Initially, as a leader, his Se doesn’t come out extremely strong, because he’s striving to protect those under him. However, the farther the game goes, it’s made clear that Barret gets a thrill from battle. Later on, he expresses this to such an extent that Cloud has to remind him to stay on task. Meanwhile, Barret wants to rush into battle, guns blazing, with little concern for the consequences.

Similarly, stealth isn’t Barret’s forte. He prefers to operate in a straightforward manner, whenever possible, which is fairly common for Se dominants. This creates some conflict amongst him, Cloud, and Tifa later on during their mission to rescue Aerith. Ultimately, Barret hates boredom. Monotony is something he’d rather avoid. He prefers to face a challenge rather than guarantee an easy win. This demonstrates more of a desire to enjoy the process, rather than focus solely on achieving a specific end result.

Barret’s impulsive nature does surface early on in a verbal way. He often speaks without thinking, without considering how suspicious it might make him look. As a result, he can be prone to accidentally drawing attention to himself. This is especially shown in situations where Avalanche is being criticized.

Fi:

“I know it’s tough right now, but stay strong, ya hear?”

Barret is extremely passionate about what his ideals. His love for the planet drives him to fight against Shinra in spite of the personal risk. He readily expresses these ideals to others, determined to get them to understand the truth. He’s prone to getting offended by values that are contrary to his own, and he’s prone to judging people based on his deeply held values. Barret is shown lecturing random people about the evils of Shinra and the danger they present to the planet. In addition, he rebukes Cloud for being selfish and only out for himself. However, Barret does struggle to read the emotional atmosphere at times, and recognize when to hold back. Tifa is shown to be a guiding voice in regard to this. At one point, after the plate gets dropped, she asks him not to make a scene, encouraging him to look around and notice that everyone is terrified.

As an extravert with a high feeling function, Barret is emotionally expressive, empathetic, and supportive. He often encourages others to keep moving forward, and to stay strong. He appreciates similar treatment from others. For instance, when Cloud is taking Barret to where he believes Marlene will be, Barret makes him promise that she’d be there, and even tells Cloud that he can lie to him. To him, false hope is better than no hope.

Te:

“Be a force for change, brother.”

Barret has an aggressive energy, largely due to his Se-Te combination. His Te comes into play frequently, whenever Barret feels the need to enforce his values. As mentioned earlier, he gets easily triggered by others, especially concerning values. When this happens, he gets extremely forceful, and often starts lecturing those around him. For instance, during a mission, while riding the train, Barret overhears people accusing Avalanche of being terrorists. He immediately steps in, tells them to shut up, and argues against everything he’d just heard. There are other instances throughout the game.

Barret starts out in a leadership role, and puts forward a commanding persona. However, it seems natural to him. Throughout the game, he tends to be blunt and forceful. He’s never afraid to share his opinion, or say whatever he thinks needs to be done. Frequently, he’s expressing Fi values in the process, but the tendency to try to actively change those around him and command his environment is his Te.

Ni:

Barret struggles to consider the long term consequences of his actions, occasionally putting his friends at risk in the process. This is initially shown in more subtle ways. However, toward the end of the game, his inferior Ni surfaces more clearly, as he starts leaning heavily on his impulsive nature. Barret starts making suggestions that essentially guarantee death, suggestions which Cloud or Tifa immediately shoot down. For instance, at one point, he suggests a frontal assault, saying that it’d make for a good story.

Generally speaking, Barret struggles to take things slow, and adhere to an effective strategy when the temptation of immediate action is present. It’s difficult for him to keep his focus on the long term goal.