The Demon of Fear, also known as Barbas, is an ancient, powerful upper-level demon who had lived for thousands of years; as fear always comes back - so does he. His key power is to read a person's greatest fear, and then turn it against them, either literally scaring his victims to death with illusions, or manipulating them fulfilling his aims.
History
Originally, he was "bonded" to the Underworld, and could only appear on Earth for twenty-four hours once every thirteen centuries, on Friday 13th. However, if he could kill thirteen unmarried witches before midnight, then he would be able break free of his bonds and walk the Earth for eternity. This later changed, as he started appearing much more frequently, his first banishment to purgatory likely having broken the cycle.
To defeat Barbas, overcoming one's greatest fear is essential. The Charmed Ones managed to vanquish him four times throughout the course of the series, all by overcoming their greatest fears and using spells/potions, though he later found a way to come back and escape from purgatory each of the first three times. The last time we see him being vanquished came with assistance from the Avatars' manipulations, as well as the sisters and Leo hunting him down for helping Gideon target Wyatt.
Powers and Abilities
Active Powers
- Smoking: The ability to teleport by turning into a puff of smoke and then reappearing elsewhere.
- Fear Projection: The ability to sense the greatest fear of someone and make them think that their fears are coming true. Barbas used this power to try and kill thirteen witches to be free from purgatory.
- Voice Manipulation: The ability to alter one's voice to match that of another person.
- Intangibility: The ability to be able to pass through solid matter.
Other Powers
- Immunity: Barbas stated that he was immune to the powers of witches as well as talismans.
Learned Powers
- Astral Projection: Barbas was taught how to astral project from Stimple. When he astral projected to another location, he was invisible and often used his power of suggestion to persuade others to think and feel things that they normally wouldn't.
- Hypnotic Suggestion: Barbas was also taught how to use this power from Stimple. This ability allowed Barbas to manipulate Cole Turner, the Charmed Ones, and Leo into seeing illusions of their greatest fears so that they would do his bidding.
Resurrection and Return
Barbas was resurrected by the Tribunal to determine whether the Charmed Ones would have to let Darryl die to clean up the existence of magic. If Barbas won the case he would be fully returned to Earth, and, although Darryl was freed, he won the case by talking about Phoebe using her powers for personal gain. When Barbas returned his powers increased dramatically since the 1300 year cycle had been broken.
Active Powers
- Flaming: Barbas was now able to teleport by erupting into flames and then reappearing wherever he wished.
- Energy Balls: The ability to throw balls of energy that resemble balls of electricity.
- Fear Projection: Barbas' power over fear increased as he could read multiple peoples' fears at a time.
Additional Powers
Barbas managed to manipulate Cole (who at the time was invincible due to powers he collected from the Demonic Wasteland) into stripping his powers, and receiving them himself in the process.These powers were then taken away when Paige orbed a power stripping potion into Barbas' mouth, returning those powers to Cole.[1]
Active Powers
- Fear Projection: Once again, Barbas' power over fear was augmented so that he could use his ability to make the Charmed Ones think that the Manor was blocked with bricks and each of them were faced with their greatest fears.
Other Powers
- Immunity: Barbas was immune to the spell that the Charmed Ones used to vanquish The Source.
During the eighth season episode Run, Piper, Run, Billie Jenkins used Barbas' illusionary abilities as inspiration to drive Walter Nance crazy and willing to confess his crimes. When Billie came up with the idea, as she was explaining her plan to the sisters, Piper questioned her reproachingly if she wanted to bring Barbas back from the dead, which gives support to the idea that he exists somewhere and is able to come back again. A few weeks later, Phoebe explained to Billie that fears are part of who we are, and can't be erased, just overcome (Kill Billie Vol.1); being that fears are what Barbas feeds off of, since fear always comes back, he might well be able to come back anytime.
Barbas, the Demon of Hope
Barbas reveals Gideon as the one who's after Wyatt.
In a universe parallel to ours, Barbas feeds on the hopes of evil beings, magical or non-magical. He makes their greatest hopes come to life, gaining energy by seeing their hopes come to fruition. Unlike the Demon of Fear in the primary Charmed universe, who uses the fears of his victims to render them powerless, the Demon of Hope knows his victims live in a world of repression where their greatest desires and hopes go unrecognized; he makes them realize their hopes which renders them powerless, obliterating them.
Leo Wyatt and Chris Halliwell seek the help of Barbas to find out who is after Wyatt Halliwell and who transported them to the alternate universe by interfering with a spell to transfer Chris back to his own future time; Barbas tells them that it was Gideon, after which Leo then destroys his former mentor.
Book of Shadows
Entry (Season 1)
The Demon of Fear, also known as Barbas,
appears on earth once every 1300 years on a Friday
the 13th for twenty four hours. His appearance is
attributed to the universal convergence of negative
energies as derived from astrological charts. He
derives his life force by feeding off the fears of
witches. If he can kill 13 unmarried female
witches before the stroke of midnight on the 13th
he will be able to break free from his eternal
bonds and walk the earth for eternity.
A witch's only defense is to identify and then
release her greatest fears. Do not rely on your
wicca powers for defence, for in the face of your
greatest fear, those powers are paralyzed.
To let go of your fear, trust in the greatest
of all powers.
Thanks for letting them into your heart.
Entry (Season 8)
An alternate entry on Barbas in the Book of Shadows.[2]
The Demon of Fear Also known as Barbas, appears on earth once every 1300 years on a Friday the 13th for twenty four hours. His appearance is attributed to the universal convergence of negative energies as derived from astrological charts. He derives his life force by feeding off the fears of witches. If he can kill 13 unmarried female witches before the stroke of midnight on the 13th he will be able to break free from his eternal bonds and walk the earth for eternity. A witch's only defense is to identify and then release her greatest fears. Do not rely on your wicca powers for defense, for in the face of your greatest fear, those powers are paralyzed.
Victims
- Season 2
- Witches: Through hiring Bane Jessup, who hired a hit-woman by the alias Ms. Hellfire, Barbas killed nine witches; D. Greaney, S. Cockerell, C. Herndon, R. Montesano, S. Petty, R. Napoli, I. Chee, B. Reardon, and P. Chillet.
- Coroner: Autopsied while being alive.
- Season 5
- Demonic Leaders: Through Energy Balls, tricked by Phoebe.
- Stimple: Deflecting a Fireball.
- Season 7
- Demonic Healer: With an Energy Ball.
Notes and Trivia
- Barbas is the name of a demon from the Ars Goetia, the first section of the demonology book The Lesser Key of Solomon. Here, he is described as the Great President of Hell governing thirty-six legions of demons. Other names taken from this are Andras, Asmodeus and Shax.
- The names of Hellfire's victims list are all names of various crew members.
- The original season 1 Barbas page was for sale at ScreenUsed.com.
- During the season 7 premiere, "A Call to Arms", Barbas' hands glow white when reading fears.
- Although in "Sympathy for the Demon", Barbas only received the power to throw energy balls by stripping Cole's powers, he is still able to use this power when he returns in season 7.
- Although his name was never mentioned in "From Fear to Eternity", the Book of Shadows entry revealed his name to be Barbas.
- In The Monsters of Charmed Documentary on the Limited Edition Book of Shadows DVD Set, Billy Drago stated what made Barbas so unique from the other demons was his normal appearance - even though several demons do have human appearance - and how he would allow the Charmed Ones' existing fears do their own thing whereas the others would try to create a new fear in the girls with a frightening physical appearance, such as with Belthazor and the Source. [3]
- Phoebe is the only Charmed One to witness all of Barbas' vanquishes and defeats.
Related Articles
Template:AntagonistsSeason1 Template:AntagonistsSeason2 Template:AntagonistsSeason5 Template:AntagonistsSeason6 Template:AntagonistsSeason7