Baram is Shadow's former partner in Final Fantasy VI. He appears within flashbacks, seen during Shadow's dreams when he is in the party while resting at an inn.

Story

Baram ("Billy" in the original Japanese version) and Clyde were robbers. After a particularly successful train robbery in which they made off with a million gil, Baram suggested they call themselves "the Shadow Bandits".

While the two were on the run, Baram sustained a crippling injury. He urged Clyde to save himself but to kill him first, for fear of what would happen when the authorities found him. Unable to bring himself to kill Baram, Clyde balked and fled, abandoning Baram to his fate. Clyde eventually happened upon the magical village of Thamasa where he met Strago Magus's daughter and subsequently fathered a child with her, before he abandoned them as well, and at some point thereafter adopted the alias "Shadow" in Baram's memory.

After Kefka Palazzo is defeated, Shadow stays behind in the collapsing Kefka's Tower while everyone, including his dog Interceptor, return to the Falcon, saying "Baram... It looks like I can finally stop running... Come and find me all right?" In the original Japanese version, he instead says "Billy, I don't need to run away anymore. Please, embrace me warmly."

Behind the scenes

In the scene where Baram asks Clyde to kill him, he uses the same sprite as the Returners. Baram's normal sprite, used throughout the game for bandits, does not have a "fallen down" pose. It is possible the developers gave Baram the Returners' sprite to make use of this animation the bandit sprite lacked.

Gallery

Etymology

Baram is Korean for "wind". The name "Baram" bears a vague resemblance to "Bonnie". Together with Clyde, the two could be a reference to the famous thief duo, Bonnie and Clyde. Alternatively, it may refer to the real Clyde's last name, Barrow.

Baram's Japanese name, Billy, is likely a reference to Billy the Kid.