Barry Barkin

**Barry Barkin**, also known as Principal Barkin (or Former Principal Barkin in *The Terrible Two Get Worse*), is the main antagonist of *The Terrible Two* and the tritagonist of the last three books.

## Background

**Spoilers Ahead.**

Barry Barkin was raised in the Barkin family, so was involuntarily destined to become the principal of Yawnee Valley Science And Letters Academy, carrying on the family business. His father Bertrand and grandfather Jimmy were principals before him, while his brother Bob went into cattle-raising instead.

He served as the school's principal for years, and on Miles' first day of school, Barry Barkin discovered his car sitting atop the staircase leading to the entrance of the school. He had to guide all the students through the two front seats and out the driver's door so they could enter the school. This ruined Barkin's car, making him very angry. Barkin incorrectly blamed Miles for the prank and for the damages done to his car (a blame that lasts the entire series), and assigned "School Helper" Niles to guide Miles around the school and show him the rules and how things worked.

Miles continued to report to Barkin's office multiple times for Niles' counter-pranks in *The Terrible Two*, which he was blamed for. This only made Barkin and Miles' relationship worse with each visit, and Barkin viewed Miles as a troublemaker.

In *The Terrible Two Get Worse*, Barkin gets fired after some off-the-wall pranks lead the school board to believe he doesn't have control of his school. He is replaced by his father Bertrand, who makes the students' lives miserable.

Miles and Niles reveal to Barkin that they were the school pranksters, the Terrible Two, all along, and that they need help from him in order to prank Bertrand Barkin. Barry Barkin happily obliged, and from then on had a friendly relationship with Miles and Niles, even requesting to join them to make "The Terrible Three".

Barry was given his position as principal back after his father got fired.

## Personality

Barry Barkin tries his best to be a good principal, and only wants the best for his school. He has a good heart.

## Relationship with other characters

### Miles Murphy

Principal Barkin thought of Miles as a troublemaker in the first book, but their bond has grown since.

### Niles Sparks

Barry thinks highly of Niles, initially introducing him to Miles as the school's best student and referring to him as a second son. He is always glad to see Niles and, according to his wife, bestows high praise upon him. Outside of school, he expresses a clear preference for Niles and allows him to call Barry by his first name, a privilege he doesn't afford to Miles. He is shown to take bad news better from Niles than anyone else, such as when Niles suggests that Josh is the real culprit behind the Cow Incident and when Niles expresses his belief that pranking is good for the community, something which is obviously contrary to everything Barry believes in.

### Josh Barkin

Josh is Principal Barkin's son. Barkin treated his son well and fairly in *The Terrible Two*, but they lost respect for each other after Josh was blamed for the Cow Incident, and have since grown apart.