Cliff Barnes

Cliff Barnes is a character in the TV Show Dallas. He appeared in the original 1978 series as a rival to J.R. Ewing and then in the 2012 revival series, where he was depicted as a darker sinister character and far more villainous than his original 1978-1991 appearances.

He was portrayed by Ken Kercheval.

Dallas original series
Cliff Barnes was born to alcoholic Digger Barnes. The Barnes family had a feud with the powerful Ewing Family, as Digger felt cheated by head of the Ewing Family Jock Ewing. Cliff grew up to believe that Ewing Oil was the Barne's birthright and decided to make it his goal to continue his daddy's legacy.

Cliff had scrapes with Jock Ewing's son J. R. Ewing. Cliff's sister Pamela had married to Jock's youngest son Bobby Ewing, which caused more problems between the Ewings and the Barnes.

Everytime Cliff felt he succeeded in beating J.R., he was always defeated in the end and the tables turned on him, which showed him up.

By the end of the series, Cliff got hold of Ewing Oil, while J.R. had lost everything including his family (expect Bobby). Cliff appeared in J.R's dream which would of shown what life would of been like if he wasn't born, and Cliff would of been involved in a Presidential election and had a family.

Dallas: JR Returns
Cliff appeared in the first reunion film JR Returns. He plans to selling Ewing Oil, with J.R Returning to town 5 years since his breakdown hoping to rise in power. In the end Cliff sells to Bobby and reunites with his daughter Pamela Rebecca, as he feels his family are more important than trying to get one over on J.R.

Dallas Revival series
Cliff returned in the 2012 revival series which ignores the reunion films. Over the next 20 years since taking control of Ewing Oil, Cliff rose in power and became a powerful man. He founded Barnes Global, and sold off Ewing Oil. Six-years prior to the Dallas 2012 series, Cliff had left Dallas and went into a casino business. He sent his daughter Pamela Rebecca Barnes to hook up with his adoptive nephew Christopher and become a mole in the Ewing household. The Ewings where unaware she was Cliff's daughter as she took under a new identity.

Cliff returned to Dallas when he found out Bobby Ewing was planning on selling Southfolk and visited him to make a deal and ask to buy it of him. However Bobby didn't want to sell up to Cliff as he planned on selling Southfolk to a conservation in his mother Miss Ellie's memory. While at the house, Cliff crossed paths with old nemises J.R. who came back to stay with Bobby. After some exchanges Cliff left. At the end of the first series it was revealed that Rebecca was Cliff's daughter, and after losing Christopher when he discovered she caused him to separate from his girlfriend, Cliff told Rebecca to continue keeping an eye on the Ewings.

During the second season, he meets J.R's son John Ross who warns Cliff that J.R and Cliff's adoptive son Frank are plotting to set Rebecca up for the murder of her boyfriend. Cliff has Frank's fingerprints planted on the gun which causes him to be arrested. Cliff visits Frank and tells him to do the honourable thing and kill himself and his family will be looked after, which Frank does. After J.R's death, Cliff shows up at his funeral to pay his disrespects and causes a scene. He then pairs up with the Ewings other enemy Harris Ryland in order to take down the Ewings and steal their business Ewing Energies.

He gives the orders to blow up the rig, despite his daughter being present and carrying unborn twins. Cliff is then set up for the murder of J.R by the Ewings and Pamela, who lure him to Mexico and plant a gun in his car. Cliff is arrested by the Mexican police and taken into custody. Bobby visits him and offers to help Cliff if he admits to having the rig blown up, but Cliff refuses as he will never accept help from the Ewings. He asks Bobby who killed J.R, but Bobby refuses to answer. Cliff later calls upon Elena Ramos (the ex-friend of Christopher and John Ross) revealing that J.R had given her father land with hardly any oil, which caused his death. He then makes her a proxy at Barnes Global (now Ewing Global) and asks for her to make the Ewings pay.