Many movies and franchises make their protagonist the most intricate character of the story.  However, some franchises work to bring minor characters that same intricacy. Marvel does this in the Captain America trilogy (The First Avenger, Winter Soldier, and Civil War).  The storyline follows Steve Rogers becoming Captain America and bringing tranquility to the world.  Although Steve is the protagonist, Marvel worked to make his best friend, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, just as complex.  Despite not being the main character, Bucky is very ornate and special throughout the three Captain America movies.

Bucky is introduced in Captain America: The First Avenger as Steve Roger’s charming and overprotective best friend.  Before Steve becomes Captain America, he is a scrawny, asthmatic kid trying to fight for what is right.  Sticking by him, Bucky wards off those picking on him. At one point, Steve was getting battered in a vacant alley.  Due to his size, Bucky was able to threaten the bully away, pulling Steve to his feet, saying, “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line”.  Bucky was the hero between the two of them, the one saving Steve. Then, Steve was injected with the super soldier serum, and eventually becoming the one to rescue Bucky.  He was completely supportive and accepted his place working right alongside Steve. But by doing this, Bucky is ripped away, falling from the rails of a busted train, dropping into the harsh, jagged mountains below, presuming his death.  This first movie, though pretty simple, sets his true nature, offering the next movies something to build on.

After his assumed death, it’s a complete shock to see Bucky both alive and with an entirely new mindset in Captain America: Winter Soldier.  Before, he was loving, he had a grin that shouted that he was always willing to help.  This new Bucky has a permanent, unwelcoming scowl plastered across his face. He’s ruthless, completely lacking sympathy; he’s a robot, a cold killing machine doing anything to annihilate his enemies.  Those watching the movie see Bucky without even recognizing that it’s him. It is a complete change in character, which is why it’s a slap-in-the-face moment when Steve says with complete terror in his voice, “Bucky?” Although he survived the fall, a group of Russians took him hostage.  For 70 years he was tortured, experimented on, forcedly obeying orders, manipulated to train, becoming their “Winter Soldier”. This brutality continues, but while fighting Steve, it seems as though his old self attempts to break loose from the reins he’s holding, even though he can’t remember his past.  He has beaten Steve to where he can barely defend himself. Steve desperately begs for Bucky to remember who he is, restating his infamous, “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line”. Seeming to instinctively realize he shouldn’t be hurting Steve, Bucky immediately stops pummeling him, though he’s clueless as to why.  He makes this realization too late and Steve ends up falling from the aircraft they were in, plummeting into the Potomac River. Although he can’t remember exactly who Steve is, Bucky rescues him as he helplessly begins to drown in the misty river. This movie begins to develop Bucky’s complexity, showing that even though he’s turned into the bad guy, he’s still good at heart.

Going into the final movie, Captain America: Civil War, everyone finally learns what made Bucky become the villain in the first place.  He was brainwashed by a set of code words, triggering him to unknowingly become a killing machine.  Since the last movie, he has been trying to move on from his life of being the Winter Soldier, trying to learn more about who the “old Bucky” is.  In this movie, however, someone sets him up, reciting the words, which he desperately tries to block out, slowly writhing in guilt, and eventually falling under their control.  The ultimate goal of this was to create a divergence between the Avengers, which was a success, especially after the death of T’Chaka, in which Bucky was framed for. Again, Bucky tries pushing through this bad guy sense during the infamous brawl at the airport.  One hero against him is Spiderman, a pure, buoyant teenager, a stranger to Bucky. When Spiderman intercepts the immense blow from Bucky’s heavy metal arm, he just stares with the biggest look of concern. To Bucky, it’s irrelevant that he could stop such a forceful punch.  A kid was talking through the suit, which he was baffled to hear. This was the first time that Bucky was able to hear Spiderman’s young voice. His other arm was completely capable of reaching Spiderman, but rather than switching arms, he only found himself standing there, gawking in disbelief.  He would not hurt a kid, even if they were against each other. This goes to prove that he wasn’t just a killing machine. Also, in the aftermath, Bucky was willing to put himself through extreme torture, going into cryogenic freeze to protect everyone else until the brainwashing can be stopped. This shows a major growth in mentality from the last movie, but relays the idea that old Bucky would have done the same.

Bucky Barnes is without a doubt one of the more intricate characters of the Captain America trilogy, despite not being the protagonist.  Even though he is later seen as bad, he shows he’s still good. His character weaves in and out of being the good and bad guy in such a way that it really does make him as special of a character as the protagonist.