James is loyal, brave, resilient and has a strong sense of justice much like his friend Steve; during the 1940s he was charming, while in present times he tends to be more distant and self-contained. As a pawn of nazis, James was an elusive, dangerous, and amnesiac assassin. He was ruthless, brutal, and under the complete control of nazis. After Steve reminded him of his past, Barnes broke from his programming and saved his friend and former target from drowning.