Princess Bari: A Closer Look

The Divine Mudang

Pantheon : Korean

Gameplay Specializations:

• Ranged
• Magical Damage
• Strength & Intelligence Hybrid
• Explosive Moments of Power
• Death Prevention

“When all others turn away, the abandoned child carries hope on her shoulders.”

Born as the seventh daughter to a king who longed only for a male heir, Princess Bari was cast aside at birth—deemed unworthy by her own family. When her father fell gravely ill, however, it was Bari who journeyed across mortal and spirit realms to obtain the divine waters needed to restore his life.

This act of profound selflessness not only healed her father but also bestowed Bari with divine power. Now a powerful shaman, she stands as a guiding light between the living and the dead. She harnesses her gifts to protect the vulnerable and uphold the delicate balance of both realms.

In SMITE 2, Princess Bari uses her ever-growing reservoir of spiritual energy to amplify her abilities. Each strike or ability she lands builds up her Spirit, fueling a cycle of enhanced attacks and spells that demonstrate her merciful but resolute nature.

With the arrival of Princess Bari, SMITE proudly welcomes the Korean Pantheon. While there were countless figures we could have introduced, Princess Bari stands out as one of the most iconic and universally cherished characters in Korean mythology. With her introduction we pay homage to her enduring legacy in Korean mythology and shine a light on a story of deep compassion, resilience, and divine miracles that still captures many to this day.

Edge of Life and Death

As a spiritual shaman, Princess Bari treads the fine line between both realms. Her kit revolves around collecting Spirit and entering an enhanced Spiritual State, mirroring her role as a soul guide and caretaker.

Altruistic Protector

Although she can deal formidable damage, Bari also stands as a protective figure who can spare allies from death and tip the scales of battle in her team’s favor.

Bell Magic & Ritual Dances

Iconic bells and graceful ritual dances form the heart of Princess Bari’s combat style. She conjures bells on the battlefield, then sends them forward at her foes. Her rituals bring not only strong protective capabilities but enhance her own strength, giving her clear moments of power unique to her.

For Princess Bari, we wanted to highlight her deep connection to Korean Shamanistic traditions. Her color palette draws heavily from the Sam-Taegeuk symbol, a core emblem in many shamanic practices. We emphasized key ritual items—her hat, fan, and bangul (a bell-bearing staff)—both in her visual design and her gameplay mechanics.

Animation-wise, our goal was to make her movements fluid and graceful, as though she were dancing across the battlefield. Wherever possible, we aimed to display this grace—be it in her idle animations, recalling sequences, or core combat abilities.

Princess Bari stands between the realms of life and death, and her abilities reflect this duality. In her normal state, they feel more physical and incorporate gold and blue hues. However, when she enters her Spiritual state, the palette shifts to a ghostly blend of blue, white, and negative space. We wanted this transformation to be dramatic and easily recognizable, so we built up a visual crescendo before she bursts into her Spiritual form, as shown below.

Princess Bari’s gameplay centers on Spirit—she does not use Mana, but instead accumulates Spirit with each successful hit or ability cast. Upon reaching the Spirit threshold, Princess Bari surges with power, amplifying her damage, enhancing her abilities, and granting special effects to her basic attacks.

Princess Bari conjures bells, tossing them into the fray to damage and disrupt her enemies. She sweeps them forward with a graceful fan flourish, weaving each strike into a fluid combo that builds her Spirit. Drawing on protective rituals, Princess Bari protects allies from lethal harm while fueling her own surge of power. She enters a heightened state that amplifies her next attack, choosing the right one for the situation.

Unique Gameplay Features

• Princess Bari is a Hybrid god, excelling at the traditional carry role through Strength while being a more flexible caster with Intelligence.
• Combo-centric kit, with a variety of ways to approach each fight depending on her current Spirit and her goals in the fight
• Ebb and Flow of Power. Princess Bari excels at transitioning from her Physical and Spiritual forms, gaining access to extra cooldown usages and powerful bonuses.
• Teamwide Death Immunity, allies simply need to be part of her Ritual to gain this potent effect.

Whether you’re conjuring bells to zone out enemies or safeguarding your teammates with life-saving rituals, Bari’s skill ceiling rewards ingenuity and careful Spirit management. Guide your allies from harm’s edge, and stand as Princess Bari—the guide between realms.