Madame du Barry, known in the anime as Jeanne Becu du Barry, is a supporting character in The Rose of Versailles who serves as King Louis XV’s mistress and a political rival to Marie Antoinette. Born into poverty and working as a prostitute in the lower districts of Paris, she attracts the attention of Count du Barry. She marries him to gain the title of Countess, but according to the series she poisons her husband the very next day and uses her newfound resources to enter the court at Versailles. Once there, she becomes the king’s official mistress, wielding significant influence through her beauty, charm, and manipulative cunning. Her motivations are driven by ambition and a desire for status and wealth, which she pursues without scruple. In the story, she functions as an antagonist to the young dauphine Marie Antoinette, whom she openly scorns and who returns her contempt, creating a major source of courtly tension. Madame du Barry is portrayed as calculating and ruthless, yet also elegant and capable of adapting to the complex etiquette of Versailles. Her key relationships include her patronage of the king, her enmity with Marie Antoinette, and her brief but deadly marriage to the count. Throughout the series, she remains a fixture of the old regime’s decadence, and her arc ends with her fall from grace after Louis XV’s death, leading to her eventual execution during the Revolution. Notable abilities include her skill in social manipulation, her talent for fashion and presentation, and her ability to survive court intrigues until the king’s demise.