Barricade is a Decepticon who has demonstrated a notable capacity for survival, appearing across multiple conflicts and managing to endure when many of his comrades have fallen. By the time of the events in The Last Knight, he has survived the injuries sustained during the battle of Chicago, rebuilding himself into a sleeker, more modern form over the intervening seven years. Throughout the film series, his alternate mode has consistently been that of a police car, a disguise that allows him to deceive and approach his targets under false pretenses. In The Last Knight, this vehicle mode takes the form of a Ford Mustang police cruiser.

His personality is defined by a cruel and fractious nature, even by Decepticon standards. Barricade genuinely relishes opportunities for combat, particularly against Autobots, and approaches fighting with a deadly and enthusiastic aggression. He is known to be deceptive, enjoying the act of tricking others into trusting him simply to witness their reaction when they realize their mistake. His personal motto, "to punish and enslave," is a dark parody of law enforcement ideals and reflects his brutal and authoritarian outlook. Despite his ferocity in battle, he operates effectively as a scout and spy, suggesting a level of cunning that complements his raw aggression.

In The Last Knight, Barricade serves directly under the rebuilt Megatron, acting as his primary spy and scout. His main objective is to locate the Talisman, a key artifact connected to the mythical Guardian Knights. He is present in the ruins of Chicago and witnesses the Talisman being bestowed upon the human Cade Yeager by one of the Knights. However, the arrival of the Transformers Reaction Force, a heavily armed human military unit, prevents him from claiming the artifact immediately. He reports his findings back to Megatron, and while his leader is angered by his failure to secure the Talisman, Barricade salvages the situation by proposing a new plan to use the human military forces as a means to locate the Staff. He later participates in the hunt for Yeager, leading a charge through a town where he orders the human to freeze before being swatted aside by the Autobot-aligned Dinobot, Grimlock. He is also part of the Decepticon forces that pursue the Autobots to England, where he engages in a chase with his long-standing nemesis, Bumblebee, only to be blasted away and then rammed by a truck, leaving him too damaged to continue the pursuit. He appears again at the film's climax at Stonehenge, engaging human forces before vanishing, having once again managed to survive to fight another day.

His key relationships are defined by his loyalties and rivalries. He is a loyal, if perhaps pragmatic, soldier in Megatron's ranks, carrying out his orders to locate the Talisman and hunt down the Autobots. His most significant and personal conflict is with the Autobot scout Bumblebee. Their rivalry is a long-standing one, having battled in previous films, and this enmity continues in The Last Knight, where Barricade recalls being beaten by Bumblebee in the past and vows it will not happen again. He interacts with fellow Decepticons like Nitro Zeus and others freed from human custody, though his relationships with them are less explored than his direct actions under Megatron's command.

Throughout the film series, Barricade has shown a notable capacity for development through sheer persistence. He was heavily damaged in his first encounter with Bumblebee and disappeared from the final battle of the first film. He returned years later for the conflict in Chicago during Dark of the Moon, where he was seen executing an Autobot prisoner and was later shot in the eyes by human snipers, left crippled on the ground. His appearance in The Last Knight proves he survived that ordeal as well, having been rebuilt into a new, sleeker form. This pattern establishes him as a character who, despite suffering grievous injuries, consistently manages to rebuild and return to the fray.

In terms of abilities, Barricade is a capable combatant armed with an array of weaponry. His armament includes a wrist-mounted gun, a pistol, and a nightstick that can also function as a cannon. He also possesses knuckle-dusters on his fists, which ironically bear the words "protect" and "serve" stamped in reverse, ensuring anyone he punches is branded with the motto. His primary skill, however, may be his resilience and his role as a scout, using his police car disguise to gather intelligence and hunt his targets across the globe.