# Sir Lionel Barton — The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu character guide

> Sir Lionel Barton in The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Sir Lionel, Barton

**First appearance:** 0001-ii

## Snapshot

A celebrated explorer whose fame and temper make him a natural target for Fu-Manchu's campaign against England's notable men.

## Who they are

Barton belongs to the class of men whose disappearance would shake the Empire, which is exactly why Fu-Manchu marks him. His household becomes a stage for drugged train compartments, attempted burglaries, and the slow creep of Oriental terror into English domesticity. His peril draws Smith and Petrie out of London and into the countryside, widening the book's geography of dread.

## Relationships

### [Nayland Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/characters/nayland_smith)

_professional_

Sir Lionel Barton is a famous explorer and ally who works with Smith, sharing intelligence about Fu-Manchu's activities.

### [Dr. Fu-Manchu](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/characters/dr_fu_manchu)

_rivalry_

Fu-Manchu considers Sir Lionel Barton a dangerous adversary due to Barton's knowledge of the East and his interference.

### [Nayland Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/characters/nayland_smith)

_professional_

Sir Lionel Barton is a famous explorer and ally who works with Smith, sharing intelligence about Fu-Manchu's activities.

### [Dr. Fu-Manchu](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/characters/dr_fu_manchu)

_rivalry_

Fu-Manchu considers Sir Lionel Barton a dangerous adversary due to Barton's knowledge of the East and his interference.

### [Nayland Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/characters/nayland_smith)

_professional_

Sir Lionel Barton is a famous explorer and ally who works with Smith, sharing intelligence about Fu-Manchu's activities.

### [Dr. Fu-Manchu](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/characters/dr_fu_manchu)

_rivalry_

Fu-Manchu considers Sir Lionel Barton a dangerous adversary due to Barton's knowledge of the East and his interference.

## In the story

### [The Web of the Yellow Peril](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/chapters/x)

Recently returned explorer; described as reckless and living in a chaotic, dangerous house.

### [The Mystery of the Sarcophagus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/chapters/xi)

Returns home to find the murders; reveals he was warned by Professor Rembold not to open the sarcophagus of Mekara.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/characters/sir_lionel_barton
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_insidious_dr_fu_manchu_se/characters