How I Met Your Mother: How many times does Barney get slapped?

How I Met Your Mother is renowned by fans for its recurring jokes and memorable moments, one of which is the Slap Bet. This concept originated in the ninth episode of the second season, aptly titled "Slap Bet." The episode introduced two significant plot points: Robin Sparkles, Robin’s teenage pop star alter ego, and the Slap Bet: an ongoing gag where Marshall gains the right to slap Barney at various points throughout the series.

The Slap Bet quickly became a fan favorite. Barney, known for his womanizing ways and over-the-top personality, found himself at the mercy of Marshall’s slaps multiple times, providing both comedic relief and a unique continuity element to the series.

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How many times did Barney Stinson get slapped by Marshal on How I Met Your Mother?

Barney Stinson gets slapped five times because of the Slap Bet in the series. The initial bet was for either ten immediate slaps or five slaps whenever Marshall wanted them. Barney chose the latter. As a result, the slaps were distributed over several seasons.

First Slap: At the end of episode 9 in season 2, called "Slap Bet," the first slap occurs. After discovering the truth about Robin Sparkles, Marshall seizes the moment to deliver the first slap to Barney, shouting, "That's one!"

Second Slap: The second slap comes during "Something Blue" (Season 2 finale) Episode 22. The marriage reception for Lily and Marshall is where Marshall smacks him.

Third Slap: The third slap happens in Season 3’s "Slapsgiving" Episode 9. This episode centers on the anticipation of the slap, with Marshall even creating a countdown clock leading up to it.

Fourth Slap: It was on the Thanksgiving dinner table during Season 5’s episode, "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap." This time, the slap is delivered during Thanksgiving dinner, continuing the tradition set in the first Slapsgiving episode.

Fifth Slap: In "Disaster Averted" (Season 7 Episode 9), the fifth and last slap takes place. After a series of events leading up to the slap, Marshall seizes the opportunity to deliver the last sanctioned slap.

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Marshall wins three more slaps in How I Met Your Mother

Although in the initial Slap Bet agreement in How I Met Your Mother, Marshall had the right to slap Barney 5 times till they died. But in the episode "Disaster Averted," Barney asks if he can take off the duck tie, and in return, Marshall can slap him again. But Marshall and Lily push Barney for 3 slaps instead. And as soon as Barney takes off the duck tie, Marshall slaps him twice.

Marshall again slaps Barney in the episode "Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra." The last slap takes place when Barney freaks over his wedding with Robin, and Marshall slaps him to calm down.

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Why Was Barney slapped in the first place in How I Met Your Mother?

Barney and Marshall got into a bet about why Robin never goes to malls, thus starting up the Slap Bet in How I Met Your Mother. The rules of the Slap Bet were whoever proved their theory would get to slap the other one. While Marshall believed Robin was married in a mall, Barney thought she had worked in the p*rn industry.

The two of them then designated Lily as the Slap Bet Commissioner, responsible for overseeing the adherence to all rules and consequences for rule violations.

When Robin confesses a fake story about getting married in a mall, Marshall slaps Barney for losing the bet. But later on, the show reveals that Robin was not married, and the real reason she avoided the mall was because as a teenager she used to perform at malls across Canada with the stage name Robin Sparkles.

She was embarrassed about Robin Sparkles and did not want to reveal the truth to the gang.

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Barney Stinson gets slapped eight times throughout How I Met Your Mother because of the Slap Bet and this running gag remains one of the most popular highlights of the series.