Odovacar, also known as Odouacer, was a Germanic chieftain who deposed the last Roman emperor in the West, Romulus Augustulus, in 476 AD. He then became the first barbarian king of Italy. Odovacar's reign marked the end of the Western Roman Empire and the beginning of the period known as the "Barbarian Kingdoms" in Italy. His rule was characterized by conflicts with the Eastern Roman Empire and other Germanic tribes. Ultimately, he was defeated and killed by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great in 493 AD. Odovacar's legacy is significant as it symbolizes the transition from the classical Roman world to the medieval period in Europe.