#03 Bishop

[familyofpaladins]

Do you think Bishop asked the turtles for help in setting up the Pan Galactic Alliance since they had so many dealings with different species, and expected them to be doubtful of his intentions only for them to tease him before actually accepting his plans?

I think about it a lot. lol

(don't pay a whole lot of attention to the turtles' outfits/designs. I was mostly just making up random things to show the passage of time)

Their actual reaction to his announcement to create the PGA:

This is my entry for @tmaynt Day 24: Favorite Turtle + Villain Dynamic and Day 30: Favorite Human Villain

Their dynamic with Bishop is so interesting, because for most the series he's this Big Threat, and working with him is literally like making a deal with the devil. But then they go 100 years into the future and find out that once Bishop finally realizes that eliminating Aliens from Earth isn't going to protect it, that he actually is a force for good and peace.... well it changes that dynamic and I wish we could have gotten to see more about how they reacted to Bishop after that lol.

Bonus below:

I was actually originally going to do two separate things for day 24 and 30. but I am behind and day 24 (originally going to be Rise Mikey and Meat Sweats) was giving me fits, and while practicing drawing Bishop for day 30, I thought about this idea and decided to combine the days.

Here's what I was originally going to do for day 30. What I wouldn't give to see xenophobic 03 Bishop meet his ALIEN counterpart

[percyaugod]

L10 AU

03 AU where one winter when the turtles are kids, maybe five or eight, there's a collapse in one of the lairs, could be because of something like an earthquake, construction failure, etc. In the collapse, Donnie is crushed and dies. The pieces of rubble are so heavy the others can't move it to get the body and regretfully have to leave it.

The extreme cold preserves Donnie so it's still in perfect condition when Bishop and his team come to investigate reports of an "alien" being found in the sewers. They're even able to revive it with experimental procedures since the head was mainly left unharmed. A few of the less important organs, what appeared to be a shell, and the left arm needed to be replaced though.

The subject had no recollection of anything before being revived, likely a side effect of being dead for an extended time even if the effect was lessened by the cold. This means Bishop couldn't get any answers from it about whether there was more like it or where they might be. Though he could still stuffy it and test its capabilities.

The newly labeled L1038451 has an unexpected problem that messed with the data. The subject couldn't feel pain and they had no way of knowing if this was normal or another side effect of it temporarily expiring.

Bishop sitting in his lab wondering what he could do next with this creature when he notices it running across the doorway of his lab. He immediately gets up and chases it down, which is surprisingly hard considering its small size.

Bishop demands who let it out of its cell when he notices one of the tools from an earlier experiment in L10's hand. When did it even grab that? Bishop looked from it to L10's face and saw the most cheeky smile. Why this little- Bishop is going to make sure it can never leave its cell again.

It leaves its cell on its own again less than two days later. Making sure to pull on Bishop's pant leg and everything so he knows.

Bishop doesn't understand! No matter what locks or security system he puts up it somehow opens them! At the same time making sure to erase the camera footage so he doesn't know how. Then it just seems to seek him out to show off its win. Worst of all it started greeting him with this irritating "Guess who, Bippy?"

As Bishop is grumbling he notices hasn't seen L10 in a while. Why doesn't he believe it's because he's finally contained that thing?

Bishop searched the facility and found L10 in his cell. With a bunch of parts that weren't in there the last time Bishop put him back in. Is- Is he making a drone in there? How does it know how to make a drone?

Before Bishop realizes it he's sitting in the cell with L10 watching it build and sometimes offering tips and ideas. When it's finished and L10's eyes light up with joy Bishop almost feels… pride?

That feeling is short-lived as L10 gets up and runs out of the cell giggling, locking Bishop inside behind him.

L10 does eventually learn how to hack into Bishop's bank account and order stuff to be sent there. Bishop's looking so confused when he sees purchases under the name "Elton". Elton? El-ton. L-10. L10!

[los-ninos-tortugas]

Hey, hey tmnt:ff, why does bishop have a cat mouth in his redesign? Hey, hey, why did you do that?

[untitled-tmnt-blog]

TMayNT Day 30: Favorite Human Villain

Day 30 of @tmaynt! As far as human villains go, it's hard to beat Bishop. 2012 Bishop may be an ally to the turtles, but 2003 Bishop is an outright cold, uncaring, and unkillable antagonist -- the kind of guy you just love to hate, which is peak villain in my opinion!

(TMayNT 2024 Masterpost)

[ahc-au]

Unfortunately the obscure AU competition will not be happening but that simply means you guys get this picture in high quality now :) selfie time! They can and will beat you up!

- Trauma

Textless version:

[camarilla-arts]

more tmnt 2003, finally got up to the "Good Genes" episodes and ooouuuuggghhhhhh Dooooonnnnnn.

[adelrambles]

Tips on Writing Bishop

I've been asked a couple times for advice on how to write a good (03-style) Bishop, and I'm well-aware he can be a bit tough to get a grasp on. As someone who's studied him specifically to learn how to write him as accurately as possible, I figured I'd compile some thoughts in case it'd be helpful to anyone else. I know a lot of Rise takes on him are basing off the 03 version, so maybe this could help generate ideas, too. SO!

Big Overall Points!

At the core of EVERYTHING Bishop does are two primary motivations. The first: the protection of the earth. What this means to him can get tricky, because it doesn't necessarily mean protecting the people, at least not all of them. But it will be better understood alongside the other:

The second: The protection of his sense of safety. Bishop has been deeply traumatized, and everything he does is born of a want to avoid that pain ever again. In his mind, earth is a safe area, a controllable factor, and anything outside it is a danger that must be eliminated. This is why he will still be willing to put himself and other people on the line in service of this; any sacrifice is worth the greater goal. (It's worth noting, Bishop will claim the first as his motivation freely, but is likely not consciously aware of the second.)

Bishop deals in Big Picture ONLY. Another reason Bishop will willingly throw away anything, including the lives of the people he claims to protect, is that he seems incapable of understanding things on a small, individual basis.

Bishop is a cold personality. He does not have strong displays of emotion. He does emote, but for the most part it's muted, so I recommend using emotional bursts very sparingly. (In my own writing, as an example, I try to limit my use of exclamation marks in his dialogue as much as possible.)

At his core, Bishop is afraid, and his response to fear is aggression. This also makes it particularly difficult to talk him down, if he's put in an emotional state. His response to not being in control is often violent retaliation.

With those basic tenants understood, let's move next to some major personality traits:

Bishop is a controlling personality. This is a direct result of his trauma response. Things that can be controlled are safe, therefore he must control everything. If something cannot be controlled, it's a threat that must be eliminated. If he doesn't know why something happened, he becomes angry (including even when it benefits him.)

Bishop is very low-empathy. When writing him, I try to keep in mind that he cannot put himself in the perspective of others. (Or if he can, he doesn't care to.)

Bishop is a sadist. He gets personal enjoyment from hurting others.

Bishop likes fighting, but only when he's winning. He will quickly leave if he can't see a guaranteed victory.

Bishop is paranoid. This is probably self-evident, but it's the reason he's often so well-prepared even when things don't go to plan.

Bishop genuinely seems to enjoy science. He's shown to be far more lenient with scientist characters than anyone else, and he seems to involve himself in his scientists' projects to a degree. Enough to, at the very least, understand their work. (Given he was the one set to dissect the turtles, it might also be argued he has some medical or biology background, himself.)

Bishop is an opportunist and scavenger. He can roll with failures as long as he can find something to get out of it. If he's presented with an opportunity to stab someone in the back, and he has something to gain? He'll take it without a second thought.

Bishop is deeply self-blind. For all his perceptiveness and strategic prowess, Bishop is not very self-aware in the slightest. He is completely blind to his own hypocrisies, and thoroughly confident in his own righteousness.

Bishop adapts fast. He accepts situations for what they are and acts (Though he may still be angry about them, or what have you.) This is likely a skill developed via longevity; the world around him has changed rapidly, but he doesn't feel out of place at all.

Bishop will take extreme risks and thinks wildly outside the box. Also self-evident, if you're familiar with the plans he enacts throughout the show. He'll put a lot on the line if he thinks the reward is worth enough, and he's willing to go to extreme lengths to get what he wants, even if his plans would be considered crazy by normal standards.

Bishop is persistent. If he wants something, he won't stop until he gets it. If he fails, he'll retreat, make a new plan, and try again. It is very difficult to convince him to back down (and certainly not on moral grounds.)

Habits and triggers I've noted:

Being restrained of any sort puts Bishop in a panic. He is more likely to have an emotional response in these scenarios, and seems to have (an albeit muted) desperation to escape. (See: Leatherhead restraining him in the first encounter; His reaction to being trapped on the surgical table in Head of State.)

When being duplicitous or suppressing a reaction, Bishop will go to adjust his tie. This could possibly be considered his tell.

Bishop seems to have a particular fear of aliens blending in as humans. His slayer project was built around the assumption that this is a common threat. (Worth noting: This makes The Shredder the model of the exact threat Bishop is afraid of. Technically, Bishop himself may also fit the description of a threat shaped like a human.)

Writing considerations:

In 03's narrative, Bishop is EPF and EPF is Bishop. Narratively speaking, any organization Bishop is head of acts as if it is an extension of his will and character.

Bishop is shown to strike fear and/or discomfort into most characters he interacts with. Anything beyond this is an outlier, and will draw a reader's attention.

Dialogue-wise, Bishop is generally succinct and blunt. He does dabble in gloating, though, and especially likes to upset others. If he's given a chance to be mean, he'll usually take it. It can help to consider he has a Mission Mode and a Normal Mode. When it comes to Mission Mode, he gets straight to the point and hates unnecessary talking. Otherwise, he's still not very talkative, but will take the time to make pointed jabs or talk through a plan. A lot of his sense of humor seems to be rooted in how He's Better Than You (And You're Going To Die Painfully.)

It's a common pitfall that Bishop is depicted as seeking out the turtles. In 03, once he gets their DNA, he's done with them. Any encounters after that are incidental. Bishop does not care about anything that won't effect his greater goal. If he's targeting another character, it should have to do with a greater plan.

Bishop is an extremely competent combatant, shown to be able to handle up to 7 opponents at once. For a breakdown on his fighting style check out my other post on that!

Bishop is hard to kill, and oftentimes he accidentally contributes to his own defeat. (The hook from Bishop's Gambit is an example I get a LOT of mileage out of, as a perfect symbol of his self-defeating prophecies.)

We almost only ever see Bishop in the context of his work. While it could be construed that he depersonalizes himself, it's much more clear that the narrative depersonalizes him. As far as we, the audience know, Bishop's work is all that he is.

It's unclear if Bishop was released from his abduction or escaped. Depending on which you ascribe to, this can have ramifications for his mindset on how to deal with the alien threat. (Personally, because so much of his inability to cope hinges on a feeling of helplessness, I believe he was released. If he escaped on his own power, that undercuts it, somewhat.)

Thematically-speaking, Bishop parallels both his own torturers and his own victims at the same time. He has perpetuated the cycle that traumatized him in the first place by trying to fight fire with fire. (In that vein, I don't think he's capable of understanding that, not seeing aliens as people in the first place, just dangers. Considering how deeply ingrained his trauma is in his worldview and actions, it would probably ruin him, if he were ever able to actually grasp it.)

Bishop and EPF are likely a commentary on the military of the time 03 was coming out. This can be something worth keeping in mind, when figuring out his greater themes in your story, though it can just as well be discarded if it doesn't fit.

Adding to that, Bishop has an extensive american military background. His skills and knowledge will reflect that.

Bishop also plays on and references a number of real-life alien conspiracies. It can be worth digging through conspiracy history to drum up ideas and themes, too.

The ethical and philosophical quandaries of Bishop's body-hopping and humanity tend to not hold too much weight, because Bishop, himself, doesn't seem to care.

If I think of more I'll certainly be adding on to the reblogs of this post! Or, if you have more thoughts, please feel free to add! If you're in the mood for more Bishop ramblings, that's practically most of this blog atm, but this post is a particular favorite. If you're interested in Fast Forward!Bishop, specifically, consider this post! (also read Taking Pawns. slipped in that self-promo, nice.)

[chaos-potat]

More 03!

SURPRISE BAXTER AND BISHOP ATTACK

[wormspoodle]

Hi!! I was scrolling through your blog appreciating your banger art (as one does) and noticed you mentioned in the tags on one post that you’re thinking of trying to draw Bishop and Stockman and as a big enjoyer of both I am intrigued!! So I wanted to ask how that was coming along? :)

In exchange i offer this Bishop fic because it’s really well written and ties into a bigger universe me and my friend are making now, in case you need recommendations still :D

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46582162

Your art slaps severely! Hope you have a good day!

- @teenagemutantninjatrauma

i finally got around to drawing them and being satisfied with the result,,

anyway the fic you sent was insanely good, the writing was really captivating ahgh bishop is such an interesting character and now i will be thinking about future bishop, cody jones and dark turtles found family (it's making me run in circles)

and stockman!! hes so interesting to me as well,, especially if you've read the comics made for the 2003 tmnt show (very good btw you can find them online for free) they give a little more exposition for some of the characters and i enjoyed them

[purplescience]

:)

[teenagemutantninjatrauma]

Mirrors don’t show you a human person anymore.

—————

This has no bigger context other than me wanting to inflict Nightmare Bishop upon people. Can you tell I was watching the newest Walten Files while drawing this?

Anyways must be fucked up to suddenly become self aware after making your purpose killing people, huh. You wake up from a haze of self righteousness and hatred and fear and your reflection holds all your horrible actions in his arms. And he hands them to you. “Here,” he says. “Look.” And so you do, and there’s blood. Centuries of it, spilling out of the mirror, over the sink, staining the floor, pouring out into every room of your home. The carpet is going to be stained red forever. The bottom of your walls is rotting.

And you can’t stop looking at your reflection, and he doesn’t feel guilty.

Do you?

[xxbritishrosexx]

Day 30: favourite human villain

This dude, do I need to explain? I couldn't even explain myself if I needed to, I just like his villain arc. There were few more like Baxter but this dude claimed the first place.

@tmaynt

[aleksiej]

i love 03 bishop he's so evil

[tacagen]

OKAY MY NEWFOUND AGENT BISHOP TMNT AUDIENCE. ANY THOUGHTS ON WHY THERE ARE

two of them?????

[jxstacey]

Saki approached you with gigantic wolf(who look a LOT like Rahzar), from afar he look malicious but when got close he rather calm. He offer you for a scouting and hunting together. What would you do?

(Villain Time)

Seconds before Saki and Rahzar appeared, a man stepped out of a path of trees. Honestly it would be hard to believe that this could be any character from TMNT but surprisingly it is, specifically 03 Bishop, but he looked way different.

He didn’t look like some special agent or anything compared to the show, nothing like that. He wore a gray wool coat with black pants and office shoes and still had those shades on, instead of that slick back men in black haircut it was more scuffed and looked a mix of black and white. In one of his hands he was holding a hunting rifle and the other was a flip phone for some reason, when he saw he saw the crime lord come up to his with his wolf the hitman put the phone away into his coat…

“Hunting you say?”

Hell even his voice sounds different, he’s no longer sounding like a chain smoker and just, regular, honestly good for the whole looks can be deceptive vibe from him…

“Well, I did see a herd of deer from where I was walking so we could start there if you’d want.”

He honestly doesn’t seem scared from the giant wolf at all considering he’s pretty much a regular mf(despite being a hitman in his season’s au).

“Guess we’ll start heading back there huh.”

@tmntstorycomp

(Be sure to vote for Fargo! New chapter will be out next week!)

[nigesakis]

tragic toxic old man gay love .... who did it better than them... nobody