#ninja essays

[turtleblogatlast]

I think a lot about Leo standing up for his brothers in the things that really matter to them.

Like- Leo is the one who immediately pushes Mikey and Donnie into finding Raph the second it’s clear that their oldest brother is missing because he knows Raph can’t handle being separated like that.

Leo is the one who stands up for Mikey when Mikey wants to go on a solo mission, actively vouching for him and being the one to convince Raph into letting Mikey go, because being independent and proving himself just as capable of standing on his own two feet as everyone else means so much to Mikey.

And Leo defends Donnie’s honor in particular when his brothers’ intelligence is insulted because Leo is well aware of how important Donnie’s smarts are to him - and how important having those smarts valued and acknowledged is as well.

All this goes right into just how well Leo knows his brothers. For as much as he’ll tease or fight with them, he knows them, and he loves them.

[matryoshkalex]

i forgot i started this in like april and never finished bc i got super busy with tmaynt but i suddenly remembered and finished it this week!!

i watched 2003 when i was in like? middle school and same as it never was stayed with me and was one of my favorite episodes because ive always been a fan of the darker and more angsty stuff. so i thought about 2012 in the sainw timeline and couldnt get it out of my head so. here they are. two versions because i couldnt decide which background i liked more

[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.)

[maslosstuff]

Like I explained in my first post about Howard he’s more edgy but what do I mean by that exactly is that he more of a rule breaker than he is in the show as he’s no respect for the authority as he often skips his classes and is genuinely rude to any adults he comes across (besides his mom but that’s for another time)

Howard is into heavy metal and watching horror films not cheesy slashers he wants the full package blood and guts everywhere he occasionally sway store owners to get what he wants or Mort credit card.

Randy and Howard relationship starts off great at first but as it goes on Randy and Howard starts to argue with one another about nearly everything as Randy starts favoring what the book says rather than Howard then Randy starts hanging with more and more people and has no time with Howard anymore. One argument however results in a disastrous outcome

I really like @mrfartpowered essay about Howard character and I’m using Howard more as a character then a tool of fat gags.

Here’s characters my howard takes inspiration from some may not or be bad signs:

[snugglebugs]

KAI SMITH flip (caregiver-leaning!)

Kai Ninjago Smith is ABSOLUTELY an age regressor are you KIDDING me are you JOKING me. He is BASICALLY CANONICALLY an age regressor!!!!

> "I bet he loves being treated like a baby..." (Nya, Season 14, Episode 6, Call From The Abyss)... Yeah he does because he IS a baby. He is THE baby. He is BABY.

His entire traumatic backstory is that, after his parents were taken from him from an early age, he had to step into a parental role for his little sister and become the adult of the family while still being a child himself. He had to grow up before he even really had a chance to grow at all. On-screen, we see that once his parents return and he's no longer forced into that role of responsibility, he canonically regresses into childish habits and language we have never before seen him use or display beforehand.

"Ham and cheese sandwiches with crispy bacon? Oh thanks, Mommy! You're the best! Mm... bacon is the best, too!" (Kai, Season 14, Episode 6, Call From The Abyss).

Conclusion? Kai Smith is the most age-regressor to ever age regress ever I will not take criticism because I am OBJECTIVELY CORRECT.

Anyway!! I think Kai is regresses from 5-9~ years old. We can tell from his diction that he doesn't seem to be a baby regressor (at least in this scene), as he's capable of fully-formed sentences and has the cognitive skills required to play video games, so that leads me to believe he might be a little-middlespace regressor! Kai's parents left when he was around 5, so it makes sense he wouldn't be an infant regressor, but around the little-middle spectrum, regressing into the same range of years in which he didn't have a chance to be a child before.

I don't just think he's an age regressor, though, I also think he's a flip, too! He definitely has some care-giving tendencies built-in to him from having to be a caretaker for his little sister for so many years, and so he pretty naturally slips into the role of a big brother caregiver! I imagine he leans more towards the caregiving side then the regressing side, just because being a caregiver is what he's used to being - what he's always had to be - but that may be prone to change as he becomes more comfortable with his regression! He hates regressing around the other age regressors, especially when they're regressed, because he feels like when they're small he has to be big and adult to take care of them regardless of his own headspace. We can see his caregiver tendencies displayed in... countless interactions with Lloyd. Speaking of...

LLOYD MONTGOMERY GARMADON age regressor!

I am, once again, OBJECTIVELY correct. Lloyd is basically canonically an age regressor. He IS canonically an age regressor. He is, quite literally, a child stuck in a teenager's body -- as in he was a child and then magic age-up tea turned his body into a teenager's but still left him with the mental capacity of a child. Which is the DEFINITION of what an age regressor is!! Bodily an adult but mentally a child!! He IS an age regressor!!!!

And even if that WASN'T the case, he'd probably be an age regressor anyway, because, like. Look at him. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders since he was, like, eight, was unable to be a child because he had to endure constant rigorous training and when he WASN'T training he was undergoing countless traumatic experiences while he was still a child.

> Lloyd: "Well...The latest issue of Starfarer just came in at Doomsday Comix and it's a limited run, so if I don't go out and get it, it's going to sell out. Last they left off, intergalactic rogue Fritz Donnegan was surrounded by the Imperial Sludge, and if I don't find out if he gets out alright, I think I might have my own doomsday!" Kai: "The fate of Ninjago rests on your shoulders. As the Green Ninja, you have a giant responsibility to hold. I'm sorry, but you don't have time for such childish things." Lloyd: "Other kids get to play and have fun. All I ever do is train..." (Season 2, Episode 18, Child's Play)

I don't even think I need to argue my case that hard for why Lloyd is an age regressor. I think it'd be harder to argue why he ISN'T an age regressor, actually. TRY to argue that he's not an age regressor. TRY. I BET you CAN'T.

I don't have much evidence for this one, but I imagine he may be a pet regressor, too! He's an oni-dragon-hybrid, after all, and his heritage have proven to come with strong instincts regarding this animalistic half of his genes, as seen throughout the Oni Trilogy.

COLE BROOKSTONE caregiver!

Look at him. JUST LOOK AT HIM. The most caregiver to ever caregive ever forever. He has chronic can't-stop-adopting-children syndrome. He's adopted, like, three separate children at this point. It is becoming a problem.

"Huh? Oh, no. Don't make that face. Don't cry. Oh, I can't take it any more. Hey, look at me. Hehe. Yeah. I'm not sad. Ha-ha, I'm not crying. Oh, fine. But this is between you and me. Shine, little glow worm, glimmer glimmer. Hey there, don't get dimmer, dimmer. You like that, huh? Well, there's more where that came from. Glow, little glow worm. Glow and Glimmer—" (Cole, Season 8, Episode 5, Dead Man's Squall)

When his mentor canonically (mentally & physically) regressed into an infant his first and immediate instinct was to adopt and care for them. If that isn't agere caregiver behaviour I don't know WHAT is. HE BECAME THE FATHER TO AN INDIVIDUAL REGRESSED FROM THEIR NORMAL HEADSPACE INTO A CHILD.... HE'S LITERALLY A CAREGIVER GUYS!!!!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU WANT ME TO SAY!!!!!!! I AM JUST STRAIGHT-UP CORRECT!!!!!!!!!!!

JAY WALKER padded regressor!

"Jay: Aah! [He picks up a ruined stuffed toy.] Mister Cuddlywomp… [sobs] is a teddy bear I used to love when I was five, but now he's totally lame and—

Cole: We know you still sleep with him.

Jay: And I don't care who knows it! Mister Cuddlywomp..." (Season 7, Episode 6, The Attack)

Jay Walker is DEFINTELY a regressor. His personality has been noted to be very child-like and babyish at times, to the point where the fandom (and showwriters) tend to infantilize him, despite the fact that in his own right he can be a very serious character when he need be. As much as I do believe he's an age regressor, it's important to remember he can be very capable and competent character when he's big, too, and not to define him by his regression!

If he's any regressor, it's definitely a padded regressor. Throughout the show, it's become a running bit that he's a bedwetter and has a weak bladder:

"Jay: But I don't wanna get wet. I...I only have one pair of underwear.

Kai: Jay, this is no time to be making jokes. The Bounty can only take so much.

"Jay: You think I'm trying to be funny?" (Season 2, Episode 9, The Last Voyage)

"Harumi: Uh, forgive me, but is that...underwear?

Jay: We're usually more organized. Ahem. But our leader got lost in a time-stream. Uh, they're Cole's.

Cole: They're blue!

Kai: You're lucky they're not yellow." (Season 8, Episode 3, The Oni & The Dragon)

"Oh, that reminds me, Jay, honey, I need to teach you how to bleach your boxer shorts." (Maya, Season 14, Episode 7, Unsinkable)

"Jet Jack: Then tell us, who do these diapers belong to?

Kai: Oh, those are Jay's. Tell 'em, Jay.

Jay: Oh. I have a weak bladder." (Season 9, Episode 2, Iron & Stone)

These are only a few of many, many examples (You can find others throughout the show, such as in Only One Can Remain, The Darkness Remains, Darkness Within, etc), and though it's usually spun as a joke, there's no harm and shame in it! In conclusion

ZANE JULIEN caregiver!

"I was built to protect those who can't protect themselves!" (Zane, Season 3, Episode 8, The Titanium Ninja)

I don't know what else you want me to say guys... he said so himself.,,,,,,. was built to protect those who can't protect themselves...,.....

Zane's entire identity is hinged around adaptability. Though I could go on a WHOLE 'NOTHER ESSAY about Zane's relationship with identity, the point here is that he often adapts to what people need him to be! I mean, he downloaded thousands pieces of detective media onto his hardware in order to try to track down the other ninja after they went missing, if called for I imagine he could very easily slip into the role of caretaker (he WOULD download hundreds of resources on age regression to help the other ninja)!

I don't have a lot of evidence for this one beside source: bro trust me but bro. trust me. The Vibes,,,, theyre there

These are just my personal headcanons based on evidence I've gathered from the show - I am in NO WAY saying these are the only headcanons or that they are the "correct" ones!! In fact, if you have DIFFERENT headcanons for the ninja (esp. ones I didn't provide a lot of detail for), I encourage you to share them in the tags, I'd love to hear other's opinions!!!! ^^

If this gets enough interested, I might make a pt. 2, so stay tuned!!

[velveteen-hajime]

I absolutely don't mean to shit on people's headcanons, but I can't help but feel like ROTTMNT fans have a habit of doing that thing where some of the headcanons are just people assigning sexualities to personalities, and a lot of the time those "personalities" are OOC too.

I have no inherent issue with aroace Donatello or gay Leonardo, but as an autistic gay aroace guy myself, I see a lot of people just feeding into stereotypes. Autistic characters being automatically assigned the aroace label simply by virtue of being autistic is like, old discourse at this point. I saw people talking about it when I was about 13 or so.

And people absolutely still do it w/ Donnie, especially people who feed into the idea that he's some kind of stoic guy who never feels or expresses emotions, when if you watch the show he's basically the opposite. He said he had an "emotionless bad boy persona" because he's a teenager, and he thinks that makes him look cool, and that's literally the joke. He's not actually like that. But that seems to confuse people. I guess an autistic person being completely devoid of emotion just makes more sense to them.

Like, hey, that's a massive stereotype for both autistic people and aroace people. Most of us aren't like that. Even if we have flat affect or low empathy, that doesn't mean we feel nothing at all.

And as for Leo, every time he encounters romance in the series (which isn't super often in Rise, but I digress), he is very put off by it. Yet I see people portray him as some kind of unironically overly flirty gay boy stereotype who's desperately looking for a boyfriend.

And I just wonder why this is the case when Donnie is the only one of the turtles in the show to mention having a type ever. I can't help but feel like people are just feeding into stereotypes, maybe not consciously, but regardless, they are still giving into them and don't see the problem.

[millidew]

maizuru and milsiril are my favorite fucked up dungeon meshi mother figures

[triona-tribblescore]

Little wip of my boys being cute n in love and stuff <3

I have a lot of wips atm to be honest, but just crazy busy, Hopefully posting stuff will be easier once college is over for the break in two weeks :')

[tmntkiseki]

Was once again fooling around with clips from Adventures in Turtlesitting and Good Genes Part 1 (basically, I was seeking all the major "Leo being protective of his double mutated brother" moments) and just

After the turtles show up at April's apartment, Raph attacks Don, who ends up attacking him in retaliation; Leo kicks Don, causing him to drop Raph. At that point, Donatello turns around to his brothers and spends a good couple of seconds just...standing around and growling at them before he notices the hole in the wall and runs away.

Then later when the turtles are searching for Don, April calls Leo and alerts him that not only did the motion tracker on the Battle Shell pick up something large enough to be Don, but that he appears to be making his way back to the new lair in Central Park.

Also, this line from Raphael took me out.

[zee-rambles]

Someone wrote an ESSAY about why Rise deserves to come back! @nickelodeon

Go to twitter and give this person as much support as you can, if you a twitter! PROPS!

[fluffydice]

On the topic, I think Rise does a wonderful job of displaying the sensory needs of neurodiverse characters because they don't limit them to one extreme or the other; another reason why their portrayal is so wonderful.

Donnie probably shows the most examples of this range, for obvious reasons. He doesn't like unexpected stimuli—and that can be something as small as unexpected touch. He has a preference for his flavorless juice. His lab, from what I've been able to glean, appears to be lit mostly from the glow of his computer screens or his tech. Otherwise it's usually kept rather dark.

On the other hand, Donnie loves noise (as long as he's in control of it, of course). He blasts techno music until it's impossible to talk without shouting. He falls asleep to Shelldon's affirmations: also absolutely blaring.

As for Mikey, this one's a lot more speculative lolol. We see a lot of examples of him seeking out sensory throughout the series, the most memorable for me personally being when the boys are interrogating Warren Stone and he's just. Playing with absolutely everything on the playground, rapidly switching from one thing to the next. But for someone who loves runs around—and very much enjoys doing so—it's a bit surprising to me that he so willingly rides Raph's shell so much. I could see that being his safe space of sorts, for when things get too exciting and Mikey can feel it starting to overwhelm him. Just an area to take a breather.

It's wonderful to see both because it allows the characters to have sensory needs without it becoming a one-dimensional gag. It's no longer a trope, but rather an aspect of their identities. Yeah, Donnie not always reciprocating affection can be made funny. Yeah, Mikey not sitting still can be made funny. But the joke is never the character themselves because they focused on writing a complex, actual person; not the simplified, easily-digestible idea of a disability.

[turtleblogatlast]

Imo the most impressive thing Leo’s done is hold this pose for as long as he did while covered head to toe in gold paint:

[alibonbonn]

Sorry I've been so offline lately I went to play ME3 for the first time.. I don't know how you all did it back in 2012

[imagionationstation]

I think most of ya’ll just about completely missed the entire point of that lesson in “Turtle Temper”

You know that Splinter was trying to prove that “You let yourself get angy and distracted during battle and you gonna die”, right??

This wasn’t no therapy. This wasn’t about his anger as a whole. This wasn’t to tell him, “You get angy and you suck for that”.

This was- “You get angy, and you get distracted, and that could get you killed.”

Yeah, Splinter let his brothers insult him, but how else is he going to get mad by getting insulted if he’s not insulted? How is he gonna learn “baddies are gonna be rude, you gotta ignore them”??

Sure, he had them shoot those rubber arrows to help prove this point- would you rather him have used actual arrows to get his point across???

Now THAT would have been extreme!

“Anger is self-destructive.”

“I always thought anger was others destructive…”

“Raphael!”

Plus, Splinter was probably trying to get that lesson through his head so that he doesn’t get his brothers into trouble or beat up the guy! The same guy who’s probably going to throw around more insults when they go get the video back from him!

Seriously- a guy shows up to a hospital beaten up with some video possibly saved to iCloud of mutant turtles fighting like ninjas? (No, he’s probably not smart enough to save it somewhere secure, but there’s no real way for them to know this.)

After watching that, People will take Vic seriously if he says a mutant turtle beat him up, and the brothers will be branded as evil human-hating mutants that need to be hunted down!

Of course Splinter wants to encourage Raph away from assaulting the dude! Any good dad would!

There are actual moments where Splinter has heart-to-hearts with Raph about his emotions and how they impact the team. Advice that Raph needs and is looking for. Advice that his son listens to and implements because he does want to do better and Splinter does understand!

THAT MOMENT is NOT one of them, and I HATE watching it be branded as such!

Stop branding these good bois as evil- THEY SO GOOD AND THEY LOVE THEIR FAMILY GOSH DARN IT-

[yearning-addict]

“Leonardo from Tmnt is woman coded in this essay I will…..”

[devotedtosadpoetry]

Character Analysis: How Dr. Bishop Views Leonardo

Essay contains spoilers up to chapter 23 of Down with the Stockholm. 

Dr. Bishop is one of my favorite villains I’ve ever written. Her manipulation tactics and thought processes make her a massive threat not just to enemies, but allies and friends too. All that she does is with purpose, there is not a single move she makes that was not thought about. Her intellect for situations and behaviors matches Donatello’s level of knowledge for technology, and I am not saying this lightly. She will always take control of every conversation, every situation, she will spot and abuse your weaknesses within moments. In order to understand how she views Leonardo, we have to understand how Bishop’s mind works, and how she views others as well.

What does Dr. Bishop want?

Honestly, what doesn’t she want? If she could, she would have everything. To her, having everything means being the one in charge of it all: Dr. Bishop wants nothing more than power. She doesn’t even fist-fight her way to the top. We can see in Chapter 4 “Bad Side” that Leonardo easily punches her and is able to get away, and it isn’t Dr. Bishop running for him, it’s security. Yokai and mutants are all naturally stronger than humans, the EPF and Dr. Bishop have done thorough studies to know to remove this upper hand they have by restraining them. 

To ensure she will always be the one on top, she does extensive research on every subject she receives. She will always know far more about Leonardo than he (or the reader) will ever know. In Chapter 1 “Pest?” She obviously enters the scene having power over Leonardo by researching all that she can find about him, and then also keeping him restrained and sedated. She first says to him “Wow, you are something special, aren’t you?” She’s giving him praise in her own doctor-way—she is testing the waters with him, then takes it a step further by asking for his name despite already knowing it. She wants to see if he will even tell her his name. And he does, and she freely calls him that. At the end of the chapter she comforts him after the torture, saying, “Everyone deserves comfort, Leonardo. I can tell you’ve been through a lot—you especially deserve it.” 

She saw him sacrifice himself. She read the signs of low self-esteem with the other video feeds she had available. She caught onto this immediately, and used it to her advantage. 

Because no one does as much research as Dr. Bishop does on her subjects, she believes she is far more superior than any doctor in the EPF. Dr. Goswell in chapter 14 “Pressure” describes Dr. Bishop’s reports as “Complete and utter masterpieces.” Even her writing is well put together.

It’s unsurprising why she views her boss, Mr. Sorenson, as an idiot.

He is technically the man in power, but Dr. Bishop has not viewed him this way, not even once. Just because he’s the one in the chair does not mean he has free will—her strings are wrapped around him. She convinced Mr. Sorenson to let her study Leonardo, and even after she gets what she wants she manipulates him still. In Chapter 23 “House Party” Agent Bishop asks Dr. Bishop how she managed to convince Mr. Sorenson on letting them take Leonardo home with them, to which she responds, “Didn’t have to. I have that man wrapped around my finger. He could might as well be another B583.” Proof of Mr. Sorenson’s idiocy can be found in chapter 12 “Be Good!” He not only forgot Leonardo’s name (boy literally saved all of NYC) but also had to pull up video feed of Leo to realize he had mystic powers. If we were in Dr. Bishop’s perspective during chapter 12, we would get a very different story than what Leo noticed in the scene. Her dialogue is compliant and polite with her boss. In her head she is belittling the man. She smiles while answering his questions that clearly show he has not done his research and proves he’s never been close to any yokai or mutant. But she doesn’t need his chair to know that she is the one in power. She is the one in control. 

How does Dr. Bishop view Agent John Bishop?

Now this is an interesting question. As her husband, you would think she may look at him as an equal. Well, John Bishop is nowhere close to her intellectual level, his strengths lie on the physical side, and Dr. Bishop prefers that. She does not want a partner at her or above her level of knowledge. She doesn’t want someone to help her improve, she forever wants to be the smartest person in the room, and having a husband that acknowledges that makes her very happy. They’re actually perfect for each other due to Dr. Bishop’s yearning to be the big boss, and John Bishop’s secret kink of being belittled by said big boss. Again, it’s all about control, and as long as she has her husband under control, she will happily stay in that marriage. 

How does Dr. Bishop view Leonardo?

NOW we can answer this question. Mutants and yokai are other beings—aliens meant to be studied by her. But because the Hamato’s saved the city and are viewed as heroes, this disturbs her. These creatures shouldn’t be heroes or seen as ‘above.’ They should either be tested on, enslaved, or used to her advantage such as Jasfira, a personal weapon she can use on test subjects. With Jasfira, she remains polite towards simply due to the yokai’s obedience and obvious loyalties to the EPF, so there is no reason for her to belittle or torture her. Dr. Bishop is never needlessly cruel—if a yokai or mutant is already under her control, there’s no need to further the cruelty. We see this in Chapter 22 after Leonardo is possessed by his ancestors and Agent Bishop and Mr. Sorenson feel he is out of control—Dr. Bishop recognizes his switches in behavior and insists “TT isn’t necessary.” She could’ve easily tossed him back into Technodrome Therapy if she wanted, but it was not needed to further his development.

We see that later as Leonardo is 100% feral, she treats him kindly, treating him like a dog, a pet, a creature easily under control, and does not punish him. The only punishment she has ever given him was placing him on the electric table after attempting to escape. Even Leonardo noticed this: “He already knew this would not be for research. This was just torture.” And it proved efficient as he pleaded that he’ll do anything. Not even Technodrome Therapy was a punishment, she had been planning to test his body’s response to it beforehand (TT is also used to get a highly accurate X-Ray, body scan, DNA, etc, of the mutant’s body to see exactly what they are made of in every portion of their body. That’s why the tentacles went EVERYWHERE. Yeah I probably should’ve wrote this in the chapter but oh well). 

All surgeries and environments were to further Leo’s development and send him deeper into a feral mindset, or to ensure his parental view of Dr. Bishop. 

Before ever meeting him, she had seen him and his brothers as nuisances disturbing NYC. After researching him, planning surgeries for his arrival, and first meeting him, she has more interest as she sees him up close. He is not an ordinary mutant after all—he was created with purpose; to be a weapon. And she wants that for herself. So, she guarantees that she is the only one allowed to touch him at first, giving him comfort between pain so he is relying on her. She makes him feel like he NEEDS her, that he can’t live without her. She wants to use him all for herself, and while giving him affection—she does occasionally view him as a pet. She is proud of the result of her surgeries, she wants to walk him outside like a dog if it meant everyone could see what she made out of him. The difference is that while you would die for your pet, she sees pets as little pieces of decor on a shelf. Easily breakable, nice to look at, nice to hold and use sometimes, but if it breaks, she will not be heartbroken. She’ll be annoyed, yes, maybe even frustrated, but she can always replace it. 

Dr. Bishop keeps in mind that if Leonardo does indeed “break and must be thrown away” he does have three brothers. That’s three more tries to get it right, and as much as she despises failure, if it means she’ll have a powerful weapon under her foot, she’ll do what it takes to make it happen. But she also would never give up Leonardo easily. She worked especially hard on him, after all. It would be a waste for all of that work to be tossed aside…

This essay is all to say that she is a selfish bitch that everyone hates, but she is one of those villains that I love to hate. She is sickening, calculated, and far smarter than I ever will be. But oh she is so so fun to write, and every time someone comments about how much they hate her, I smile. It means I’m doing my job right, and I’m honored so many have read this far to see what will happen. Thank you for 500 kudos.