The Bishops
Nine bishops who rule Dema, with Nico as the chief.
In the fictional city of Dema, nine "bishops" rule. Their names are Nico (full name Nicolas Bourbaki, based on a collective pseudonym of a group of mainly French mathematicians), Andre, Lisden, Keons, Reisdro, Sacarver, Nills, Vetomo, and Listo. The chief bishop, Nico, was revealed by lead singer Tyler Joseph to be Blurryface, the personification of his insecurities from the band's previous album of the same name. These figures are central to the concept album Trench, which explores mental health, suicide, and doubt through the metaphorical city of Dema and the surrounding continent known as "Trench."
Quick Facts
- Affiliation
- Dema
Lore & Background
The bishops govern Dema, a fictional location set within Trench. The city's name draws from dakhma, or "Tower of Silence," in Zoroastrianism, where dead bodies were disposed of by vultures. The band explained on Reddit they were inspired by the "sad and intriguing concept of a dying religion... the reason it was dying was something they could never control: The lack of the vultures needed to carry out their theology. Something so natural and logistical can get in the way of your religion." A group called the "Banditos" aims to liberate the people of Dema. They adopt the color yellow, specifically 0xFCE300, which the bishops are unable to see, instead seeing it as grey. The song "Nico and the Niners" is about resisting the bishops, a theme found in "Doubt" from the previous album, denouncing their religion, "Vialism," and leaving Dema.
Reader's Guide
The nine bishops of Dema are named Nico (Nicolas Bourbaki), Andre, Lisden, Keons, Reisdro, Sacarver, Nills, Vetomo, and Listo. Nico is the chief bishop, identified as Blurryface, the personification of Tyler Joseph's insecurities. The bishops rule Dema, a city named after Zoroastrian Towers of Silence. Their religion is called Vialism, denounced in the song "Nico and the Niners." The Banditos, a rebel group, oppose the bishops and use the color yellow (0xFCE300), which the bishops cannot see. Key songs involving the bishops include "Nico and the Niners" (resisting them), "Morph" (referencing Nico), and "Bandito" (accepting the role of a rebel). The narrative continues in Scaled and Icy, Clancy, and concludes with Breach.
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Elsewhere in Twenty One Pilots
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