The Nine Bishops
Nine faces of fear, one city's iron grip — and the only way out is through.
The Nine Bishops are the ruling council of Dema, the oppressive city-state at the heart of the Twenty One Pilots narrative. Each bishop embodies a distinct form of control or fear—a specific flavor of the voices that whisper you're not good enough, that the climb isn't worth it, that the walls are safer than the unknown. They work together to enforce the city's will and suppress escape, not through brute force but through the slow erosion of hope. They serve as the primary antagonists in the lore, representing the internal and external forces that trap individuals in cycles of doubt and despair—the very real, very human enemies that live inside our own heads.
Quick Facts
- Affiliation
- Dema, the city of control
Lore & Background
Their names are Nico, Andre, Lisden, Keons, Reisdro, Sacarver, Nills, Vetomo and Listo. They appear in the band's music videos as red-hooded robed figures. They are the reason for the protagonist's struggle, representing the voices of doubt and fear that keep people trapped in their own minds.
Reader's Guide
The Nine Bishops are the rulers of Dema, the fictional city of Twenty One Pilots' album Trench, and their religion is called Vialism. Nico, the chief bishop, was revealed by Tyler Joseph to be Blurryface, the personification of his insecurities from the band's previous album. The Banditos, who aim to liberate the people of Dema, wear yellow because the bishops cannot see the colour and perceive it as grey. In the music video for "The Outside" the bishops execute Keons, and in "Paladin Strait" Clancy climbs the tower where the nine reside and is confronted by Nico.
More in Lore & History
Elsewhere in Twenty One Pilots
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