Smearing

Last updated: October 02, 2025

Smearing is a mysterious phenomenon in the Twenty One Pilots lore associated with the influence or partial possession of a person by a Bishop through psychokinesis.

Description

• Physical Markings: Individuals who are smeared display dark stains or marks on their neck and hands.
• Mental Disruption: Smearing appears to affect memory and perception. Victims often experience events in a dissociative state.

Notable Instances

• Clancy: Smeared by Nico near a river in Trench. He experiences the event out-of-body. (Jumpsuit MV)

  “He is suddenly approached by Nico, who ‘smears’ him. Clancy is inspired by the Banditos… to resist the smear and escapes its grasp.”

- Timeline of events

Interpretation

• While its full mechanics are unknown, it is likely a form of incomplete psychokinetic possession or psychological manipulation used by Bishops.

Related: Clancy, The Bishops, Psychokinesis