Lynette Bishop

Lynette Bishop (リネット・ビショップ, Rinetto Bishoppu), nicknamed Lynne (リーネ, Rīne), is a witch of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, whose role within the unit is a sniper, originating from Britannia and attached to the Britannia Air Force. She is the younger sister of Wilma Bishop, and the daughter of First Neuroi War veteran, Minnie Bishop.

Background

The fifteen year old Lynette is the only Witch in the 501st who is native to the Britannian Commonwealth, affiliated with the Britannian Air Force 610th Fighter Squadron and holding the rank of Sergeant, later promoted to Flight Sergeant.

Lynette is the daughter of a wealthy, upper class merchant and Minnie Bishop, a veteran Witch of the First Neuroi War who fought in London. Before joining the military, she was enrolled at an all-girls school, meaning her contact with men was limited.

Her father went to college together with Flying Officer Schade's father, and they competed with each other in sports as well as academics. Patricia's family was friendly with the Bishops during her early years, though Lynette doesn't seem to remember this. Patricia's father sometimes tries to stir up a feeling of rivalry between the two families, but Patricia herself doesn't really seem to care. Her elder sister Wilma has been assigned to Britannia air defense as a witch, and Lynette is seen as having more potential than her sister and is looking forward to the future.

When she joined up, after receiving basic training, Lynette was dispatched directly to the 501st JFW despite being a rookie. Some political speculations indicates that this affair involves the Britannian leaders not wanting to dedicate their home country veteran witch to the Joint Fighter Wing.

She joined the Strike Witches shortly before Sergeant Miyafuji to help protect her homeland. She performed well in training, but was unable to be effective during actual combat. Due to this, she lost all of her confidence. She was expected to back up Flying Officer Clostermann, but due to differences in personalities, their compatibility was extremely poor, and a vicious circle was created due to increased pressure. When Yoshika joined the 501st, she was is assigned to be Lynette's roommate, and the two quickly become friends. Lynette shows Yoshika around the base, but in doing so shows herself to be withdrawn and lacking confidence. Faced with a surprise attack from a Neuroi, Yoshika helps Lynette overcome her fears, laying the foundation for a close friendship. After her first aerial victory, Lynette steadily begins to improve her skills, as well as her confidence.

At the end of the Britannian campaign, she worked to rebuild the ruined country of Gallia alongside Perrine. She later returned to battle alongside the rest of the 501st in Romagna. Shortly thereafter, Major Sakamoto sends her, Yoshika, and Perrine to a remote island on the Adriatic Coast for some intensive training with Anna Ferrara, a retired Venezian Witch who makes a living training younger witches (as the three had been out of combat for six months). She teaches Lynette and the other Witches how to fly with brooms to allow them to better control their magic.

After the liberation of Romagna and the dissolution of the 501st, she returned to Gallia in Pas de Calais to pursue the country's reconstruction with the help of Perrine and Amelie Planchard. In addition, she helped care for homeless/orphaned children at Perrine's mansion.

Personality

The middle child of eight siblings, Lynette was sometimes overlooked by her family, and developed very domestic and practical habits from helping to take care of her siblings. Because of this, she's very reserved and painfully shy. Plagued by occasional clumsiness, she nevertheless strives to do her best. She's a kind, gentle, and obedient girl who still seems a bit helpless at times and finds no joy in fighting, joining up recently to protect her homeland out of a desire to be of use to everyone. Despite her passive nature, she's strong-willed, obstinate and very reliable.

Apologizing seems to be a knee-jerk reflex for her. Also, every time the squadron chips in to help prepare for a difficult mission, her suggestion is tea, which she's very good at brewing. This also puts her in charge of tea time. Although she is good at housework in general, cooking often fails and she is not very good at it. She is, however, very good at making candies and sweets to go along the tea.

Lynette cares about her breasts being too big and under reported that the size is "80 cm", despite actually being 88 cm. She was once shocked when Yoshika stated, "The smaller the chest, the better the kimono can be worn."

Her dream is to become a good wife. After she meets Sergeant Miyafuji, the two eventually become best friends. Lynnette have a strong relationship with her. When the 501st received a visit from Adolfine Galland while still assigned to the Britannian base, the witch General approached her and asked if she would be interested in joining her unit, explaining the reason for doing so being a result of "love at first sight". Lynette however declined the offer meekly, saying that she "have Yoshika", but stopped herself before completing her sentence and correcting herself saying that she wanted to do her best in the 501st. During the Gallia reconstruction, Lynette also becomes close friends with Flying Officer Clostermann.

Abilities

Lynette serves as the squadron's sharpshooter, and possesses the inherent magic Ballistic Stabilization (弾道安定, Dandō Antei). Classified in the Telekinesis lineage; this ability allows her to move objects with magical power, which she applies to bullets to increase their speed and power, as well as extending their range. It can be used not only on bullets but also with balls and other objects, but the control seems to be greatly reduced.

According to Wing Commander Wilcke, "She has the makings of a good Commander with her ability to keep an eye on a whole situation from the rear, and has a good sense of grasping the whole picture".

Striker units

Ultramarine Spitfire MkIX

The code on the fuselage is the one from her home unit, the 610th Squadron, but the serial number has been erased.

Ultramarine Spitfire Mk22 (No. PK315)

The fourth unit of the Mk22 model which has just been completed. It features Flight Sergeant Bishop personal emblem and the 610th squadron (her home unit) markings. The paint job is the same as the one she used before.

Equipment

Lynette principally uses a Boys Anti-Armor Rifle Mk.I in combat, but switched the muzzle brake to one from a Mk.II, as it's easier to use.

Lynette's Comments On Other Characters

On Minna

"Wing commander Minna is refined and kind, and she's reliable so she works well as the cornerstone of the group. She's really a wonderful person. I look up to her and wish I could be more like her sometimes, because I myself can be quite clumsy."

On Yoshika

"Yoshika...? I can't do anything right, but although Yoshika just recently came here, she cheered me up and also helped me with my first aerial victory! She's very honest and kind; I'm truly grateful!"

On Mio

"Major Sakamoto is really strict when it comes to practicing! But she really thinks hard about how to make us new and inexperienced witches into full-fledged ones, so I will do my best! Although it sometimes feels like she's a bit impatient."

On Perrine

"I wonder why Perrine is so hard on Yoshika? Isn't it strange? Well, it's true that Yoshika can be a little careless sometimes, and that Perrine might get annoyed by that, but... Hm? What I think? I don't really know..."

On Lucchini

"Lucchini? Yes, she suddenly grabbed my breasts and started to rub her chin against them once... I wonder what that was all about...? Ah, and she likes to play pranks, but she's really a good girl."

On Shirley

"Shirley? Yes, it's like she's Lucchini's mother, isn't it? At first I thought she was a pretty scary person, but she's actually really kind! She's strong, confident and sociable. She's a like a sun!"

On Barkhorn

"Flight Lieutenant Barkhorn is very strict on everyone, but she's the most strict on herself. She's very serious, and always pays a great deal of attention to her surroundings in combat so she's really great. But... she's a little scary too."

On Erica

"Flying Officer Hartmann? She's like air... I don't really get her. She's amazing in combat, but otherwise she seems a little dreamy... Though I'm happy she'll happily eat anything I serve her."

On Sanya

"It's thanks to Sanya we can sleep safely during the night. I'd really like to become friends with her, but I'm not really very good at getting to know people..."

On Eila

"Eila sometimes does fortune-telling on me with her tarot cards but... does that stuff really turn out right? Everyone else says it always turns out the other way but..."

Strike Witches “What If” — 1947

Photoshoot just before retirement as Lieutenant. Highest rank is Flt Lieutenant. Although she received officer training as a result of recommendations, her calling was not in battle. After Romagna was freed, she continued exchanging letters with Miyafuji who was pursuing medical study in Fuso.

This shouldn't be considered entirely canonical, because it was only tweeted by Humikane.

Appearances

Anime

Audio Media

Light Novels

Strike Witches: Otome no Maki
Strike Witches 2
Strike Witches Short-Shorts: After the Sky
- Ichimen no Ao
Strike Witches 2 Visual Short Story
- 500overs in Africa
Strike Witches the Movie: The sky I want to return to
Noble Witches: The 506th Joint Fighter Wing (light novel)
Strike Witches: Memorial Episode Together

Manga

Video Games

All of them!
- Except for Brave Witches VR: Operation Baba-Yaga - Counter attack in the snow

Trivia

Her pilot archetype is unclear, but is likely one of the children of famed Canadian WWI pilot Billy Bishop, who is the pilot archetype for Minnie Bishop, Lynette's mother. Lynette also has an older sister, Wilma, likely based on Billy Bishop's son, Arthur (whose actual first name was William). However, her striker unit code is based on 610th RAF member John Ellis, (ranked as Flight Lieutenant) who had the code DW-N on his Spitfire Mk Ia during Battle of Britain. Not only that, Jackie Mann shares the same birthday as Lynette, and was a pilot who served the Battle of Britain as well after joining the Royal Air Force. Mann and Lynette also joined the RAF voluntary. Jackie Mann also engaged in battle with Adolf Galland, which would explain the relation between the two. Others have speculated that Lynette is based on the Spitfire itself, due to not quite fitting with any archetype. This would also explain Galland's infatuation with her, as Adolf Galland famously adored the Spitfire, stating that he "should like an outfit of Spitfires for my squadron." to a superior on one occasion. That Lynette is a "middle child" in a family of eight siblings, despite the real Billy Bishop only having two children, further indicates that she isn't specifically based on either of them.
Her familiar is named Concertina.^[1] Like her older sister Wilma, it is the Scottish fold cat. However unlike Wilma, the characteristic folded ears are not present.
As noted above, Lynette's Spitfire(s) are marked with the tail code DW-N. This matches with her having previously served in 610 Squadron, as in reality DW is 610's squadron code (with the third letter being for the individual aircraft).

Gallery

References

↑ https://twitter.com/humikane/status/9158174924

[1] ttps://twitter.com/humikane/status/9158174924

[1]