Bernard (The Rescuers)

Bernard is a main protagonist in both Disney's 1977 hit The Rescuers and 1990 hit The Rescuers Down Under. He is a mouse who works for the Rescue Aid Society and is accompanied with Miss Bianca.

The Rescuers
Bernard works as a Janitor for The Rescue Aid Society in New York City and when he sees Bianca for the first time he falls in love with her right away. When the message in a bottle arrives Bernard is asked by the Chairman Mouse to get it out. Bernard uses a hair comb as a ladder to climb up to the bottle on but stops when he learns that there's 13 steps on it to which for some unknown reason he has a dislike for the number 13 but Bernard manages to use a rope to open the bottle, he jumps in, and throws out the letter. The letter is from an orphan girl named Penny who's in danger and when Bianca asks to go on the mission to help Penny Bernard tells the Chairman that Bianca shouldn't go alone and the Chairman agrees and asks Bianca to choose a Co-Agent to go with her to which she chooses Bernard to be her Co-Agent. When Bernard and Bianca arrive in the city trying to get to Morning Side Orphanage where Penny was living it's dark and raining and Bernard accidently wakes up an angry lion but manages to survive and continues his search with Bianca. Finally Bernard and Bianca arrive at the orphanage and find some of Penny's belongings and a cat named Rufus who tells them that Penny was sad about not getting adopted on Adoption Day and how a weird woman named Madame Medusa, who ran a pawn shop down the street with her partner Snoops tried to give Penny a ride. Bernard and Bianca go to Medusa's Pawn Shop and find a book that belong to Penny but they runaway hiding as the telephone rings and watch as Medusa screams to her partner Snoops on the other line about a diamond and how Snoops caught Penny sending messages in bottles to which Medusa angrily says that she's taking the next flight down to Devil's Bayou. While Medusa packs her suitcase Bernard and Bianca hide in it but on the way to the airport Medusa drives like a maniac and the suitcase gets thrown out into the streets leaving Bernard and Bianca stranded. The next day Bernard and Bianca go to the Albertross Airlines to get a flight but Bernard checks the time and thinks they've missed the flight to which Bianca tells him not to worry and sure enough over the radio the Albertross Bird asks Bernard permission to land to which Bernard gives the permission to do so and he lands outside the airport. Bernard asks the bird if he's allright and the bird says no to which Bernard tries to get Bianca to take the train because he believes it'll be saver but the bird who introduces himself as Orville offers to give them the flight to Devil's Bayou. On the way up the ramp Bernard learns that it has 13 steps to which Bianca suggests that Bernard jumps the last one to which he does. Orville asks Bernard to read the checklist to him to which he does and when everything appears to be in order Orville takes off to which Bernard replies I sure wish we would of taken the train. He also complains about flying through a red light to which Bianca tells him to stop worrying so much. When Bernard and Bianca arrive in Devil's Bayou Orville is sent crashing down into the water by Snoops' fireworks but Bernard and Bianca are helped out by two swamp mice named Luke and Ellie Mae. After Orville leaves Bernard and Bianca spot Medusa's two pet crocidles Nero and Brutus who have Penny and are taking her back to Medusa's hideout which is an old abandoned riverboat. With the help from a dragonfly named Evinrude Bernard and Bianca follow the two crocidles back to the boat and once they're aboard they learn that Medusa has kidnapped Penny because she wants her to find the Devil's Eye which is the world's largest diamond because it will make Medusa rich and Penny is the only child small enough to fit down the black hole where the diamond is hidden. Brutus and Nero than smell Bernard and Bianca through Bianca' purfume and they chase the mice while Snoops tries to squish them with a broom and Medusa tries to shoot them with her gun but Bernard and Bianca manage to escape and are rescued by Evinrude. Bernard and Bianca climb up to Penny's room and find Penny and explain to her why they're there and they all three plan an escape which is they'll lock Brutus and Nero in the elevator cage and distract Medusa by setting off Snoops' fireworks in her bedroom and they'll escape by riding away in Medusa's Swamp Mobile. Bernard than sends Evinrude to get Ellie Mae and the rest of the Swamp Folks to help them. Bernard and Bianca hide in Penny's pocket as Medusa and Snoops take Penny back to the hole and she is forced to go back down. Once inside the hole Bernard decides to investigate the spot where the water comes in but almost slides into the water while crossing to the other side but Bianca manages to help him and they cross over and find the diamond inside the eye of a skull. Penny uses a pirate's sword to open the skull's mouth and Bernard and Bianca manage to push the diamond out to her. While Penny is carried away by Nero and Brutus Bernard and Bianca secretly find some rope and quietly follow Medusa back to the boat and just as Medusa is about to escape with Penny's teddy bear which has the diamond stuffed in it Bernard and Bianca trip her with the rope causing the teddy bear to drop and enough time for Penny to grab it and run away. While some of the Swamp Folk manage to distract Medusa Bernard and Bianca manage to lure Brutus and Nero in the cage with Bianca's perfume and DeadEye the Swamp Rabbit who manages to pull the mice out just in time before trapping the crocs. With the help of Luke's moonshine Bernard and Bianca and Penny manage to drive off in Medusa's Swamp Mobile but Medusa holds on with the rope attached but they manage to turn around and cause Medusa to get trapped on her boat which has exploded and Nero and Brutus who have escaped from their cage snap at her while Bernard, Bianca, Penny, and the Swamp Folk escape in the Swamp Mobile. Back in New York City Bernard and Bianca are rewarded for their heroic mission and watch on tv as Penny is adopted by a couple and tells the news reporter about how Bernard and Bianca rescued her and she says hi to them on tv. Then Evinrude arrives with another message for help to which Bernard and Bianca volunteer again and at the end as the mice and Evinrude are riding Orville Bernard repeats again, "I sure wish we'd have taken the train."

The Rescuers Down Under
Bernard returns in the sequal where he is seen at a resturant in New York City with Bianca and tries to propose to her but loses the ring and goes away from the table to get it. When Bernard returns Bianca tells him she knows what he's going to tell her and that they must act quickly and return to the Rescue Aid Society. At first Bernard thinks that it's marriage but learns that it's another rescue mission to save a boy named Cody who was kidnapped by a poacher named McLeach. When Bernard and Bianca go to Albertross Airlines to get a flight to Australia they learn that Orville's Brother Wilbur has taken over the business and beg him to take them but at first Wilbur rejects until Bernard and Bianca tell him about the kidnapping and he gives them the flight but tells them they're gonna have to make connections with a bigger bird. They sleep in a plane's cargo bay and the next day they arrive in Australia and Wilbur flies out to Bernard's nervousness and Bernard asks Bianca if they can take the train from now on. When Wilbur asks a kanga roo mouse named Jake's permission to land Jake over the radio says no because the runway isn't big enough for a bird Wilbur's side and Bernard tries to get Wilbur to listen to Jake but Wilbur doesn't and lands on the runway. While Jake helps Bianca off Wilbur offers to take Bernard's bags but then has a problem with his back and gives Bernard his bags back. After Bernard and Bianca take Wilbur to the hospital Bernard tries to read the map in order to find McLeach's hideout but Jake tells him that a map isn't good in the outback and offers to guide Bernard and Bianca to McLeach's Lair. While riding a wombat Bernard gets accidently thrown off and thrown into a pile of brairs. While Jake is gone Bianca helps Bernard get the brairs out of his back and Bernard tries to propose to her with the ring again but then Jake shows up with a snake named Twister and Bianca hops up on top of Twister's head with Jake while Bernard sits sadly on the back of Twister's back and looks at the ring sadly. The next day Bernard, Bianca, and Jake arrive at McLeach's hideout but when they try to get in the door opens and the mice watch on top as McLeach throws Cody out and tells him that his bird named Marahute has been shot and that her eggs are alone. When Cody leaves McLeach secretly follows in his truck but Bernard, Bianca, and Jake manage to climb aboard and follow too. When Bernard, Bianca, and Jake arrive at the cliff they go down to the nest and try to warn Cody about McLeach but then Marahute shows up and McLeach captures her, Cody, Bianca, and Jake. Bernard manages to stay hidden and hides Marahute's eggs from McLeach's pet lizard Joanna and puts rocks in the eggs' place and he manages to fool Joanna when she comes to eat the eggs. After Joanna leaves Wilbur shows up and Bernard forces him to watch the eggs while he goes and rescues Cody, Marahute, Jake, and Bianca from McLeach. Along the way Bernard gets a ride from an old razorback. When Bernard finall reaches McLeach's truck at Crocidle Falls he manages to steal the keys from the truck and hands them to Jake and Bianca who are trapped inside the cage with Marahute. Joanna spots Bernard and gives chase but Bernard who had spotted McLeach trying to shoot at the rope that had Cody tied to it jumps into McLeach's pocket causing Joanna to jump on McLeach and Bernard jumps out of the pocket and manages to push the two villains into the water sending McLeach over the waterfall to his death. Then the rope that has Cody tied up breaks and Cody is in the water but Bernard manages to hang onto the rope and just as he and Cody are about to go over the waterfall too Jake and Bianca swoop down on Marahute and rescue them. After Cody thanks Bernard for saving him Bernard proposes to Bianca and she says that she will marry him and Jake gives Bernard the thumbs up and says Well done Mate and they all fly to Cody's house on Marahute. Hopefully Bernard didn't forget about Wilbur and he and Bianca returned to him so the bird could take them home, but that remains unknown as Wilbur was heard screaming in pain as he was bitten by one of Marahute's babies.

House of Mouse
Bernard along with Bianca make appearances in the T.V. series House of Mouse.