Bernard is part of Ender's launch group and treats the precocious
Ender with great contempt (partly due to the fact that Ender had broken his arm on the shuttle to the Battle School). Bernard is also seen as a ringleader and the main antagonist in the first few chapters of the book, and he takes great delight in picking on Ender and Shen, a young boy who is also in the launchy group. However, his stranglehold on the clique falls apart when Ender and
Alai become friends in the battle room, and after Ender manages to hack into the computer system and posts a message saying "Cover your butts, Bernard is watching," signed "
God." Later Ender also writes another note, seemingly by Bernard, saying "I love your butt, let me kiss it. - Bernard." Bernard was also one of the companions of Bonzo Madrid, when he met Ender in the bathroom in an attempt to kill him.