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'''Walter Seymour Skinner''', better known as '''Seymour Skinner''' and '''Principal Skinner''', is the principal of [[Springfield Elementary School]], and a stereotypical educational bureaucrat. He struggles to control the crumbling school and is constantly engaged in a battle against its inadequate resources, apathetic and bitter teachers, and often rowdy and unenthusiastic students, [[Bart Simpson]] being a standout example. A strict disciplinarian, Skinner has an uptight, militaristic attitude that stems from his years in the United States Army as a Green Beret, which included service in the [[Vietnam]] War, where he achieved the rank of a sergeant, according to his rank insignia.
 
'''Walter Seymour Skinner''', better known as '''Seymour Skinner''' and '''Principal Skinner''', is the principal of [[Springfield Elementary School]], and a stereotypical educational bureaucrat. He struggles to control the crumbling school and is constantly engaged in a battle against its inadequate resources, apathetic and bitter teachers, and often rowdy and unenthusiastic students, [[Bart Simpson]] being a standout example. A strict disciplinarian, Skinner has an uptight, militaristic attitude that stems from his years in the United States Army as a Green Beret, which included service in the [[Vietnam]] War, where he achieved the rank of a sergeant, according to his rank insignia.
−
[[File:Skinners Sense of Snow.gif|thumb|266px|Principal Skinner with Groundskeeper Willie and Children]]
+
[[File:Skinner's Sense of Snow promo.png|thumb|266px|Principal Skinner with Groundskeeper Willie and Children]]
  
 
== Biography ==
 
== Biography ==
Line 24: Line 24:
  
 
[[File:Unborn Seymour.png|thumb|left|An unborn Seymour Skinner]]
 
[[File:Unborn Seymour.png|thumb|left|An unborn Seymour Skinner]]
−
Out of genuine concern for the quality of education of his students, most of Skinner's actions revolve around ensuring the school has adequate funding. His constant desperate, and usually ineffective attempts at maintaining discipline are an effort to receive good reviews from the frequent inspections of his very strict boss, [[Superintendent Chalmers]] - who makes no effort to hide his disapproval of Skinner. These inspections usually turn awry due to Bart Simpson's elaborate pranks—which play off Skinner's desperation for order. Over the years of pranks and inspections, though, Skinner developed a love-hate relationship with each of them; when Skinner was fired and replaced by [[Ned Flanders]], Bart found pranks less meaningful, due to Flanders' lax approach to discipline.<ref>"[[Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song]]"</ref> In an accident involving both Skinner and Chalmers, Chalmers showed grief over Skinner before he realized he was still alive. Although he likes to maintain the image of a strict disciplinarian, he is often weak-willed, nervous, and has a very unhealthy dependence on his mother who constantly makes demands from him. She addresses him by the nickname "Spanky." Also, it was heavily implied Seymour Skinner suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his days in Vietnam, where he spent 18 months as a prisoner of war.<ref name="The Principal and the Pauper">"[[The Principal and the Pauper]]"</ref> Seeing his entire platoon devoured by an elephant was one of the many things that led to the development of his post-traumatic stress disorder. He also expelled Bart for the prank really caused by [[Groundskeeper Willie]] during the feast, but he welcomes him back as an apology for blaming the Groundskeeper's prank which Bart happily accepts. When [[Otto]] starts spanking Bart as an act of corporal punishment, he comes to aid Bart and suspends his driving the [[school bus]]. Skinner's unhealthy relationship with his mother began early: it is revealed Agnes's pregnancy resulted in her failing to win a medal at the [[1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics|Helsinki Olympics]] in 1952.<ref>"[[Boy Meets Curl]]"</ref> He originally was quite laid back as a principal, even going as far as to do a jumpflip to catch a frisbee while telling a student to keep up with his studies, but it all changed when one of his students, [[Andy Hamilton]], managed to fill the pool with worms and locked Skinner in the pool for the whole weekend, causing him to become serious and almost merciless in his approach on rules, even going as far as to shut down the pool and demoting Willie, the swim teacher, to groundskeeper. When Bart attempted to stop Krusty from diving into a worm filled pool out of fear of [[Krusty]] becoming like Skinner, he accidentally blurted what happened to Skinner on the air, causing Skinner to angrily mutter sarcastically his mother told him Krusty the Clown was supposed to be a good influence, indicating he was attempting to repress the traumatic memory. Besides his job as Principal for Springfield Elementary, he also worked as a member of [[Mensa]], and was also the acting referee/a major organizer of the annual Civil War re-enactment of the Battle of Springfield. He mentioned to [[Superintendent Chalmers]] he is a Libra (b. September 23-October 21)<ref>"[[The Heartbroke Kid]]"</ref>
+
Out of genuine concern for the quality of education of his students, most of Skinner's actions revolve around ensuring the school has adequate funding. His constant, desperate, and usually ineffective attempts at maintaining discipline are an effort to receive good reviews from the frequent inspections of his very strict boss, [[Superintendent Chalmers]]—who makes no effort to hide his disapproval of Skinner. These inspections usually turn awry due to Bart Simpson's elaborate pranks—which play off Skinner's desperation for order. Over the years of pranks and inspections, though, Skinner developed a love-hate relationship with each of them; when Skinner was fired and replaced by [[Ned Flanders]], Bart found pranks less meaningful due to Flanders' lax approach to discipline.<ref>"[[Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song]]"</ref> In an accident involving both Skinner and Chalmers, Chalmers showed grief over Skinner before he realized he was still alive. Although he likes to maintain the image of a strict disciplinarian, he is often weak-willed, nervous, and has a very unhealthy dependence on his mother, who constantly makes demands of him. She addresses him by the nickname "Spanky." It was also heavily implied Seymour Skinner suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his days in Vietnam, where he spent 18 months as a prisoner of war.<ref name="The Principal and the Pauper">"[[The Principal and the Pauper]]"</ref> Seeing his entire platoon devoured by an elephant was one of the many things that led to the development of his post-traumatic stress disorder. He also expelled Bart for a prank actually caused by [[Groundskeeper Willie]] during the feast, but he welcomed him back as an apology for blaming Bart for the Groundskeeper's prank, which Bart happily accepted. When [[Otto]] started spanking Bart as an act of corporal punishment, Skinner came to Bart's aid and suspended Otto from driving the [[school bus]]. Skinner's unhealthy relationship with his mother began early: it is revealed Agnes's pregnancy resulted in her failing to win a medal at the [[1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics|Helsinki Olympics]] in 1952.<ref>"[[Boy Meets Curl]]"</ref> He originally was quite laid-back as a principal, even going as far as to do a jump flip to catch a frisbee while telling a student to keep up with his studies, but it all changed when one of his students, [[Andy Hamilton]], managed to fill the pool with worms and locked Skinner in the pool for the whole weekend, causing him to become serious and almost merciless in his approach to rules, even going as far as to shut down the pool and demote Willie, the swim teacher, to groundskeeper. When Bart attempted to stop Krusty from diving into a worm-filled pool out of fear of [[Krusty]] becoming like Skinner, he accidentally blurted out what happened to Skinner on the air, causing Skinner to angrily mutter sarcastically that his mother told him Krusty the Clown was supposed to be a good influence, indicating he was attempting to repress the traumatic memory. Besides his job as principal of Springfield Elementary, he also worked as a member of [[Mensa]] and was the acting referee and a major organizer of the annual Civil War re-enactment of the Battle of Springfield. He mentioned to [[Superintendent Chalmers]] he is a Libra (b. September 23–October 21).<ref>"[[The Heartbroke Kid]]"</ref>
 
[[File:SkinnerFolder.PNG|thumbnail|left|His character folder from the [[Springfield Hall of Records|Hall of Records]].]]
 
[[File:SkinnerFolder.PNG|thumbnail|left|His character folder from the [[Springfield Hall of Records|Hall of Records]].]]
−
At one point, when the Vice President's Assessment Test was coming up, Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers came up with a plan to lure all of the underachievers away from test day by faking a perfect score on the pretest and tricking them into going for a chopper ride to a pizza party in Capital City (going as far as to disguise the school bus as a chopper). However, when the plan reached fruition, Skinner ended up betrayed by Superintendent Chalmers with the latter tricking Skinner into boarding the bus to "get his sunglasses." He has to get the kids back to the school, and also saved Ralph Wiggum when he somehow managed to board a garbage barge, to which Skinner impresses Bart and the other underachievers by saving Wiggum using the Conservation of Angular Momentum. Luckily for them, the Garbage Barge was also heading to Springfield Elementary, so Skinner reads the newly motivated underachievers the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the rest of the way, and after returning, cancels the Vice President's Test, and also re-institutes dancing in school.
 
  
−
=== Romantic Relationships ===
+
=== Romantic relationships ===
−
Aside from a short-lived relationship with [[Patty Bouvier]],<ref>"[[Principal Charming]]"</ref> Skinner's love life focused on [[Edna Krabappel]]. The two dated for several years and became engaged, but later cancelled the wedding.<ref name="My Big Fat Geek Wedding">"[[My Big Fat Geek Wedding]]"</ref> Edna showed she does want to live a life with Skinner, but first wants him to commit to her—namely by not letting his mother, with whom he still lives, control him anymore.<ref name="Special Edna">"[[Special Edna]]"</ref> Their relationship ended when Skinner admitted to having second thoughts on the night before their wedding.<ref name="My Big Fat Geek Wedding"/> Though Skinner had other relationships since, he still held a candle for Edna. He was seen dancing with [[Miss Hoover]] at the Simpsons' Mardi Gras party.<ref>"[[No Loan Again, Naturally]]"</ref> He also had a relationship with replacement music teacher [[Calliope Juniper]] (with whom he briefly left with).<ref>"[[Flaming Moe]]"</ref>
+
Aside from a short-lived relationship with [[Patty Bouvier]],<ref>"[[Principal Charming]]"</ref> Skinner's love life focused on [[Edna Krabappel]]. The two dated for several years and became engaged but later canceled the wedding.<ref name="My Big Fat Geek Wedding">"[[My Big Fat Geek Wedding]]"</ref> Edna showed she wanted to live a life with Skinner but first wanted him to commit to her—namely by not letting his mother, with whom he still lived, control him anymore.<ref name="Special Edna">"[[Special Edna]]"</ref> Their relationship ended when Skinner admitted to having second thoughts the night before their wedding.<ref name="My Big Fat Geek Wedding"/> Though Skinner had other relationships since, he still held a candle for Edna. He was seen dancing with [[Miss Hoover]] at the Simpsons' Mardi Gras party.<ref>"[[No Loan Again, Naturally]]"</ref> He also had a relationship with replacement music teacher [[Calliope Juniper]] (with whom he briefly left).<ref>"[[Flaming Moe]]"</ref>
  
 
[[Lisa Simpson]] identified Skinner as representing "The Confirmed Bachelor" among [[The 20 Types of People You Meet in Elementary School]].<ref>''[[The Lisa Book]]''</ref>
 
[[Lisa Simpson]] identified Skinner as representing "The Confirmed Bachelor" among [[The 20 Types of People You Meet in Elementary School]].<ref>''[[The Lisa Book]]''</ref>
  
 
=== Vietnam ===
 
=== Vietnam ===
−
It was established Skinner served as a sergeant in the US Army during the Vietnam War and captured at the Battle of Khe Sanh. Skinner often seems weak-willed and easily suppressed—perhaps because he wants to avoid confrontation—but often will use his military command experience gained in the Vietnam War to get real respect and discipline; when he and the students were snowed-in at school, he treated them like his squad to control the chaos temporarily—before they mutinied.
+
Skinner served as a sergeant in the US Army during the Vietnam War and was captured at the Battle of Khe Sanh. Skinner often seemed weak-willed and easily suppressed—perhaps because he wanted to avoid confrontation—but he often used his military command experience gained in the Vietnam War to earn real respect and discipline; when he and the students were snowed in at school, he treated them like his squad to control the chaos temporarily—before they mutinied.
  
−
He once used unarmed combat skills he learned in Vietnam to take out [[Blue-haired lawyer]], [[Joey Crusher]] and [[Low Blow]] when they tried to shut down the school carnival.<ref>"[[Lisa the Beauty Queen]]"</ref> Despite these combat skills, [[Moe Szyslak]], [[Lenny Leonard]], [[Superintendent Chalmers]] and [[Comic Book Guy]] held their own against Skinner in fights.<ref name="My Big Fat Geek Wedding"/><ref>"[[Bart's Inner Child]]"</ref><ref>"[[The Cartridge Family]]"</ref><ref>"[[The Bart of War]]"</ref>
+
He once used unarmed combat skills he learned in Vietnam to take out [[Blue-haired lawyer]], [[Joey Crusher]], and [[Low Blow]] when they tried to shut down the school carnival.<ref>"[[Lisa the Beauty Queen]]"</ref> Despite these combat skills, [[Moe Szyslak]], [[Lenny Leonard]], [[Superintendent Chalmers]], and [[Comic Book Guy]] held their own against Skinner in fights.<ref name="My Big Fat Geek Wedding"/><ref>"[[Bart's Inner Child]]"</ref><ref>"[[The Cartridge Family]]"</ref><ref>"[[The Bart of War]]"</ref>
 +
 
 +
=== Other jobs ===
 +
Skinner also worked as a janitor at the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].<ref>"[[Keep Chalm and Gary On]]"</ref>
  
 
== Appearance ==
 
== Appearance ==
Line 44: Line 46:
 
{{Noncanon}}
 
{{Noncanon}}
 
=== Back-story ===
 
=== Back-story ===
−
Skinner's back-story is re-visited, revealing Skinner is an impostor. Born Armin Tamzarian, he grew up in the [[433rd Street]] neighborhood of [[Capital City]]. He was a troubled orphan and rebellious teenager until he was forced into the United States Army during the Vietnam War. There, he was befriended by {{ap|Seymour Skinner|The Principal and the Pauper|Sgt. Seymour Skinner}}, whom he came to idolize. When Sgt. Seymour Skinner was reported missing and presumed dead, Tamzarian returned to Springfield to tell Skinner's mother, but she deliberately mistook him for Seymour, so he assumed his identity and followed Skinner's dream of becoming a school principal.<ref name="The Principal and the Pauper"/> It is revealed Skinner (AKA Armin Tamzarian) was born in New Orleans. The real Seymour Skinner had been alive after all and briefly returned to Springfield to take his rightful place as Springfield Elementary School Principal, but proved hopelessly unpopular and the Springfielders ran him out of town on the railroad. [[Judge Snyder]] granted Tamzarian Skinner's "name, and his past, present, future, and mother", and decreed no one will mention his true identity again "under penalty of torture", thus everything returned to normal.<ref name="The Principal and the Pauper"/>
+
Skinner was revealed to be an impostor. Born Armin Tamzarian, he grew up in the [[433rd Street]] neighborhood of [[Capital City]]. He was a troubled orphan and rebellious teenager until he was forced into the United States Army during the Vietnam War. There, he was befriended by {{ap|Seymour Skinner|The Principal and the Pauper|Sgt. Seymour Skinner}}, whom he came to idolize. When Sgt. Seymour Skinner was reported missing and presumed dead, Tamzarian returned to Springfield to tell Skinner's mother, but she deliberately mistook him for Seymour, so he assumed his identity and followed Skinner's dream of becoming a school principal.<ref name="The Principal and the Pauper"/> It was revealed that Skinner (aka Armin Tamzarian) was born in New Orleans. The real Seymour Skinner had been alive after all and briefly returned to Springfield to take his rightful place as Springfield Elementary School principal, but proved hopelessly unpopular, and the Springfielders ran him out of town on the railroad. [[Judge Snyder]] granted Tamzarian Skinner's "name, and his past, present, future, and mother," and decreed that no one would mention his true identity again "under penalty of torture," thus everything returned to normal.<ref name="The Principal and the Pauper"/>
  
 
=== Treehouse of Horror ===
 
=== Treehouse of Horror ===
−
In "[[Treehouse of Horror XIV]]", Skinner's skeletal system is ripped out by the regenerated body of [[Jonathan Frink Sr.|Professor Frink's father]]. In "[[Treehouse of Horror V]]", Skinner, and the rest of the faculty start eating students, with [[Jimbo Jones]] being the first victim. the last survivors were [[Lisa]], Bart, and [[Milhouse]].
+
Skinner and the rest of the faculty started eating students, with [[Jimbo Jones]] being the first victim. The last survivors were [[Lisa]], Bart, and [[Milhouse]].<ref>"[[Treehouse of Horror V]]"</ref> Skinner's skeletal system was ripped out by the regenerated body of [[Jonathan Frink Sr.|Professor Frink's father]].<ref>"[[Treehouse of Horror XIV]]"</ref>
 +
 
 +
=== The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants ===
 +
Appears as a Boss.
  
 
=== The Simpsons: Hit and Run ===
 
=== The Simpsons: Hit and Run ===
−
In ''[[The Simpsons: Hit & Run]]'', Homer delivers Lisa her school project, because she forgot it. He drives quicker than Skinner to the school. The next day Skinner chases [[Bart]] on his car after he skips school. His [[Agnes Skinner|mother]] can be seen sitting in the back seat. Later, he confiscates a laser gun from [[Bart]] and [[Bart]] has to destroy his car to get it back.
+
Homer delivered Lisa her school project because she had forgotten it. He drove quicker than Skinner to the school. The next day, Skinner chased [[Bart]] in his car after Bart skipped school. His [[Agnes Skinner|mother]] could be seen sitting in the back seat. Later, he confiscated a laser gun from [[Bart]], and Bart had to destroy his car to get it back.<ref>''[[The Simpsons: Hit & Run]]''</ref>
  
 
=== The Simpsons Game ===
 
=== The Simpsons Game ===
−
In ''[[The Simpsons Game]]'', he hires [[Dolph]], [[Jimbo]] and [[Kearney]] to steal artifacts from the Springfield Museum for the school (as he couldn't get any science stuff the legal way due to lack of funds), till they are stopped by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]]. He also takes part of an angry mob led by [[Marge Simpson]] and [[Lisa Simpson]], recruited near the museum, implying that he was planning another heist when Marge's mob came around the corner.
+
He hired [[Dolph]], [[Jimbo]], and [[Kearney]] to steal artifacts from the Springfield Museum for the school (as he couldn't get any science supplies legally due to lack of funds) until they were stopped by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]]. He also took part in an angry mob led by [[Marge Simpson]] and [[Lisa Simpson]], recruited near the museum, implying that he was planning another heist when Marge's mob came around the corner.<ref>''[[The Simpsons Game]]''</ref>
  
 
=== The Simpsons: Tapped Out ===
 
=== The Simpsons: Tapped Out ===
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{{Season25A
 
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}}
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{{Season37A
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|E3n=The Last Days of Crisco; Plastic World
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}}
 
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'''Specials:'''
 
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|RogueOne=yes
 
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'''Adverts:'''
 
'''Adverts:'''
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{{Movementarianism}}
 
{{Movementarianism}}
 
{{Springfield Elementary|admin=yes}}
 
{{Springfield Elementary|admin=yes}}
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{{Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|employees=yes}}
 
{{Wall of Fame}}
 
{{Wall of Fame}}
 
{{Stonecutters|others=yes}}
 
{{Stonecutters|others=yes}}

Latest revision as of 14:38, December 8, 2025


For the non-canon "real" Seymour Skinner who appeared in "The Principal and the Pauper", see: Seymour Skinner (The Principal and the Pauper). For other characters named Skinner, see Skinner family.
"Young man, I'm going to be on you like a numerator on a denominator."
―Seymour Skinner[src]
Seymour Skinner
Seymour Skinner.png
Artwork of Seymour Skinner
Character Information
Gender:
Male ♂
Status:
Alive
Alias(es): Armin Tamzarian (non-canon)[1]
"Big Butt" Skinner
The Penalizer
The Stickler
Dick Fiddler[2]
Age: 46[3]
Hair: Gray
Occupation: Principal of Springfield Elementary
Former: Singer
4th grade science teacher[4]
Relatives: Mother: Agnes Skinner
Father: Sheldon Skinner
Cousin: Cousin Peter
Aunt: Hope[5]
First appearance: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
Voiced by: Harry Shearer
v • d • e • h


Walter Seymour Skinner, better known as Seymour Skinner and Principal Skinner, is the principal of Springfield Elementary School, and a stereotypical educational bureaucrat. He struggles to control the crumbling school and is constantly engaged in a battle against its inadequate resources, apathetic and bitter teachers, and often rowdy and unenthusiastic students, Bart Simpson being a standout example. A strict disciplinarian, Skinner has an uptight, militaristic attitude that stems from his years in the United States Army as a Green Beret, which included service in the Vietnam War, where he achieved the rank of a sergeant, according to his rank insignia.

Principal Skinner with Groundskeeper Willie and Children

Biography[edit]

Skinner Every Simpsons Ever.jpg
An unborn Seymour Skinner

Out of genuine concern for the quality of education of his students, most of Skinner's actions revolve around ensuring the school has adequate funding. His constant, desperate, and usually ineffective attempts at maintaining discipline are an effort to receive good reviews from the frequent inspections of his very strict boss, Superintendent Chalmers—who makes no effort to hide his disapproval of Skinner. These inspections usually turn awry due to Bart Simpson's elaborate pranks—which play off Skinner's desperation for order. Over the years of pranks and inspections, though, Skinner developed a love-hate relationship with each of them; when Skinner was fired and replaced by Ned Flanders, Bart found pranks less meaningful due to Flanders' lax approach to discipline.[6] In an accident involving both Skinner and Chalmers, Chalmers showed grief over Skinner before he realized he was still alive. Although he likes to maintain the image of a strict disciplinarian, he is often weak-willed, nervous, and has a very unhealthy dependence on his mother, who constantly makes demands of him. She addresses him by the nickname "Spanky." It was also heavily implied Seymour Skinner suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his days in Vietnam, where he spent 18 months as a prisoner of war.[1] Seeing his entire platoon devoured by an elephant was one of the many things that led to the development of his post-traumatic stress disorder. He also expelled Bart for a prank actually caused by Groundskeeper Willie during the feast, but he welcomed him back as an apology for blaming Bart for the Groundskeeper's prank, which Bart happily accepted. When Otto started spanking Bart as an act of corporal punishment, Skinner came to Bart's aid and suspended Otto from driving the school bus. Skinner's unhealthy relationship with his mother began early: it is revealed Agnes's pregnancy resulted in her failing to win a medal at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.[7] He originally was quite laid-back as a principal, even going as far as to do a jump flip to catch a frisbee while telling a student to keep up with his studies, but it all changed when one of his students, Andy Hamilton, managed to fill the pool with worms and locked Skinner in the pool for the whole weekend, causing him to become serious and almost merciless in his approach to rules, even going as far as to shut down the pool and demote Willie, the swim teacher, to groundskeeper. When Bart attempted to stop Krusty from diving into a worm-filled pool out of fear of Krusty becoming like Skinner, he accidentally blurted out what happened to Skinner on the air, causing Skinner to angrily mutter sarcastically that his mother told him Krusty the Clown was supposed to be a good influence, indicating he was attempting to repress the traumatic memory. Besides his job as principal of Springfield Elementary, he also worked as a member of Mensa and was the acting referee and a major organizer of the annual Civil War re-enactment of the Battle of Springfield. He mentioned to Superintendent Chalmers he is a Libra (b. September 23–October 21).[8]

His character folder from the Hall of Records.

Romantic relationships[edit]

Aside from a short-lived relationship with Patty Bouvier,[9] Skinner's love life focused on Edna Krabappel. The two dated for several years and became engaged but later canceled the wedding.[10] Edna showed she wanted to live a life with Skinner but first wanted him to commit to her—namely by not letting his mother, with whom he still lived, control him anymore.[11] Their relationship ended when Skinner admitted to having second thoughts the night before their wedding.[10] Though Skinner had other relationships since, he still held a candle for Edna. He was seen dancing with Miss Hoover at the Simpsons' Mardi Gras party.[12] He also had a relationship with replacement music teacher Calliope Juniper (with whom he briefly left).[13]

Lisa Simpson identified Skinner as representing "The Confirmed Bachelor" among The 20 Types of People You Meet in Elementary School.[14]

Vietnam[edit]

Skinner served as a sergeant in the US Army during the Vietnam War and was captured at the Battle of Khe Sanh. Skinner often seemed weak-willed and easily suppressed—perhaps because he wanted to avoid confrontation—but he often used his military command experience gained in the Vietnam War to earn real respect and discipline; when he and the students were snowed in at school, he treated them like his squad to control the chaos temporarily—before they mutinied.

He once used unarmed combat skills he learned in Vietnam to take out Blue-haired lawyer, Joey Crusher, and Low Blow when they tried to shut down the school carnival.[15] Despite these combat skills, Moe Szyslak, Lenny Leonard, Superintendent Chalmers, and Comic Book Guy held their own against Skinner in fights.[10][16][17][18]

Other jobs[edit]

Skinner also worked as a janitor at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.[19]

Appearance[edit]

Skinner wears a blue suit, only one tie (orange), and a lavender shirt. He also wears blue slacks matching his suit. It is sometimes stated he wears a toupee.

Non-canon[edit]

Donut Homer.png The contents of this article or section are considered to be non-canon and therefore may not have actually happened or existed.

Back-story[edit]

Skinner was revealed to be an impostor. Born Armin Tamzarian, he grew up in the 433rd Street neighborhood of Capital City. He was a troubled orphan and rebellious teenager until he was forced into the United States Army during the Vietnam War. There, he was befriended by Sgt. Seymour Skinner, whom he came to idolize. When Sgt. Seymour Skinner was reported missing and presumed dead, Tamzarian returned to Springfield to tell Skinner's mother, but she deliberately mistook him for Seymour, so he assumed his identity and followed Skinner's dream of becoming a school principal.[1] It was revealed that Skinner (aka Armin Tamzarian) was born in New Orleans. The real Seymour Skinner had been alive after all and briefly returned to Springfield to take his rightful place as Springfield Elementary School principal, but proved hopelessly unpopular, and the Springfielders ran him out of town on the railroad. Judge Snyder granted Tamzarian Skinner's "name, and his past, present, future, and mother," and decreed that no one would mention his true identity again "under penalty of torture," thus everything returned to normal.[1]

Treehouse of Horror[edit]

Skinner and the rest of the faculty started eating students, with Jimbo Jones being the first victim. The last survivors were Lisa, Bart, and Milhouse.[20] Skinner's skeletal system was ripped out by the regenerated body of Professor Frink's father.[21]

The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants[edit]

Appears as a Boss.

The Simpsons: Hit and Run[edit]

Homer delivered Lisa her school project because she had forgotten it. He drove quicker than Skinner to the school. The next day, Skinner chased Bart in his car after Bart skipped school. His mother could be seen sitting in the back seat. Later, he confiscated a laser gun from Bart, and Bart had to destroy his car to get it back.[22]

The Simpsons Game[edit]

He hired Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney to steal artifacts from the Springfield Museum for the school (as he couldn't get any science supplies legally due to lack of funds) until they were stopped by Homer and Bart. He also took part in an angry mob led by Marge Simpson and Lisa Simpson, recruited near the museum, implying that he was planning another heist when Marge's mob came around the corner.[23]

The Simpsons: Tapped Out[edit]

Skinner[edit]

This section is transcluded from The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/School Workers. To edit it, please edit the transcluded page.
Skinner
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Tapped Out Unlock Skinner.png Cash3,750 Level 9
We Do Need Yes Education Pt. 2 		Springfield Elementary Shouldn't you be in school?
Technical Information ID Groups Internal Name
8 Regular Characters, Regular Male, Brainiac, Adult, Krustyland Goers, TTT Excavators, School Workers, Normal Springfielders, LARPers Skinner

Costumes[edit]

Behind the Laughter[edit]

Creation[edit]

Principal Skinner first appeared in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", which was also the first Simpsons episode to air.[24] Matt Groening based him on "all of the principals of [his] youth, rolled into one bland lump."[25] Writer Jon Vitti named him after behavioral psychologist B. F. Skinner.[26] Skinner was originally supposed to wear a toupee, but it was dropped because the writers didn't like "that type of joke".[27] The Simpsons Guide to Springfield did, however, briefly imply Skinner did wear a toupee.

Development[edit]

In the first few seasons, Skinner resembles Norman Bates, the main character from Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho[28] In later episodes, Skinner's behavior was based on teachers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein had in high school.[29]

Superintendent Chalmers was introduced in the episode "Whacking Day" as a boss for Skinner and Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria, the voice of Chalmers, fell right into the characters and quite often ad-lib between them.[30]

The Principal and the Pauper[edit]

In the episode "The Principal and the Pauper", it was revealed Skinner is actually Armin Tamzarian. Armin was a troubled orphan until he joined the Army and was befriended by Sgt. Skinner, whom he came to idolize. Believing himself responsible for the real Skinner being killed, he returned to Springfield to tell Skinner's mother, but she (deliberately) mistook him for Seymour, and he followed the true Skinner's dream of becoming a school principal. At the end of the episode, Judge Snyder granted Tamzarian Skinner's "name, and his past, present, future, and mother," and decreed no one will mention his true identity again under penalty of torture (this, after the Springfielders ran the real Seymour, voiced by Martin Sheen—who had been alive after all—out of town by way of railroad).

The episode was negatively received by fans and critics over the sudden change of Skinner's backstory. During an interview, Harry Shearer, the voice of Seymour Skinner publicly criticized the episode. He noted he told the writers after reading the script: "That's so wrong. You're taking something an audience built eight years or nine years of investment in and just tossed it in the trash can for no good reason, for a story we did before with other characters. It's so arbitrary and gratuitous, and it's disrespectful to the audience." In the introduction to the Season 9 DVD Boxset, Matt Groening described the episode as his "least favorite" and in a Rolling Stones interview, he called it a "mistake".

The Simpsons writers occasionally mocked the inconsistencies in subsequent episodes, it was referenced in "Behind the Laughter" as a 'far-out plot line' to distract from the family's behind-the-cameras turmoil. When Lisa acquires Snowball II and declares, "To save money on a new dish, I'll call you Snowball II." Skinner says, "Isn't that a cheat?" to which Lisa replies, "I guess it is, Principal Tamzarian." Skinner replies, "I'll just be moving along", nods at Lisa and the new Snowball, and walks off. In the DVD commentary for "The Principal and the Pauper", the producers stated they intended for the episode's ending to reset the continuity to before Skinner was revealed to be Tamzarian. As such, they said, fans could dismiss the discontinuities created by the notion Skinner is actually an impostor and consider the episode on its own terms, divorced from the rest of the series. This episode is proved non-canon in "Boy Meets Curl".

Foreign dubs[edit]

Language Voice dubber
Czech Republic flag.png Čeština Dalimil Klapka (season 1 - 31)
Petr Stach (season 32 - present)
Germany.png Deutsch Fred Klaus (season 1 - 13)
Klaus Guth (season 14 - 31)
Josef Vossenkuhl (season 32 - present)
Spain flag.png Español Antonio Medina (season 1 and 2)
José Padilla (season 3 - present)
Hispanic America.gif Español César Izaguirre (season 1 , ep. 1 and season 2, ep. 14)
Alejandro Villeli (season 1, ep. 2, season 3, ep. 7 and season 9, ep. 11)
Octavio Rojas (season 1, ep. 5)
Bardo Miranda (season 2, ep. 8)
Alejandro Illescas (season 3, ep. 4 and season 15, final episodes)
Juan Alfonso Carralero (season 3, ep. 5)
César Arias (season 5, ep. 1)
Tito Reséndiz (season 5, ep. 10, last loops)
Víctor Delgado (season 26, ep. 4)
Agustín Sauret (seasons 2-4)
José Luis Castañeda (seasons 5-9)
Gabriel Pingarrón (seasons 9-15)
Gerardo Vásquez (seasons 16-31)
Roberto Mendiola (season 32-present)
Finland flag.png Suomi Markus Bäckman
Flag of Belgium.png Vlaams Geert Willems
France.png Français Michel Modo (season 1 - 18)
Gérard Rinaldi (season 19 - 22)
Xavier Fagnon (season 23 - present)
Flag of Quebec.svg.png Français Mario Desmarais
Hungary flag.png Magyar István Orosz
Italy Flag.png Italiano Renato Cortesi (season 1 - "Black Widower")
Piero Tiberi ("The Otto Show" - "Homer Goes to College")
Mauro Magliozzi (only "Rosebud")
Massimo Corvo ("Treehouse of Horror IV" - season 8)
Stefano Mondini (season 9 - present)
Flag of Japan.png 日本語 Shin Aomori
Poland flag.png Polski Marcin Troński
Brazil flag.png Português Márcio Simões
Portugal.png Português Peter Michael

Trivia[edit]

  • Skinner's prisoner of war ID number was 24601.
  • Skinner is ambidextrous [11][31]
  • He is allergic to peanuts [31]
  • He drives a white 2006 Kia Rio[32]
  • Skinner is 5'8".[2]

Appearances[edit]

Episodes:Specials:Adverts:Butterfinger Adverts:Simpsons Illustrated:Simpsons Comics:Bartman:Bart Simpson's Joke Book:Treehouse of Horror:Bart Simpson:Futurama Crossover:Comic Strips:Holiday Humdinger:Super Spectacular:Winter Wingding:Summer Shindig:Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book:Homer for the Holidays:One-Shot Wonders:Video Games:Books:

References[edit]

The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to Seymour Skinner.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "The Principal and the Pauper"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Yellow Subterfuge"
  3. ↑ "Grade School Confidential"
  4. ↑ "Bart the Murderer"
  5. ↑ "A Test Before Trying"
  6. ↑ "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"
  7. ↑ "Boy Meets Curl"
  8. ↑ "The Heartbroke Kid"
  9. ↑ "Principal Charming"
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "My Big Fat Geek Wedding"
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Special Edna"
  12. ↑ "No Loan Again, Naturally"
  13. ↑ "Flaming Moe"
  14. ↑ The Lisa Book
  15. ↑ "Lisa the Beauty Queen"
  16. ↑ "Bart's Inner Child"
  17. ↑ "The Cartridge Family"
  18. ↑ "The Bart of War"
  19. ↑ "Keep Chalm and Gary On"
  20. ↑ "Treehouse of Horror V"
  21. ↑ "Treehouse of Horror XIV"
  22. ↑ The Simpsons: Hit & Run
  23. ↑ The Simpsons Game
  24. ↑ Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire BBC.co.uk. Retrieved on March 2, 2007
  25. ↑ Joe Rhodes. "Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves"TV Guide. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. 
  26. ↑ Reiss, Mike (2002). Commentary for "Principal Charming", in The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season.
  27. ↑ Groening, Matt. (2002). The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Principal Charming" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  28. ↑ Simpsonsfolder.com: Continuity
  29. ↑ Weinstein, Josh. (2005). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Badaaasssss Song" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  30. ↑ Jean, Al. (2004). The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Whacking Day" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em"
  32. ↑ "The Color Yellow"


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