Editing Niccolo

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{{Character infobox
|image = [[File:Niccolo LOM artwork.jpg|250px]]<br>''Legend of Mana'' artwork
|first_appearance = ''[[Secret of Mana]]'' (1993)
|latest_appearance = ''[[Echoes of Mana]]'' (2022)
|gender = Male
|species = [[Niccolos|Niccolo]]
|other_forms =
|counterparts = [[Neko]]
|voice_actor = '''Jpn''': Wataru Takagi<sup>EoM</sup>
}}
{{quote2|I'm the wandering Niccolo, peddler of smiles!|Square Enix Official Website}}

'''Niccolo''' is a salesperson who appears in several ''[[Mana (series)|Mana]]'' games. He first appears in ''[[Secret of Mana]]'' with the name '''Neko'''. The [[party]] can often find Niccolo traveling around the [[world map]] looking for potential customers to sell items to, and they can buy various common items from him. In ''Secret of Mana'' and ''[[Trials of Mana]]'', Niccolo is a purple cat, but in new releases since ''[[Legend of Mana]]'', he was redesigned to resemble a big, brown rabbit. No matter his appearance, Niccolo has an unusual verbal tic of meowing and purring and/or making cat-related puns in many of his appearances.

Niccolo is often depicted as an easygoing, shrewd business-creature, and so takes advantage of every opportunity to earn [[lucre]]. He is known to take on any number of occupations, from salesman to brigand to merrymaker and nearly everything in between. However, as a source of comic relief, Niccolo's animal instincts tend to land him in particularly dangerous situations, from which the heroes may have to rescue him.

==History==
===''Secret of Mana''===
In ''Secret of Mana'', Neko is an anthropomorphic lavender calico cat, traveling the world to sell his wares to adventurers. The party can first meet Neko at his [[Neko's General Store|general store]] to the west of [[Potos Village]]. Aside from selling items, Neko also runs an [[inn]], and he can also save the game progress. Throughout the party's quest, he charges twice the retail price of most consumable items.

===''Trials of Mana''===
In ''[[Trials of Mana]]'', Niccolo, along with [[Chikeeta]] and [[Josephine]], is a [[Merchant Cat]]; but he would end up leaving his order to become a member of the [[Nevarl]] guild of honorable thieves. While there, he became friends with [[Hawkeye]] and was initially part of the guild's final raid on [[Sirhtan]]. When the guild reports back to [[Flamekhan]], the leader is found in league with the evil witch [[Belladonna]] who then murders [[Eagle]] and takes [[Jessica]] hostage to cover up her plans. Hawkeye is framed and left to his execution in the dungeons, but Niccolo bombs him free and tells Hawkeye to head for the [[Priest of Light]], who he believes can lift Belladonna's Choker of Death from Jessica's neck. After a brief enthrallment, Niccolo assists Hawkeye at other points in the story.

===''Legend of Mana''===
{{quote2|He believes that he brings happiness to his customers with his transactions, but he sometimes plays dirty tricks on them. Dislikes the Sproutlings and the Flowerlings.|In-game Encyclopedia}}

In ''[[Legend of Mana]]'', Niccolo makes his first appearance as a brown rabbit. As a traveling salesman, Niccolo believes that he brings happiness to his customers with his transactions. In reality, Niccolo's avaricious, miserly ways are ones that have seen him swindling quite a number of characters with well-played tricks, some of whom include [[Kristie]], [[Sotherbee]] and [[Teapo]]. He is said to dislike the [[Sproutlings]] and the [[Flowerlings]].

===''Sword of Mana''===
In ''[[Sword of Mana]]'', much like his earlier appearances, Niccolo sometimes appears on the world map to sell items. For this game, Niccolo is designed after his appearance in ''Legend of Mana''.

===''Children of Mana''===
{{Main|Wanderer (character)}}
In ''[[Children of Mana]]'', he was renamed to '''Wanderer''', and is one of the game's protagonists.

===''Circle of Mana''===
Niccolo makes a cameo appearance in the online game, along with several ''Secret of Mana'' characters. He appears in 6 sets of cards.<br>
{|width=95% class="wikitable"
|-style="text-align:center;"
! Rank !! Attribute !!width=10%| Name !!colspan=4 width=60%| Classes !! Quote
|-style="text-align:center;"
| SUR || {{hover|技|Jap:Skill}} || {{hover|ファ・ディールの救世主|Jap:Saviors of Fa'Diel}} || [[File:SUR 0089 ファ・ディールの救世主.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|夢の声を聞きし者たち|Jap:Those who Hear the Voices of Dreams}} || [[File:SUR 0090 ファ・ディールの救世主.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|珠魅を救いし者たち|Jap:Those who Save Jumis}} || [[File:SUR 0091 ファ・ディールの救世主.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[光]世界の呪縛を解き放つ者たち|Jap:[Light] Those of Life the Curse of the World}} || [[File:SUR 0092 ファ・ディールの救世主.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[闇]赤き竜帝を倒し者たち|Jap:[Dark] Those who Defeat the Red Dragon Emperor}} ||主人公は夢を見た。神々しい大樹が浮かびそして、女神の声が聞こえる。夢から目覚めた主人公は、その声に従うように、目覚めたばかりの世界へと足を踏み出す。<br>The hero had a dream. A divine tree appears, and the voice of a goddess is heard. The protagonist wakes up from his dream and follows the voice as he steps into the world he just woke up from.
|-style="text-align:center;"
| SUR || {{hover|技|Jap:Skill}} || {{hover|ニキータ [猫商人]|Jap:Nikita [Cat Merchant]}} || [[File:SUR 0361 ニキータ 猫商人.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|猫商人|Jap:Cat Merchant}} || [[File:SUR 0362 ニキータ 猫商人.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|放浪の猫商人|Jap:Wandering Cat Merchant}} || [[File:SUR 0363 ニキータ 猫商人.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[光]商売上手|Jap:[Light] Business Savvy}} || [[File:SUR 0364 ニキータ 猫商人.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[闇]燃える商魂|Jap:[Dark] Burning Business Spirit}} ||「そうとも言うかもしれないにゃ。とにかく大変なことが起こっているにゃ！」<br>"You might say so. Anyway, something terrible is happening!"
|-style="text-align:center;"
| SUR || {{hover|技|Jap:Skill}} || {{hover|ニキータ [放浪]|Jap:Nikita [Wandering]}} || [[File:SUR 0425 ニキータ 放浪.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|ド根性商人|Jap:Gutsy Merchant}} || [[File:SUR 0426 ニキータ 放浪.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|ルクが第一|Jap:Lucre Comes First}} || [[File:SUR 0427 ニキータ 放浪.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[光]商人魂|Jap:[Light] Merchant Spirit}} || [[File:SUR 0428 ニキータ 放浪.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[闇]口八丁手八丁|Jap:[Dark] Mouth Haccho Te Haccho}} ||「来たにゃー！ これは大物にゃー！ ひさしぶりのごちそうにゃ！！」<br>"It's here! This is a big one! It's been a while!"
|-style="text-align:center;"
| SUR || {{hover|技|Jap:Skill}} || {{hover|結成！異種族タッグ！|Jap:Formed! Interspecies Tag!}} || [[File:SUR 1029 結成！異種族タッグ！.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|異種族の冒険家たち|Jap:Adventurers of Different Races}} || [[File:SUR 1030 結成！異種族タッグ！.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|異種族の戦士たち|Jap:Warriors of Different Races}} || [[File:SUR 1031 結成！異種族タッグ！.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[光]ファ・ディールの勇者たち|Jap:[Light] Heroes of Fa'Diel}} || [[File:SUR 1032 結成！異種族タッグ！.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[闇]世界を救う者たち|Jap:[Dark] Saviors of the World}} ||幻想世界ファ・ディールには様々な種族が生活をしている。彼らは時に、勇者達と共に世界を救う冒険へと旅立つ。<br>Various races live in the fantasy world of Fa'Diel. Sometimes they set out on adventures to save the world together with the heroes.
|-style="text-align:center;"
| SUR || {{hover|技|Jap:Skill}} || {{hover|ニキータ|Jap:Nikita}} || [[File:SUR 1141 ニキータ.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|ウサギネコ|Jap:Rabbit Cat}} || [[File:SUR 1142 ニキータ.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|商い道中|Jap:On the Way to Business}} || [[File:SUR 1143 ニキータ.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[光]生粋の商売人|Jap:[Light] Natural Businessman}} || [[File:SUR 1144 ニキータ.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[闇]ルクの価値を知る者|Jap:[Dark] Those who Know the value of Lucre}} ||「オイラは商売があるにゃ。それじゃここでにゃ。」<br>"I have some business to do. Well then, come here."
|-style="text-align:center;"
| SSUR || {{hover|技|Jap:Skill}} || {{hover|ニキータ|Jap:Nikita}} || [[File:SSUR 1001 ニキータ.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|猫商人|Jap:Cat Merchant}} || [[File:SSUR 1002 ニキータ.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|放浪の猫商人|Jap:Wandering Cat Merchant}} || [[File:SSUR 1003 ニキータ.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[光]商売上手|Jap:[Light] Business Savvy}} || [[File:SSUR 1004 ニキータ.jpg|100px]]<br>{{hover|[闇]燃える商魂|Jap:[Dark] Burning Business Spirit}} ||「そんな時はこれ、ロイヤルゼリーだニャ！」<br>"In such a case, this is royal jelly, meow!"
|-style="text-align:center;"
|}

===''Echoes of Mana''===
{{quote2|A merchant who has traveled city to city peddling wares for generations. His "money-crazy" dealings have led to more than a few unsatisfied customers. Niccolo isn't very fond of sproutlings or flowerlings. As for faeries, he might dislike them as well—if he could see them, that is.|Square Enix Official Website}}

{{Main|Nicco}}
While it is not known whether he is related to other creatures named Niccolo, a green calico cat named '''Nicco''' makes an appearance in Chapter 2. As with the previous Niccolos, he is a salesman, albeit a shady one, when he tries to pawn off a weathered boat to help the party cross a lake to visit ancient ruins. Fortunately, a [[wolfkin]] warrior, [[Blainchet]], picks up on Nicco's hustle and scares him off, offering also to help the party explore the ruins.  

Like the ''Trials of Mana'' incarnation, Nicco has been localized as having speech characteristics of the Mid-Atlantic United States, and so employs the plural "yous" in addition to cat puns.

Niccolo from ''Legend of Mana'' and Wanderer from ''Children of Mana'' are obtainable as unit cards and Memory Gems as well.

==Etymology==
Niccolo's Japanese name, Nikita, is a unisex name prevalent in multiple cultures throughout the world. As a male given name of Slavic origin, it is a diminutive of Nikolai, whose English equivalent is Nicholas. As a female given name, it shares its Greek and Slavic origins with its male counterpart, but owes its use to pop culture references.

His name in other languages, Niccolo, comes chiefly from Italian, where it is also the equivalent of English Nicholas. Nicco is a diminutive of Niccolo.

''Neko'' is the Japanese word for "cat".

==Gallery==
{{main-gallery}}
<gallery>
Niccolo entry LOM screenshot.png|Niccolo encyclopedia entry
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=ニキータ
|JapR=Nikīta
|JapM=Nikita}}

{{Recurring}}
{{SeoM characters}}
{{ToM characters}}
{{LoM characters}}
{{SwoM characters}}
{{Children of Mana}}
[[Category:Ally characters]]
[[Category:Male characters]]
[[Category:Supporting characters]]
[[Category:Characters with speech impediment]]
[[Category:Merchants]]
[[Category:Niccolos]]
[[Category:Thieves]]
[[Category:Playable characters]]
[[Category:Secret of Mana characters]]
[[Category:Trials of Mana characters]]
[[Category:Legend of Mana characters]]
[[Category:Children of Mana characters]]
[[Category:Rise of Mana characters]]
[[Category:Echoes of Mana characters]]