Nicolo (Anime)

"There's one in me, too. And in Kaya. And everyone else. The world is like this 'cuz there's a devil in all of us."

- Nicolo's belief that everyone has the capacity for evil

Nicolo (ニコロ) is a former Marleyan soldier who served on Marley's navy and was part of the first survey fleet to Paradis Island after the failed Paradis Island Operation. After being taken captive, he begins working on the island as a chef for the Eldian military.

Appearance
Nicolo is a young Marleyan man of tall stature and slim build. He has a petite pointed nose, brown eyes and blond hair falling to the sides, looking like he has an undercut. He was wearing the standard Marleyan military uniform when he was first captured by the Paradis military's Scout Regiment.

While visiting the cemetery, Nicolo wears a black suit and tie.

Personality
Nicolo was at first a very typical Marleyan, fearing the Eldians of Paradis Island and calling them devils. He was very disgusted with having been captured by them and having to live by their side, but after spending a lot of time with the Scout Regiment, he and his comrades have developed grudging respect and shaky friendships with the ones they once thought of as devils.

Nicolo seems to be somewhat courageous, disregarding his own life to beg his fellow soldiers to kill the islanders despite being held at gun point by them.

Marley arc
As a member of the first survey fleet's advanced party, Nicolo arrives at Paradis Island ahead of the main Marleyan vessel in 851. Sometime after being captured, the Attack Titan seizes the main vessel. Hange Zoë and Levi Ackermann threaten Nicolo with a blade in an attempt to make the navy soldiers comply. Despite being in danger, he screams for his naval captain to shoot the islanders.

On one occasion later in the year, Nicolo cooks seafood for those working on the port. He is surprised by Sasha Braus's impassioned reaction to the new style of food. He and Sasha eventually grow closer, developing a more intimate relationship. Nicolo would later credit Sasha for instilling in him a belief that he should use his cooking skills to bring people happiness, claiming that she "saved" him from the Marleyans' war with Eldia.

In 854, hearing about Sasha's death after the battle of Liberio, Nicolo attempts to visit her grave to pay his respects, but is harassed by a member of the Military Police because of his Marleyan status. Jean Kirschtein and Conny Springer come to his defense, and Nicolo explains to them why he has come to the cemetery. Arriving at the grave, Nicolo asks to know how she died. Jean apologizes to him, blaming his own carelessness for Sasha's death, but Nicolo is confused as to why Jean is apologizing to him, pointing out that he was only their cook. He asks Conny how he is coping, but their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Artur Braus and his family. After they have paid their respects, Nicolo introduces himself and offers to cook for them someday.

War for Paradis arc
Nicolo and a fellow prisoner of war are seen serving Military Police officers. One of the officers demands another bottle of wine, and Nicolo brings one.

On the day that the Braus family comes to eat at his restaurant, Nicolo is ready for them and greets them at the entrance and gives them a tour of the restaurant, before showing them to their table. As he is cooking their main course, Hange and several other officers from the Scout Regiment arrive requesting a word with him. He shows them to a private room where he will be able to talk with them after serving the Brauses. As he is returning to the kitchen, Jean notices that the wine in the room is the kind reserved for the military elite and tries to take some, but Nicolo suddenly confiscates the bottle, claiming it would be a waste on lowly Eldians.

As he is returning the bottle to the wine cellar, Nicolo is confronted by two children from Braus's group claiming to be Warrior candidates. He demands to know how they got onto Paradis, and is mortified to learn that they were brought on the airship that returned from Liberio. He demands to know if they killed any soldiers on their way to the island, which Gabi confirms; Nicolo flies into a rage and attacks her with the wine bottle. Falco protects her from the initial blow, but Nicolo proceeds to beat her before dragging the two of them upstairs.

Nicolo takes the two to the Braus family, revealing to them that Gabi is the one who killed Sasha. He offers Artur a knife to kill her with, claiming that he will kill her if Braus does not. The stand-off is interrupted by the Scouts, but Nicolo keeps them at bay by threatening Falco. Gabi tries to talk him down, but her words only incense Nicolo to kill Falco in order to hurt her.

He gives an impassioned speech on how much Sasha meant to him. Before he can do any harm, Artur requests the knife, and Nicolo complies.

However, to Nicolo's shock, Braus gives the knife to his wife and announces that he will not kill Gabi. Lisa Braus orders Nicolo to release Falco, and Nicolo sullenly complies. As Conny and Jean restrain him, Nicolo advises Hange to try to keep any wine from getting in Falco's mouth, revealing that the wine potentially has Zeke Jaeger's spinal fluid in it.

He admits that he has no proof to back his claims, but informs them that the ships he arrived in were stocked with more alcohol than would normally be required, and recalls Yelena's order to serve the wine to the military's officials before anyone else. He reaffirms to the distressed soldiers that he is only theorizing, but notes that using Zeke's spinal fluid to create Titans has allowed Marley to conquer nations almost instantaneously in the past.

When questioned by Jean, Nicolo refuses to admit that he stopped them from drinking the wine to protect them, claiming that what little information he had was to atone for his attempt to murder Gabi.

As Nicolo is helping the Scouts wash the wine out of Falco's mouth, they are taken captive by the Jaegerists, who have been tipped off to the officers' presence in the restaurant by Greiz.

Nicolo and the rest of the restaurant's patrons are brought to Shiganshina and placed in a jail cell together. While Nicolo is preparing tea, the inmates are visited by Yelena, Onyankopon and Greiz.

Nicolo theorizes that the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers are planning on taking over the island, before insulting Greiz for allying himself with Yelena. Greiz responds by accusing Nicolo of defecting first due to his infatuation with Sasha, before going on to insult her repeatedly. Nicolo becomes enraged, trying to attack Greiz through his cell's bars, but their confrontation is brought to an abrupt halt when Yelena calmly shoots Greiz in the head for behaving rudely.

After Shiganshina comes under attack from Marleyan forces, Onyankopon releases the prisoners from their cell, requesting that they join in the fight to protect Eren. Although the soldiers are distrustful of Onyankopon, Nicolo supports his claims that he did not know about Yelena's true intentions, informing them that he had been ordered not to tell any of the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers about the spiked wine. As the soldiers agree to join the battle, Jean orders Nicolo to keep the Braus family safe.

Armed with a rifle, Nicolo escorts the Braus family through Shiganshina, leading them to a house in a relatively safe section where they can stay until the fighting is over.

The group is forced to flee their hiding spot after being found by a Titan. While fleeing, Kaya trips and Nicolo is forced to save Artur from being devoured when the latter tries to save her. Kaya is saved from the Titan by Gabi, who informs the group that Falco has been captured. A group of soldiers locates them and Nicolo takes Gabi's anti-Titan rifle, claiming that he killed the Titan in order to protect her identity as an escaped prisoner.

While the soldiers escort them to the military's headquarters, Nicolo listens as Kaya and Gabi talk to each other. After Kaya and Gabi claim to be devils for all of their own former misdeeds, Nicolo consoles the two by telling them that everyone has a personal demon.

After the elimination of the Titans inside Shiganshina, Nicolo informs Armin that he will be staying with the Braus family for the time being while preparing horses for him and Gabi so they can travel to Ragako in order to rescue Falco.

Relationships

 * Sasha Braus - After Nicolo starts cooking seafood for those working on the port, he is surprised by Sasha's impassioned reaction to the new style of food. He and Sasha eventually grow closer. Nicolo would later credit Sasha for instilling in him a belief that he should use his cooking skills to bring people happiness, claiming that she "saved" him from the Marleyans' war with Eldia.  When visiting the restaurant Nicolo works at, Kaya told Gabi and Falco that Sasha and Nicolo were possibly in love.  He would even go as far as attempting to kill Gabi (for killing Sasha) to avenge her and trying to attack Greiz through his cell's bars for insulting her repeatedly.
 * Artur Braus - Nicolo met Artur at Sasha's funeral and immediately offers to cook for him and his family for free, and the two shake hands. When Artur and his family come to his restaurant, he graciously accepts them, and upon learning of Gabi's role in Sasha's death, offers Artur the chance to kill her, showing a degree of respect towards him. After hearing Artur's speech, willingness to let go of his hatred and forgive Gabi, his respect for him only increases, stating he cannot be a man like Artur yet, but attempts to atone for his actions in his own way.
 * Gabi Braun - Nicolo holds a great deal of animosity towards Gabi for her murder of Sasha. Upon learning what she did he immediately attempted to kill her in a fit of rage. He was also very vengeful towards her, willing to kill Falco in front of her because he was potentially precious to her just as Sasha was to him. However, after Mr. Braus' speech, his hatred for Gabi has practically diminished, as he went along with Kaya's lie to ensure Gabi was not arrested by soldiers, and when Gabi calls herself a demon, Nicolo consoles her by saying everyone has a demon within them.
 * Scout Regiment - At first, Nicolo was a very typical Marleyan, fearing the Eldians of Paradis Island and calling them devils. He was very disgusted with having been captured by them and having to live by their side, but after spending a lot of time with the Scouts, he and his comrades have developed grudging respect and shaky friendships with the ones they once thought of as devils. He became close friends to some of the officers, such as Jean and Conny, judging by the way they acted towards each other at Sasha's grave.

Failed attempts

 * Gabi Braun
 * Falco Grice

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