Nico Robin, also known by her epithet as Demon Child, is one of the main characters of the One Piece franchise. She is the archaeologist of the Straw Hat Pirates. She was originally introduced as the vice president of Baroque Works under the codename Miss All Sunday, but she was later betrayed and left to die by the leader of Baroque Works and then-Warlord, Crocodile.

She is the seventh member of the crew, the sixth to join, and, like Nami, Usopp, and Sanji, is the second to rejoin, doing so near the end of the Enies Lobby Arc. Robin is also the first member to have once been an antagonist. She is the sole survivor of Ohara's destruction from the buster call initiated by Fleet Admiral Akainu and the former Admiral Kuzan. After Luffy rose to become a new member of the Four Emperors, Robin became one of the Nine Senior Officers of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Her first bounty of 79,000,000 berries was due to her ability to read Poneglyphs. However, the World Government made up a cover story that stated the reason was that she sunk six buster call battleships, which in reality was Jaguar D. Saul protecting her during the destruction of Ohara. Her second bounty was 80,000,000 berries after her rescue and the events of Enies Lobby, Her third bounty was 130,000,000 Berries after she was involved in the battle at Dressrosa against the Donquixote Pirates. Her current bounty is 930,000,000 berries making her the fifth highest and strongest female member of the Straw Hat Pirates after she defeated Black Maria and escaped from CP0 agents in their failed-yet-futile attempted to capture her again.

She is voiced by Yuriko Yamaguchi, Yuko Kobayashi, and Anzu Nagai as a child in the Japanese version of the anime, and by Veronica Taylor, Natasha Malinsky, Stephanie Young, and Jad Saxton as a child in the English version of the anime.

Past[]

Tragedy of Ohara[]

Nightmare of the Buster Call[]

Nico Robin was born on the island of Ohara, to an unnamed man and Nico Olvia.

Her mother, Olvia, went out to sea to find out the reason behind the Void Century when Robin was only 2 years old, leaving her in the care of Olvia's older brother, Oran, and his wife, Roji.

While Robin's father was never revealed, Olvia stated that she will honor her husband's dream, she then left to study the Poneglyphs.

Robin later wandered into the Tree of Knowledge and was allowed to read the books held within on Professor Clover's invitation.

Roji both verbally and physically abused her niece Robin over menial actions. Roji made it obvious time and time again that Robin was not wanted; she was expected to keep out of sight and she was not allowed to participate in family celebrations (for example her cousin Mizuira's eighth birthday).

The powers of her Devil Fruit often freaked out or scared the other children, on top of that she would often overhear parents telling their children to avoid her at all costs as well as other children calling her a demon.

Her only friends were the scholars of The Tree of Knowledge, with Professor Clover of the archaeology lab, a friend of her mother, trying to take care of her.

At only 8 years old, she aced an archaeology exam and was officially inducted as a scholar. However, when she announced that she, like her mother, wanted to find out the true, unrecorded history of the world known as the Void Century and that she learned of Poneglyphs by spying on the scholars, she was reprimanded by Clover who told her she will get banned from the library if she continued to do so.

Robin ran off crying and headed to the northwest beach of Ohara, where she met the giant, Jaguar D. Saul, who was washed up on shore. The two became friends and Robin continued to visit him for the following four days, while he built his raft. After Saul found out he was on Ohara and figured out that Robin was Olvia's daughter, he informed Robin about the battleships that were on their way to Ohara to destroy it due to the scholars studying the Poneglyphs.

Nico Olvia had recently escaped off a Marine ship and returned to Ohara (due to Saul's efforts). One returning to Ohara she informed the scholars that her colleagues overseas had been killed by the Marines. She told them that the Marines were able to infer that Ohara was their homeland based on the items they possessed on the ship, and they were headed towards Ohara, likely to kill them. The scholars, however, refused to leave; they wished to continue to protect The Tree of Knowledge and the knowledge they had worked so hard to research and procure. When Olvia was warned that CP9 was on shore, she rushed out of the Tree of Knowledge, running past her daughter without notice.

Robin arrived at the Tree of Knowledge, and asked Clover about her mother's whereabouts. As a wanted woman, Olvia wished to cut all ties with her daughter, so that Robin might not be associated with a criminal mother. Doing as Olvia wanted, Clover denied that Robin's mother was on the island, but Robin seemed skeptical. Clover quickly changed the topic and urged Robin to leave because she was also a scholar. Robin refused and CP9 bust into the Tree of Knowledge and began searching for the Poneglyphs.

Outside, agents warned the island's residents to move to the evacuation boat or they will be destroyed along with the entire island. Olvia confronted Spandine, the director of CP9 at the time, but was quickly subdued by the brute force of his agents.

Back at the Tree of Knowledge, all of the scholars were arrested and taken outside, and once again Clover urged Robin to escape, but she refused once again. Spandine and the rest of CP9 arrived with a gravely wounded Olvia, who instantly recognized her daughter once her name is spoken. CP9 found the Poneglyph in the basement of The Tree of Knowledge and Spandine sentenced the scholars to death by buster call. However, Clover began to speak out, talking to the Gorosei via Spandine's transponder snail, stating his theory on why the government really wanted to keep the Void Century and Poneglyphs a secret. However, before Clover could reveal the name of the civilization he spoke of, the Gorosei commanded CP9 agents to shoot him, injuring Clover but not killing him.

Seeing that the battleships had already arrived, Saul rushed off to find Robin. As the attack on Ohara began, it was discovered that Robin also had the capacity to read Poneglyphs. As the bombardment began, Spandine and CP9 made their exit, Robin and Olvia reunited, and shortly afterwards, Saul arrived.

It was then revealed that Saul was a former Vice Admiral, and aided Nico Olvia with her escape. Olvia asked Saul to make sure that her daughter was taken safely off the island, and told Robin that she must continue to live. Robin begged to stay with her mother, but Olvia insisted on staying, as there was something more that she had to do.

Saul followed Olvia's wish and managed to reach the island's shore. But the Marine ships spotted him and opened fire. Seeing as he was carrying Robin, Saul put her down and retaliated in anger for almost hurting Robin, and destroyed several ships. Robin tried to make for the evacuation ship but trying to use her Hana Hana abilities to get aboard frightened the people on board, plus Spandine told them to not let her on since she too is a scholar. Saul noticed Spandine and charged towards his ship for his foolishness, but Vice Admiral Kuzan prevented him from getting far.

The evacuation ship was destroyed by another vice admiral, Akainu, who did it as precaution because there may have been scholars that snuck aboard. This act disgusted both Saul and even Kuzan. Saul tried to get away with Robin but he was frozen by Kuzan's Hie Hie no Mi power. Before being completely encased in ice, Saul encouraged Robin to escape and that friends were out in the ocean waiting for her. His last act was to laugh as his body slowly became ice, due to his philosophy to laugh from his heart even in bad times, as most of the bearers of D. did when they met their demise.

Back at the Tree of Knowledge, Olvia, Clover and the other scholars had tossed out as many books into the ocean as they could so future generations could find them. They then realized there was nothing more they could do and stood in the middle of The Tree of Knowledge as it burned around them. Olvia apologized to Robin for not leaving any parting words as a mother.

Robin ran to the raft that Saul built, only to be met by Kuzan. He told her that he was letting Robin go, since he was curious as to why Saul risked his life for her. However, Kuzan warned her that he will be the first to come after Robin if she tried anything.

Robin then left on a boat guided by an ice path Kuzan set for her. Remembering Saul's words, she tried to laugh but wept as Ohara was burned to the ground, which left her as the only survivor.

Appearance[]

Nico Robin is an extremely tall, slender, yet athletic young woman with shoulder-length black hair and brown eyes with dark, wide pupils (blue eyes in the anime, excluding the tenth and the twelfth movie). She also has a long, thin and defined nose. In the anime, Robin's skin tone is slightly darker unlike in manga colored artworks where it is lighter. Robin also resembles her mother greatly, with the exception of her hair color and style as well as having slightly darker skin tone than her. Robin's limbs are very long, especially her legs, contributing greatly to both her fighting capabilities (given the nature of her powers) and overall height, and like most female characters in the series, she has a narrow waist. She is also well-endowed. Many people consider her to be very attractive or beautiful, and she along with Nami serve as eyecandy for fellow crewmember Sanji.

Personality[]

Through her heritage on the island of scholars, Robin is an archaeologist and historian, who seeks the comfort and freedom to study the mysteries of the world. She is the quiet, reserved crew member, rarely showing emotions or having outburst of emotions.

As a child, she was incredibly curious and intelligent, holding a desire and ability to learn history and languages studied in Ohara, although the scholars tried to keep her away from their work, since they understood it was forbidden by the World Government and therefore extremely dangerous to pursue. Professor Clover was a sort of father figure, as he taught her historical analysis and "safe" histories, although barred her from the Tree of Knowledge, in which illegal study, such as the Void Century, was researched; however, Robin's thirst for knowledge drove her to sneak in and learned banned knowledge anyway. Robin's exclusion, plus her mother, Nico Olvia's constant absences - due to research expeditions - she became an especially lonely child. The first friend she made was the washed ashore Jaguar D. Saul, a giant and Vice Admiral (but he didn't reveal that fact); from him she was inspired to laugh to find any joy during tough times, and he informed her that she will one day find her truest friends. The small joy she found, however, was shattered when the World Government discovered Ohara's research, thus sent Spandine and CP9 to investigate and interrogate the scholars.

Robin finally reunited with her mother, but Olvia denied their relation, which was, unbeknownst to Robin, an attempt to spare her daughter guilt by association. However, the truth of the research and their connection were discovered, so a Buster Call was declared on Ohara; the Government's fear over the scholars' knowledge of the Void Century and Poneglyphs made them mark everyone in Ohara for death, therefore a Navy fleet was sent to wipe out the island. In the chaos, Olvia was able to hug Robin, and assure her that she's proud of her daughter, and asking that she survive; Olvia entrusted Saul to take Robin to safety, despite the girl's protests. All of the Ohara scholars died in the bombardment or the inferno of the Tree of Knowledge, including Robin's mother. Saul himself seemed to be killed by Vice Admiral Kuzan (later known as Admiral Aokiji), although due to the fellow Vice Admirals' friendship, and disagreement with the Government's blunt "Absolute Justice," Kuzan allowed Robin to escape. On her small dinghy, watching Ohara burn, Robin tried to take Saul's lesson to heart, and mimicked his unique laugh in a desperate attempt to feel less despair. The loss of Ohara and her mother horrifically traumatised Robin, and she also began to carry immense survivor's guilt.

Labelled the "Demon Child," Robin had to fight to survive and to avoid notice. She ended up in the criminal underground, which was the only place she could find refuge. Into her adulthood, she allied with corrupt Warlord Crocodile, acting as his right-hand in Baroque Works. Regardless of her own moral misgivings, she became culpable in Crocodile's schemes, which resulted in suffering because of an artificial drought and massive death tolls due to a false civil war he manipulated into happening within Alabasta. Perhaps due to her jaded heart and already burdened conscience, Robin tried to dismiss the further deaths as merely more evidence of a cruel world that she had experienced. While allying with Crocodile, Robin didn't trust him, and even worked behind his back, as she saved a beaten Luffy from death. Robin also prepared a contingency in case of a betrayal, which occurred as she predicted; she failed to strike Crocodile down, however, Luffy successfully defeated the villain. As Baroque Works was her last choice, which was now defunct, Robin demanded that Luffy let her die in the collapsing crypt, however, he refused, declaring he owed her for saving his life earlier. In spite of her fall into the most brutal criminal underworld, Robin became partially responsible for Crocodile's defeat, too, which displays her true nobler self.

She initially joined the Straw Hats due to Luffy's defeat of Crocodile leaving her nowhere else to go, yet she quickly charmed her welcome into the crew, with Luffy impulsively accepting her out of blind trust, she became like sisters with Nami, she was a maternal figure for Chopper, her beauty easily endearing Sanji, and other members trusting Luffy's judgement enough to at least tolerate her. After a few adventures, such as the journey through Skypeia, the whole crew considered her one of their own. However, upon CP9 discovering her, she surrendered both to spare the rest of the crew and feeling that she doesn't deserve to keep living because of her survivor's guilt and remorse for helping people like Crocodile to save herself. Even so, upon seeing Luffy and the crew's persistence and willingness to declare war on the Government for her sake, she finally realised they were the family she had sought for years, thus changed her mind, begging for them to save her. After escaping Enies Lobby, Robin became much closer to the crew - as before she had kept an emotional distance due to fear of an eventual departure - and her gratitude made her appreciate them and her own life for the first time since prior the Ohara Incident.

She even appears calm at times towards her crew mates, often speaking ominously around them. She has an "adult charm" about her, as stated by Sanji. As suited as being described as the "mother" of the Straw Hats by Oda she has shown maternal care for others like Chopper and Momonosuke.

Robin also has a somewhat macabre side to her, and often points gross or morbid facts, usually to the disgust of Nami or Usopp. Robin will usually be the first to speculate that a crewmate has met or will meet with a horrible fate, often going into grisly detail. In other instances she will express enthusiasm for anything with a horror theme. She also appears to hold a taste for terrible artwork. Robin's penchant for macabre commentary may be a result of her childhood trauma and prior life of dwelling in the criminal underbelly of the world; however, it also serves as one side of her sense of humour, since some of her strategic grim remarks are clearly intended to tease or playfully toy with her fellow Straw Hats, or accompanying friends. From her past experiences, Robin generally expresses an emotionlessly pessimistic opinion about the world and encounters, however, from more time spent with the Straw Hats, she does periodically indicate a more hopeful attitude.

Robin is stoic, but also effortlessly warm and affectionate to her fellow Straw Hats; she seems closest to Nami in terms of similar intellects and backgrounds, but Robin is emotionally closest and most loyal to Luffy, both for him accepting her into his crew without judgement and for leading her rescue from CP9. Robin can act flirtatious, though with pristine nuance so that the target isn't certain it's happening, which is to offset unknown elements, and she also deduces a person's character to unnerve or sabotage a threat. Robin instantly shows kindness and nurturing to children, much like Nami, likely due to empathy born from their childhood suffering.

While Nami is annoyed or even exasperated by the hijinks of the more hyperactive and impulsive members of the crew, Robin always reacts with an affectionate smile or chuckles in amusement. Unlike Nami, Robin is unbothered by Luffy's more chaotic whims, sometimes encouraging him, and being delighted upon the opportunity for her inclusion. Robin's predominantly isolated childhood and her solitude on the run are possible factors that make her reactions to any social shenanigans of her found family entirely positive; although, it is possibly only an influence, and it is just her own personal preferences that she always had.

While Robin is generally indifferent to most enemies - with an exception of hatred to those who disrespect and desecrate history, like Eneru - she does show an unusual for her vindictive side. Spandam, CP9 leader, threatened her crewmates, humiliated her, and insulted the memories of Ohara and her mother, thus when finally free, Robin uses her powers to painfully break his spine. One of Kaido's Toppi Roppo, Black Maria, had tortured Sanji, who was unable to fight back due to his refusal to hit women, then she forced Robin down a drug trip that relived her life's trauma; Robin became angry at Black Maria for hurting one of her friends, and enraged that Black Maria essentially mocked her fallen family and friends; however, Robin's gratitude about being trusted by Sanji made her willing to embrace her criminal past - and old demonic attitude - to use it to defend her Straw Hat family. The unfair, erroneous label of "demon" was adopted by Robin, who used Demonio Fleur - embodying her demonic stamp - to brutally beat Black Maria (which is uncommon, since Robin usually uses swift finishers, rather than prolonged ones), until finally Gran Jacuzzi Clutch to defeat the spider-like monster woman, appearing to break her spine.

Robin isn't intimidated nor frightened by any foe the Straw Hats face, even if they vastly more powerful; that said, if the threat is overwhelming enough, she does display concern - that can reach anxiety - for the safety of her friends. She did, however, display terror when confronted by a danger and one from her horrific escape from Ohara; when faced with Vice Admiral Kuzan, or rather, later Admiral Aokiji, again after joining the Straw Hats, she was terrified beyond clear speech - though, reflective of her kind heart, a significant part of her fear was over the damage Aokiji could do to her friends (albeit, a fear she doesn't indicate post-timeskip due to increased faith in her friends' strength).

Abilities And Powers[]

As an archaeologist of Ohara, Nico Robin can read Poneglyphs which is forbidden by the World Government.

After two years, she learned Fishman Karate from Hack and Koala.

Devil Fruit[]

Nico Robin ate the Hana Hana no Mi (Flower Flower Fruit) which gives her the ability to replicate her body parts at will. She can create a clone of herself made of flowers like an illusion. However, her ability doesn't have any effect on Luffy due to him being rubber. She can create a web of arms to climb up or be used as a net. She can create 100 hands to defend sword attacks and can even create wings allowing her to fly.

Post-timeskip, her abilities have advanced to allow her to create and combine so many flowered limbs that she can create gigantic replications of her limbs - including, but not limited to, massive hand slaps and gigantic stomping legs; she can even conjure a giant manifestation of her whole body. Also, her titanic duplicate body can sprout more appendages for attack and defense, also combining them into giant limbs with incredible strength. Despite weakness to sea water, her manifested limbs can exist long enough underwater to do at least one significant push or hit.

Her most potent and deadly technique to date, Demonio Fleur was first used in the Wano Arc, where inspired by the nom de plume given to her by the world government, she assumes the form of a giant demon version of herself, tearing a foe apart with dozens of limbs that resemble tentacles with hands.

She is able to combine Fishman Karate with her Devil Fruit powers.

Weaknesses[]

• Inability to Swim: Due to eating a Devil Fruit, Robin can’t swim.
• Flower Flower Fruit flowered part shared pain and injury: Any damage done to her sprouted limbs is felt by her. Should the attacker have powerful Haki, the damage inflicted on the flowered body part is also inflicted upon her actual body.
• Seastone: Like other Devil fruit users, Nico Robin is vulnerable to seastone.

Trivia[]

• According to Oda, Nico Robin's design is based on the actress Uma Thurman while portraying the character Mia Wallace in the film Pulp Fiction.
• Oda also claims Ohara is the setting's equivalent to Russia, meaning Robin's heritage is the equivalent of Slavic.
• Nico Robin is one of the top 10 most popular characters in One Piece (along with Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Portgas D. Ace, Boa Hancock, Sabo and Trafalgar D. Water Law).
• Nico Robin was the first character who obtain a high bounty when she was a child (the other being Big Mom, Kaido and Jewelry Bonney; Big Mom and Kaido received theirs due to destruction they wrought and the future threat they posed, whereas Robin and Bonney were both unfairly targeted due to a Government conspiracy wanting to keep certain truths hidden).
• From childhood and her first introduction, Nico Robin had tanned skin, however, post-timskip, her skin had become as light as Nami's; it isn't certain if this is due to her spending 2 years in a winter environment, or merely the production's desire to simplify character colouring.
• Her favorite foods are sandwiches, cakes (except those that are two sweet), and anything that compliments coffee. She does not like chewing gum.
• Professor Clover, one of her childhood mentors, was revealed to have a similar alteration of name that happened to Gol D. Roger; while Roger's name was publicly made to be Gold Roger due to the Government aiming to hide the Will of D, the Professor changed his name to Cloud Clover from Clou D. Clover to hide from the Government. Along with Jaguar D. Saul, Luffy, Garp, Dragon, and Law, this made six individuals with the Will of D that she knew well, the most among the Straw Hats.

External Links[]

• Nico Robin on the One Piece Wiki

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