- "Pretty awesome, huh? This is Martial Arts."
— Tokita to a young Ohma[1]
Tokita Niko (十鬼蛇 二虎, Tokita Niko; "Niko Tokita") was Tokita Ohma's master and adoptive father, and founder of the Niko Style. In reality, "Tokita Niko" was never his real name, but rather an alias being used by the students of the true creator of the Niko Style, his master Gaoh Mukaku.
Appearance
Niko was a well-defined and muscular man with long black hair, which he tied into a ponytail that hung over his right shoulder (similar to Gaolang Wongsawat), confident eyes with pronounced tear troughs and thin facial hair on his chin. He was often seen wearing a cape.
Personality
He was a confident man who followed the beat of his own drum and did whatever he thought was best. He developed a soft spot for Ohma after their first encounter, which caused them to have a master-student relationship from that point thereafter.
History
Niko was one of many orphans raised and trained by Gaoh Mukaku and was also one of many to receive the name Tokita Niko, and the mission to unite the Inside. When the resistance against him and the other Niko's grew stronger, Gaoh took him to Gakigahara Forest to train them in the secret technique. While he managed to survive and acquire the secret technique, he bore witness the other Niko's dying in the process and his master vanishing. He later went on a journey to trace his master's footsteps and, ten years after the tragedy at Gakigahara Forest, his journey would take him to meet Kuroki Gensai.[2]
At one point, he took a job as a yakuza hitman and was sent to the Inside to deal with a nameless boy who had stolen from them. After being impressed by the boy's sheer will to survive, he saved the nameless boy from the yakuza that were chasing him and offered to teach him his Niko Style before giving Tokita Ohma his current name.[1]
Ten years prior to the events of Kengan Ashura, Niko informed Ohma that he was ready to learn the style's secret technique, which Niko noted would be a dangerous task. Agreeing, the two traveled to Gakigahara Forest where Niko explained that Ohma had to land a single hit on Niko while wearing weights on his wrists and ankles. With Niko noting that he wouldn't be holding back, the first session ended with Ohma getting badly beat up. After the fight, Niko gave him a break, with Ohma trying to recover until sunrise, but Niko returned far sooner than Ohma expected and continued to beat him.[3] The next day Ohma managed to hit Niko[4] leading to the true training beginning, with Niko taking off his coat and his own weights. It was then that Ohma finally acquired the secret technique of the Niko Style.[5]
Not long after teaching Ohma the secret technique, after discovering Ohma was somehow using the Possessing Spirit technique, Niko was forced to stop a rampaging Ohma.[6] Immediately after subduing Ohma, he realized it was one of his fellow Niko's who was behind everything and he defeated him in a fatal battle.[7] Afterwards, extremely tired and wounded, Niko fought against Taira Genzan and lost, dying from to his accumulated injuries and fatigue.[8]
Plot
While Niko has been long dead by the time the story begins, Ohma's mental image of him appears first during his image training, then as a hallucination. He advises Ohma to believe in the Niko Style and recover his memories, but also warns him that his death is near.
Power & Abilities
Niko was a notably powerful individual and the student of the true creator of the Niko Style, Gaoh Mukaku. Kuroki Gensai, an extremely powerful martial artist in his own right, noted that he could tell how powerful Niko was at first glance.[2] His abilities were superhuman, being capable of feats such as reacting quickly enough to deflect gun fire.[1] As well as being one of the few Niko's to survive and successfully learn Demonsbane, Niko was able to stop a rampaging Ohma as well as defeat a fellow Niko, all in a short period of time.[7] He also taught Ohma how to perform image training within an out-of-body experience while asleep, a skill which he presumably was able to do himself.[9][10]
Technique(s)
Niko Style: As one of the practitioners of the Niko Style, Niko was one of the best users of the martial art. This style is made up of four different katas, or forms: Redirection Kata, Adamantine Kata, Flame Kata and Water Kata; each kata must be fully mastered in order for the Niko Style to be complete. Niko was seen using several techniques from the style:
- Change of Scenery: Niko used this technique to subdue his former employer, a yakuza boss.[1]
- Chi Blockage: Niko used this technique to suppress Ohma's Possessing Spirit when he was rampaging out of control.[11]
- Flowing Edge: Niko used this technique to deflect pistol fire.[1]
- Combined Katas: Some moves of the Niko Style utilize principles from multiple katas.
- Flashing Steel[5]
- Swimming Swallow[5]
- Demonsbane: While he was never seen utilising the technique, it is known that he had successfully learned it.
