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| “ | A quiz that just gives away the answers is boring, isn't it? | „ |
| ~ Nikolai Gogol to Mushitarō Oguri. |
| “ | Ha-ha-haaa-ha! I love that question! The four I killed asked me the same! They all went, "Why are you doing this?" over and over, their blood, nerves, muscles spilling out everywhere! So I actually have two responses. Here's the first - 'cos it's fuuuun! It's fun, it fills me with joy, and it gives me such a thrill! I'm just like any other cold-blooded killer! I have no grand motive! I'm an enigma with no inner persona! Well... that's the first reason I give my victims. Sounds like it would make sense, no? Being killed by an inhuman monster is unfair, but they at least die convinced. However, since you aren't on my list of targets I will give you the real answer. I am a perfectly sane person. I know murdering is evil, and I feel as guilty as anyone would. I'm sure you want to ask why I still kill despite that. Well, let's see... do you like birds? 'Cos I do. The full freedom of flight, not being bound by gravity... it's what I've always wanted. That's why I joined the Decay of the Angels. | „ |
| ~ Nikolai's infamous monologue towards Atsushi Nakajima about his motivation while torturing him. |
Nikolai Gogol is a major antagonist in the manga/anime series Bungo Stray Dogs. He is a former member of the Decay of the Angel.
In order to set a frame-up on the Armed Detective Agency, Nikolai presented a "new urgent request" to Kunikida and the others to stop him from killing the hostages with chainsaw ropes. Thus, it led to have the Armed Detective Agency to be framed as terrorists to prevent them from stopping the Angel's ultimate plan. His character is based upon the classical Ukrainian author of the same name.
He is voiced by Takehito Koyasu in Japanese, who voices Toji Fushiguro from Jujutsu Kaisen, Dio Brando in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, and by Jeff Schine in English.
Appearance[]
Nikolai has a pale skin, a long scar on his bluish grey left eye and a card-like eyepatch that covers his emerald-colored right eye, and white short hair with a long braid. Given his chaotic personality, he wears a prominent outfit of a ringmaster, which includes a suit, a cape, boots, and a hat, all two-toned with black and white, as well as a pair of dark magenta gloves.
Aside from his default physical appearance, he also wears disguises, such as a police officer after Mushitaro turning himself in, and Tonan's secretary prior to the Agency's frame-up.
Personality[]
In Nokolai's first appearance, he establishes himself as a sadistic and theatrical jester. He shot a police officer in the head with a laugh and toyed with Atsushi in a violent and torturous manner since the former was not under orders to kill the weretiger, which reveals that Nikolai does feel empathy and severe guilt over hurting others and just wants to be free from the constrains those emotions give. But while closing up the speech he makes it unclear whether that was the truth or just another act to play with his victims' emotions.
Nikolai hints that his eccentric persona may or may not be genuine. The side of him feeling no remorse in murdering others is just as real as the side that feels guilt, well aware of how wrong and cruel his actions are. He claims to want to soar as freely as birds do. Nonetheless, both sides appear evident. However, even if he does feel guilt, he acts as if he bears no hard feelings towards Fyodor Dostoevsky, whom he nicknames "Dostoy". He also greatly enjoys giving fun-fact pop quizzes to the point he often ends up spoiling the answer in excitement.
Despite wanting to be free from his own emotions, Nikolai has a hard time understanding his own feelings, evident to when Fyodor was "killed", and he was saying that he wanted him dead but at the same time he didn't want him dead. Nikolai believed that his life didn't have purpose or meaning until he met Fyodor who was the only person understood what motivated him. In the end, Nikolai felt down about Fyodor's "death" and truly did see him as a friend even if Fyodor didn't think the same of Nikolai.
Ability[]
The Overcoat - Nikolai's ability allows him to transport any object within a 30-meter range through his cape. The cape can transport large objects that would otherwise be immovable by normal human standards. It can also transport only a part of an object or person, such as when it was used to remove Atsushi's leg.
Trivia[]
- Nikolai's Japanese voice actor, Takehito Koyasu, also voices The Joker from The LEGO Batman Movie in Japanese dub, in which they share the similar extravagant clown motif.
