Niko Aris

Niko Aris is a blue-aligned human athlete and former planeswalker from Meletis, Theros. Their signature magic is using mirror-like magical shards for direct attack, trapping foes, or hiding friends. They are also a gifted athlete with javelin and are known for defying fate and destiny. On Kaldheim, they are called bear-rider, ice-foot, Valkyrie-puncher, and Steelhair.
==Appearance and characteristics==
Niko is a tan shardmage, sporting a hairstyle that is shaved on one side, with a long lock of hair on the other. They have a small patch of dark facial hair. Their hair is naturally black but is dyed a silver-violet color. They carry a slim build and possess great physical dexterity, having trained for years as a javelin thrower. 
Their powers revolve around conjuring mirror-like shards of energy which they can then shape. In addition to simply piercing their targets, these shards are capable of absorbing living beings, temporarily containing them in a pocket of extra-dimensional space. They can trap enemies, hold people captive, or rescue allies in the heat of battle. While inside, the detainee is unable to affect the goings-on around them, though can be seen and communicated with "as though through a thick pane of glass." These shards don't hold forever; those captured can break out if they try hard enough.
Niko believes strongly in free will and takes pride in acts of defiance against fate, such as the one that ignited their spark. On the other hand, they were also angry and bitter about losing their spark again. Niko left their home Plane because they didn’t want their destiny dictated to them by the gods. They are very much about choosing their destiny and not being forced into something they didn’t agree to. Their spark was what let them leave. Having it effectively stolen without their consent isn’t sitting well with them — and neither is the fact that when Theros was in danger, they weren’t there. 
Niko is primarily blue-aligned but secondarily white.
==History==
===Origins===
Niko was born and raised on Theros. Early in their life, an oracle saw their athletic future, destined to become undefeated and highly skilled. They trained at javelin-throwing for years, but eventually began to question their destiny, and instead sought to become a hero like those of the stories and songs they had always heard. After purposefully losing a contest, they realized that they could take control of their fate.
===Theros Beyond Death===
During the events of Theros Beyond Death, the ancient goddess of destiny Klothys returned from the Underworld, on a mission to reweave fate and enforce it by ensuring that people obey their prescribed future. The most notable agent she sent out was Calix, whose goal was to prevent Elspeth from leaving the Underworld, however many others were sent out after various individuals, Niko being one such target. Niko's defiance of fate, losing the contest, had set them too far off the desired path, but during this confrontation, Niko's spark ignited and they left the plane.
===Kaldheim===
Niko’s first planeswalk took them to Kaldheim on the realm of Bretagard where they were joined by a band of Kannah led by Fynn the Snakehunter. The group was on an urgent mission to discover the secrets of their leader’s troubling visions. Niko was quickly accepted and mentored by Kjell, a Kannah mystic. Under a truce as dictated by faith, they traveled to Jutmaw so that Fynn could consult with Orhaft Stoneback, an Omenseeker Vedrune. While the clan leaders talked, warriors from both sides were goaded into conflict by Birgi (the god of boasting) to show Niko the nature of their ways. Niko attempted to stop the fighting, but a pair of Valkyries arrived as heralds of approaching death. To prevent this, Niko successfully trapped one of them and sought help from the clan leaders. While Fynn quelled the fighting, Orhaft explained that Niko had been seen as a dark omen. Omenpaths, portals between realms, were occurring with a greater frequency which indicated an approaching Doomskar. Niko offered to travel to Starnheim to seek answers and provide a warning. With their approval, Niko set out on the Omenseeker ship guided by Orhaft and the imprisoned Valkyrie.
Niko arrived in Starnheim and crossed the Yetta Docks above the black lake of Valkmir. They entered the Hall of the Valkyries and briefly joined the celebrated heroes partaking in the eternal feast. Niko then made their way to the gathered Valkyries and attempted to warn them of Fynn the Snakehunter’s visions and the approaching destruction brought by Koma, the Cosmos Serpent. As the Valkyries considered Niko’s warning, the threat of multiple Doomskars appeared in the sky above just before Koma breached the realm. With the Valkyries uncertain of what to do, Niko took charge and helped them to drive Koma back through the Omenpath it had entered. Niko left the light of Starnheim behind and bravely fell through the portal in pursuit, joined by the Valkyries in the battle ahead.
Following Koma from Starnheim, Niko and the Valkyries ended up in Bretagard where they helped face the invading hordes. There, Niko saved Kaya and was saved in turn by Kaya. After the great battle, Kaya discovered that Niko was a Theran planeswalker and told them that they needed to have a conversation. They stayed on Kaldheim and fought in its defense during the Phyrexian invasion, only to be trapped there in its aftermath when they lost their spark.
===On Duskmourn===
After losing their spark, Niko fell into a depression over losing their newfound freedom. They traveled around Kaldheim alongside Tyvar for some time to alleviate their boredom. The two were eventually recruited by Kaito Shizuki to join the Wanderer and Zimone Wola in their efforts to find and save Nashi from the plane of Duskmourn.
Upon arriving on Ravnica via Omenpath, the group was assisted by Aminatou, who gave each rescuer a fateshifter, a crystallized measure of her power over fate. Niko was frustrated by this gift, which called their beliefs about fate into question, but took it anyway. They ventured through the portal to Duskmourn.
Once inside, they navigated the labyrinthine corridors of the shifting, haunted House. Their search was fraught with peril as the House morphed unpredictably, leading them through disorienting rooms and eerie spaces. Their efforts were further complicated by the vanishing of critical pathways, including a screaming door that led Tyvar and Zimone off, and one through which Kaito fell into an abyss, leaving him separated from the group. Despite their attempts to backtrack and reunite, the House's treacherous nature thwarted their progress. Niko and the Wanderer encountered Winter, a resident of the House, who offered guidance on evading its dangers. Winter revealed the House's unyielding grasp on those within, leaving Niko and the Wanderer to confront the grim reality that escape might be beyond their reach.
Winter walked across the small parlor with a deliberate, rolling gait, carefully avoiding the moth motifs woven into the faded carpet. Niko observed Winter's precise movements, realizing nothing about him was as casual as it appeared. Winter warned Niko and the Wanderer not to step on the moths, explaining that Duskmourn was alive and hunted those within it. He revealed that Duskmourn lured people inside, isolated them, and used creatures to hunt them. Winter advised them to stay close to him, remain cautious, and follow the Wanderer's Glimmer - a glowing dragon spirit which represented her hopes and dreams. Together, they followed the glimmer, hoping it would lead them to safety and possibly reunite them with their lost companions.
Winter, Niko, and the Wanderer following the glowing form of Kyodai, traversed the labyrinthine House in search of Nashi. Along the way, they encountered various obstacles, including cellarspawn, nightmares, and glitch ghosts that emerged from mirrors. At one point, they stumbled upon a clearing where four nezumi, including Nashi, were held captive by wickerfolk. The Wanderer and Niko, using quick thinking and teamwork, managed to rescue Nashi and defeat the wickerfolk by exploiting their fear of fire, although they did discharge the Wanderer's fateshifter in the process. Despite the rescue, Nashi's obsession with finding his mother Tamiyo continued to drive them deeper into the unknown.
The party led by Nashi continued their journey deeper into Duskmourn through a series of natural environments that seemed impossible to contain within the House. They entered the Valley of Serenity, home of the Cult of Valgavoth, a dangerous group dedicated to the demon Valgavoth, and then their altar room, where they encountered the Cult. The Cult had captured three survivors, including a wounded girl named Rill and an uninjured captive named Sunset. Rill gave in to the cultists' demands, agreeing to become one of them. Despite trying to intervene, Niko, the Wanderer, and Nashi were captured after a betrayal by Winter, who sealed them in the room with the cultists. The cult leader then used a cloud of sedative dust to knock them out, and they awoke tied to stone posts in another cavern. The Wanderer was the first to regain consciousness, realizing that the cult was using Tamiyo's scroll echo to siphon her stories and feed them to Valgavoth, allowing him to learn where to place the doors to spread his influence beyond Duskmourn's walls.
As the group watched, Valgavoth manifested in the cultists' chamber to reward Winter for his betrayal, opening a door to Innistrad. He then turned his attention to the rescue team, explaining that with multiple planar travelers, he no longer needed Tamiyo's memories to gain the information he needed. However, they managed to escape thanks to the intervention of Tyvar and Zimone, who had found their way back. They fought off Valgavoth and the cultists, giving Nashi time to retrieve the memory scroll, although Niko was forced to discharge their fateshifter when a cultist stabbed them through the eye. As they ran away, Valgavoth blocked their way, but Kaito, who had retreated to Ravnica, used Alquist Proft's magic to open an artificial Omenpath from Ravnica to Duskmourn, which the group used to escape.
In the aftermath of the expedition, Niko accompanied Zimone to her home plane of Arcavios, curious about the athletics at her school, Strixhaven University.
==Artifacts acquired==
*A fateshifter from Aminatou, extinguished when they were killed on Duskmourn.
==Planes visited==
*Aminatou's planeJed MacKay (2023). Magic. Iss 22. Boom! (non-canon)
*Arcavios
*CapennaJed MacKay (2022). Magic. Iss 18. Boom! (non-canon) 
* (non-canon)
*Duskmourn
*MacKay, Jed. (2022). Magic. Iss 14. (non-canon)
* (non-canon)
* (non-canon)
*Kaldheim
*Kamigawa (non-canon)
*
*Theros
*MacKay, Jed. (2022). Magic. Iss 12. (non-canon)
==Planeswalkers met==
==Gallery==
File:Creating-Niko-Aris.jpg|<c>Niko Aris</c>
File:Niko magic.jpg|Niko's specialty is conjuring up magic mirror shards.
File:Behold-the-Multiverse.jpg|“A mirror does more than reflect reality—it shapes it.”
File:Niko Aris MTGA avatar KHM.png|Magic: The Gathering Arena avatar.
==Story appearances==
Title	Author 	Publishing date	Set 	Setting (plane) 	Featuring
 	Setsu Uzumé 	2021-01-08 	Kaldheim 	Kaldheim 	Niko Aris, Kjell, Egil Seventree, Orhaft, Birgi, Thura, Kinkiller, Threat, Rytva, Avtyr, Fynn
 	Setsu Uzumé 	2021-01-15 	Kaldheim 	Kaldheim 	Niko Aris, Vígniút, Thura, Gæller, Aggressor, Avtyr, Evot, Tove, Gisla, Alsig, Rytva, Koma
 	Roy Graham with contributions by Jenna Helland	2021-02-03 	Kaldheim 	Kaldheim 	Hakka, Arni, Fynn, Inga Rune-Eyes, Sigrid, Kaya, Tyvar Kell, Alrund, Halvar, Varragoth, Vorinclex, Cosima, Harald, Koma, Niko Aris, Esika
 	Mira Grant 	2024-08-19 	Duskmourn: House of Horror	Duskmourn, Kamigawa, Kaldheim, Ravnica,	Marina Vendrell, Kaito Shizuki, Himoto, The Wanderer, Yoshimaru, Tamiyo (mentioned), Nashi (mentioned), Genku (mentioned), Niv-Mizzet, Tyvar Kell, Kaya Cassir (mentioned), Niko Aris, Trygve, Zimone, Etrata, Alquist Proft, Aminatou
 	Mira Grant 	2024-08-20 	Duskmourn: House of Horror	Duskmourn 	Kaito Shizuki, The Wanderer, Nashi (mentioned), Zimone Wola, Niv-Mizzet (mentioned), Tyvar Kell, Niko Aris, Himoto, Swift-Arm (mentioned), Birgi (mentioned), Winter
 	Mira Grant 	2024-08-22 	Duskmourn: House of Horror	Duskmourn 	Winter, Niko Aris, The Wanderer, Niv-Mizzet (mentioned), Kyodai (mentioned), Nashi (mentioned), Kaito Shizuki, Himoto, Teferi Akosa (mentioned), Jace Beleren, Nahiri (mentioned), Zimone Wola, Tyvar Kell, Liliana Vess (mentioned)
 	Mira Grant 	2024-08-26 	Duskmourn: House of Horror	Duskmourn 	Kyodai (depicted), The Wanderer, Winter, Niko Aris, Esika (mentioned), Nashi, Tamiyo (mentioned), Aminatou, Jace Beleren, Kaito Shizuki, Himoto, Vraska, Loot, Tyvar Kell, Zimone Wola, Kianne (depicted)
 	Mira Grant 	2024-08-28 	Duskmourn: House of Horror	Duskmourn, Ravnica 	Tyvar Kell, Zimone Wola, Koma (mentioned), Marina Vendrell, Rootha Squallheart (mentioned), Valgavoth, Nashi, Winter, The Wanderer, Niko Aris, Rill, Sunset, Tamiyo, Kaito Shizuki, Himoto, Jace Beleren, Aminatou, Etrata, Niv-Mizzet, Alquist Proft, Yoshimaru
 	Mira Grant 	2024-08-30 	Duskmourn: House of Horror	Duskmourn, Ravnica 	Niko Aris, Nashi, The Wanderer, Tamiyo, Valgavoth, Marina Vendrell, Winter, Zimone Wola, Tyvar Kell, Kaito Shizuki, Himoto, Alquist Proft, Aminatou, Yoshimaru, Loot, Etrata, Niv-Mizzet (mentioned)
==Trivia==
*Part of the reason for Niko's creation was to illustrate a blue-aligned planeswalker that focuses more on practice instead of knowledge.
*In Duskmourn: House of Horror, Niko filled the horror tropes of "The Optimist" and "The Leader."
==In-game references==
==References==
Category:Humans
Category:Wizards
Category:LGBT characters
Category:Desparked Planeswalkers