Nicole "Nico" Collard, is the female protagonist of the Broken Sword series, At the start of Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars, Nicole Collard was a freelance photo-journalist for a newspaper called La Liberté. She lives at 361 Rue Jarry in Paris. Nicole is described as a beautiful young woman with brown eyes, light skin and short black hair, although it is blue in the third installment.
She moved to Paris and became a freelance photo-journalist, Nicole doesn't really like her job because of her boss, since he is always so picky about what story she is doing for the newspaper. Nicole's dream is to write an amazing article for the newspaper that will make her famous and give her a chance for a big break.
Nicole met George Stobbart in front of Café de la Chandelle Verte after the explosion, to find out the mystery behind the incident they decided to cooperate and work as a team. During the course of the game the two fell in love and began a relationship. Before the events of the Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror, George suddenly moved back to America to be with his dying father without letting Nicole know. She was devastated, thinking that he had ended their relationship, but as soon as he managed to contact her again he told her that was not the case. In Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon their relationship didn't work out and they decided to remain as friends. During the course of the game series their romantic relationship is on and off, though they remain close and eager to help each other.
Personality[]
Nico could be described as a street-wise, forthright and sarcastic individual who has always being passive in situations that considered as mythical. She has a short temper, but she stands by her principle of finding the truth, especially to thwart corruption and take a stand for those who need it. She is independent, having lived by herself for much of her life by the beginning of the series and had the self-confident expression of a juvenile delinquent.
Despite her hard exterior however, Fleur claimed that she often heard her cry herself to sleep.
During her early career she was an admirer of Augustin Rosso. Professionally, Nico is a no-nonsense reporter, highly critical of sensationalist tabloid papers, but later she admits she has written articles in gossip magazines.
Early Life[]
When she was eight years old, her parents split up and her mother went away with her new boyfriend. Nicole had stayed with her father and she was very close to him, even going so far to say that he was like her older brother to her. Shortly after her father bought her a camera as a birthday gift, and she loved it, marking her future career as a photo-journalist.
When Nicole was twelve years old, her father bought her a camera as a birthday gift, and she loved it. Unfortunately, after the summer vacation was over, Nico witnessed her father's death in an explosion caused by a plane crash. She also remembers spending the winters in her grandparents's tiny cottage, enjoying her grandma's cookies and hot chocolates, and watching her grandpa roll cigarettes, who eventually revealed to her that he doesn't smoke, but pretends to because his wife likes it.
According to her father's wishes, Nico studied art in college instead of photography because she can't afford with the supplies, and studied "minimalism" as more affordable. Sometimes, she went to the park to poach squirrel hair for income. During her time in college, she met André Lobineau, who was studying history and became friends. She also dated her first boyfriend who was rich but their relationship didn't work out. In her last year, she had to dropped out of college and found work in La Liberté as a freelance photo-journalist.
She also had written an article about the Crusades, through which she first investigated the story of the Knights Templar. She had also written for gossip magazines. A few months before the start of the first game, Nicole moved to a new apartment at 361 Rue Jarry, a run-down place with cheap rent. She was investigating the mysterious deaths of Arno Bilotta and Yamada, thinking that they are related, and there is a global conspiracy to cover them up.
Broken Sword: The Shadow Of The Templars[]
Nicole's appearance in Broken Sword Shadow Of The Templars
Nicole was sent to do an interview with Pierre Carchon, a national hero of France for her newspaper La Liberté. While introducing herself to Pierre and his wife, he was killed by a man disguised as a mime who would later turn out to be Khan. Curious about this, Nicole investigated the murder and searched the apartment for find any clues. She begs Pierre's wife Emelda to let her solve the death of her husband since it's a homicide. Nicole discovers a dark secret about Pierre and writes an article about it, however her editor doesn't like it as she's disgracing a national hero and it could get her killed too.
George and Nicole together
Not knowing what to do next, Nicole receives a telephone called from a man who gives his name as Plantard, claiming he is very interested in her story about the murders she was investigating and has vital information for her. He begs her to met him at Cafe de la Chandelle Verte at 8 o'clock. Nicole had a bad feeling about this and was beginning to feel scared. The next morning she arrived at the cafe only to find that it was destroyed from a bomb explosion. While Nicole took pictures around the cafe to find some clues, she met George for the first time. As they introduce themselves, she finds out that Plantard was killed in the explosion. George explains that a guy dressed as a clown had placed a bomb in the cafe. Nicole is suspicious and believes it's the same murderer who killed Pierre as well as Bilotta and Yamada. Since he wants to help bring the murderer to justice she decides to team up with George,
As she develops her pictures, her editor says to drop the case, reinforcing her belief that the murders are linked and are being covered up.
In the end they both discover that the murderer is the Costume Killer known as Khan. Khan is a member of the hashshāshīn or "Cult of Assassins," who are trying to stop a secret organization who claim themselves to be the Knights Templar who are seeking the Sword of Baphomet. Khan's mission is to assassinate the Neo-Templars to stop them from finding the sword. Nicole and George manage to avoid Khan, until they witness his death and stop the Neo-Templars from using the Sword. In the end George and Nicole kiss and began a relationship.
Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror[]
Nicole in Broken Sword II
Nicole has received a strange Mayan artifact from one of her clients and visits the home of a famous archeologist named Professor Oubier who her friend André recommend she see. George tags along with her to Professor Oubier's House, where Nico is kidnapped by Pablo, a henchman of Karzac. George is knocked out and tied to a chair. Since Andre recommened Professor Oubier to Nicole, George decides to call him and ask for his help. She is later rescued by George and they begin another adventure, fighting against a lunatic trying to resurrect an ancient Aztec/Mayan god.
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon[]
Nicole appearance in Broken Sword 3
Nico receives a phone call from a man named Vernon Blier who has decoded an ancient manuscript. However, shortly before her arrival, he is murdered by an unknown woman posing as Nico. Nico arrives at the apartment and discovers the man is dead, and that she is not alone. The woman is still in the apartment and a fight begins. Nico escapes and comes back after being released by the police to investigate the crime scene. She makes friends with Vernon's girlfriend, Beatrice, and gains access to Vernon's safe which held a video recording of Vernon explaining what he wanted to talk to Nico about. He explains the prophecy detailed in the manuscript and how the people who paid him to decode it will want him dead now that he knows too much. Nico decides to further investigate and ends up running into her old boyfriend George, who was also investigating the same conspiracy, but from a different murder which occured in Congo. They begin their journey investigating the Dragon Cult with the help of André and Beatrice, who have seemingly begun a relationship, which causes Nico to become jealous as she apparently became accustomed to André's affection. Their investigation leads them from Paris to England and Egypt and back to England. Once they arrive in Egypt after following the trail of the the Dragon Cult left behind by Susarro, they confront Susarro in the Armillary where Petra (the woman assassin from the beginning) reveals she has been working for the Grand Master of Templars from the first game the entire time. The Grand Master proceeds to kill Susarro and he and Petra head for Glastonbury, England where the Grand Master and Petra have gone and where the Grand Master intends to harness the powers released in the Armillary, when they arrive Petra is waiting for them and Nico takes on Petra while George goes ahead to confront the Grand Master, who cannot control the power and transforms into a dragon. The Dragon begins his rampage and flames shoot past George, seemingly killing Nico. After the fight is over, Nico is waiting by the tree for George, and surprises him, as he believed her to be dead. The game ends with George throwing the sword into the lake where Nico asks if he thought a hand would come out and grab the sword, to which George admits he did believe and Nico says "get real George".
Broken Sword: The Angel of Death[]
Nicole hasn't heard from George for a couple of months and begins to worried, She decides to track him and manage to find out that George has been arrested in Topkapı Palace in Istanbul.She disguises herself as a nun to pay him a visit along with a priest name Father Nicholas. Who give George some toys to help him escape, before leaving the prison Nicole whispers to George to meet her up on the roof within an hour, at the time George didn't recognize Nico's voice but he do as he was told.
After there sweet reunion, they decide to head back to Istanbul Hotel where George was staying, he then explains to her that he met a young lady name Anna-Maria Presa who wanted his help to decode a manuscript that belong to her family for generations after trying to decode it George finds out it leads to a treasure hidden in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul after located & taken the treasure back to the hotel. The next day Anna-Maria was missing along with the treasure, he only finds the police in his hotel room, where he was arrested by Melut who thought at the time George was a terrorist. Nicole believes that Anna-Maria lied to him & used him to get hold of the treasure. George denies it and believes she was kidnapped by Tte Martino Gang mobsters who were after the manuscript.
Nicole decides to help George track down where Anna-Maria could have gone. In the end they found out, that Anna-Maria lives in Rome Italy where she was a nun & used to work at a monastery in the Vatican, some manuscripts were stolen from the library prior to her disappearance. Nicole knew all along that Anna-Maria was lying to George and hated her for that! While returning to the monastery they confronted Father Gregor, he reveals that the manuscript shows how to summon the Angel of Death to destroyed all 'unbelievers" Father Gregor fears that Anna-Maria plans to summon the Angel Of Death. Suddenly the Vatican's appear and shot Father Gregor knocks out George and kidnaps Nico. Regaining consciousness, George goes to rescue Nico there he is reunited with Anna-Maria in the catacombs, she apologize for what she did and explains to George that she was trying to stop The Vatican's from discovering the treasure which is the Ark Of The Covenant a weapon of mass-destruction & also summoning The Angel Of Death! Anna-Maria then reveals that the Ark needs a human interface to be activated and that there using Nico. George and Anna-Maria arrives at the ceremony to see Nico chained to the Ark, ready to become the new Angel of Death. Nico cries out to George for help, suddenly Mevlut came in arm with a gun stopping George, Anna-Maria withdraw her gun tells George to save Nico quickly. George succeeds in stopping the ceremony in time and frees Nico. Mevlut open fired at George but Anna-Maria took the bullet and shot Mevlut. Dying Anna-Maria apologizes to George for using him and tells him she loves him. George cries out in sorrow and Nico gives George her condolences. They finally realize that Anna-Maria was a good woman after all.
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse[]
Nico visits Le Lézard Bleu Art Gallery to make a report about the upcoming art exhibit. She meets her old friend George, who's present to insure the painting. Their reunion is interrupted when they encounter a robber wearing a motorcycle helmet. The robber murders the gallery owner and steals the painting. Nico captures the incident using her smartphone as evidence and then chases the robber.
Quotes[]
George - "Did you bring the cloak of invisibility?"
"Damn, I left it in the bag of forgetfulness."
"Don't even think about it, George." "You're right, let's just feel our way around"
George - "Hey what's this? Feels nice."
"George.."
George - "Right. Sorry...
Trivia[]
- The name Nicole is derived from the Greek name Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), which contains compounds of the words "victory" and "people", and so can be taken to mean "victory of the people".
- Nicole witnessed her father's death; the plane took off and exploded right in front of her, at the end of "the last summer [she] spent as a child". Occasionally, around summertime, Nicole has nightmares about it.
- Nicole loved staying at her grandparents' and is very nostalgic about it.
- Fans believe that her father Thierry's death was not in fact accidental since he was close to Pierre Carchon. The Hashshāshīn believed that he was member of the Neo-Templars and had him assassinated.
- In Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon, Nicole quit her job as a journalist.
- In Broken Sword: The Angel Of Death, Nico is implied to be jealous of Anna-Maria.
- Nicole's features and voice actors have change throughout the games, although this may change in the new installment.
- Nicole has been kidnapped 3 times in the game series and always ends up being rescued by George.
- The Flower Lady outside Nicole's apartment told George that almost every night she can hear Nico crying herself to sleep. Without more information, the most likely cause seems to be unresolved grief from her father's sudden death, since they were very close to one another and otherwise individually rather isolated.
- The Flower Lady also mentions that Nico seems to keep her finger on the pulse of the latest fashion trends as she is always wearing the latest brands and styles.
- Nicole always wanted to visit America with George and had planned a trip to New York City with him.
- In Broken Sword: The Angel of Death, Nicole was played by Katherine Pageon, the first time Nico was voiced by a native French speaker.
- Nicole has a shorter haircut in Broken Sword: The Angel of Death.
- Broken Sword 2 & 3 are the only games in which Nico has more than one outfit.
- In Broken Sword: The Angel of Death, you can only play as Nicole in two sequences.
- Nicole's eye color doesn't seem to be consistent, changing between brown and blue throughout the series. However, blue eyes have no color pigmentation and are actually clear, they only appear blue because the blue spectrum of light scatters within the iris and gets trapped making them appear blue, but they can seem to change color in different lighting conditions, meaning it is fully possible that Nico could have 'blue' eyes that appear brown depending on the environmental lighting
- When Nicole was younger her hair was long.
- Nicole stated that she couldn't study photography in college like she planned, since the materials were too expensive for her to afford.
