Nopon

Nopon (, Nopon) are a species found in the Xenoblade Chronicles series. They take the role of the traditional JRPG cute mascot species. Each game has at least one Nopon that figures as a major character, and usually also as a party member.

Appearance
Nopon are short, plump, and fuzzy creatures, having pear-shaped bodies with no neck. They have short and thin arms and legs with two digits each. Attached to the back of their necks is a pair of long and flat appendages they call "wings" that end in four digits (three "fingers" and a "thumb"), and naturally sit wrapped around the base of the head. Nopon have large eyes that are mostly if not only pupils, no visible nose or ears, deep-coloured cheeks, and usually a tuft of hair sticking straight up out of the middle of their head. Mustaches, sideburns, and beards are available options. While Nopon are sometimes described as having "feathers", the fuzz on their bodies looks much more like fur.

Nopon come in a variery of colours, including brown, pink, orange, tan, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. They are usually half the height of a human, though some can grow to equal a human. Nopon appear to grow and age at about the same rate as humans. Many Nopon wear clothing, but just as many do not.

Characteristics
It is said that Nopon, despite having wings, cannot fly. However, several Nopon are shown able to hover in place and attempt to fall slower, so perhaps to them the ability to "fly" implies a greater level of skill or control that they cannot achieve. In general, they treat their wings as their arms, barely using their "actual" arms for anything, and saying things such as "wings full" and "twisting my wing" instead of "hands full" or "twisting my arm".

Nopon often act as merchants, travelling the world to sell their wares and pass information between the various settlements. As a result, Nopon often appear in locations where no other people are.

Further Nopon characteristics depend on the game in question.

Xenoblade Chronicles
Nopon are native to Frontier Village, a giant tree in Makna Forest. They live a tribal and naturalistic lifestyle, domesticating creatures and producing wares from forest wood and pollen, while avoiding the use of metal. Common items of clothing include vests, flower decorations, and mushroom hats. Some Nopon live together with the Homs and High Entia in their respective settlements.

Xenoblade Chronicles X
Nopon are native to Mira, forming nomadic caravans that travel around the planet. With the arrival of humans and their pursuers on the planet, they become prey for many of the invading races. Some Nopon settle in New Los Angeles during the events of the game.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Nopon do not seem to have any particular origin in Alrest, though they are most concentrated in the Nopon Trade Guilds, the largest of which is the Argentum Trade Guild. They are most well-known for being shrewd and ruthless when it comes to money. While many of them are merchants, Nopon can be proficient in many trades, from shipwright to prospectors and are fully integrated in every nation's society. Nopon are capable of being Drivers, though not many possess the aptitude to become one.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Nopon have no particular homeland in Aionios. Many live amongst the soldiers of Keves and Agnus, supporting the armies but not fighting themselves, while others form wandering caravans of traders. The human laws of the world do not apply to them; they have no term marks or Flame Clocks, and must use a terminal device to do anything a human's Iris can do.

Language
"Nopon" is also the name of the language that the Nopon speak. The Nopon on Mira claim to be speaking Nopon with Humans, who in turn believe they speak their own language. This is never explained, other than being "something about this planet". In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the Nopon language also exists, according to the description of Nopon Wisdom.

Outside of the Nopon language, they prefer to speak in a childish variant of the common language. Generally, they refer to themselves in the third person, use cutesy euphemisms, call people "friends" whether they be real friends or total strangers, say "meh" as a common interjection, and use "pon" as a suffix on relation nouns (e.g. "sisterpon" and "masterpon"). They also have their own words for some things, such as calling High Entia "Bird People" or Telethia "Dinobeasts". Nopon who live amongst other races for a long time may lose these quirks and speak more normally.

Nopon names tend to use short syllables and repeated sounds, such as Dakuku or Pirapira, and they may apply this pattern to non-Nopon friends (e.g. calling Dunban "Dundun", or Rex "Rex-Rex"). Other Nopon have punny names such as Snikisniki or Hurryscurry.

Xenoblade Chronicles

 * Riki
 * Dunga
 * Oka

Xenoblade Chronicles X

 * Tatsu
 * Koko

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

 * Tora
 * Umon
 * Umon
 * Umon
 * Umon

Torna ~ The Golden Country

 * Nopon Halfsage

Future Connected

 * Kino
 * Nene

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

 * Riku
 * Manana
 * Samon

Other

 * Monopon