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Life is complicated. I've killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps, here... things will be different.
— Niko Bellic

Niko Bellic is the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV, and appears in The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony in crossover missions. He grew up in Yugoslavia, where he fought in the Yugoslav Wars. He later worked for organized crime syndicates as a hired-gun in Liberty City. Ever since Niko was 20, his main goal in life was to find and kill one of two men: Florian or Darko, the one who betrayed and nearly killed him during the Wars.

Biography

Early life and family

Niko was born in former Yugoslavia (present-day Serbia) in Eastern Europe. It was implied that his father was an abusive alcoholic. His mother, Milica Bellic, was unhappy that her son grew up in such a harsh place. In a conversation with Patrick McReary, Niko reveals that he had a brother who died during the Bosnian war. According to the dialogue in the mission Taking in the Trash, Niko dreamt of becoming an astronaut when he was a child. In a conversation with Dwayne Forge, Niko mentions the place he grew up did not have electricity until he was twelve. In a conversation with Kate McReary, Niko says that he found out his aunt (Roman's mother) was raped and murdered, some time after Roman's departure to the United States; knowing Roman would be even more devastated if he knew the true circumstances of his mother's death, Niko covered up what happened, telling him that she died in a house fire.

Niko is currently the only protagonist to originate from Europe, although Tommy Vercetti and Toni Cipriani have European roots.

Bosnian Wars

Niko grew up in the harsh environment of the Yugoslav Wars, and was a teenage soldier (The Yugoslav Wars being between 1991 and 1995, this means Niko was only 13-17 years old at the time). Niko says that he was betrayed "ten years ago", making it closer to 1997 or 1998 (although Florian claims that its was "twelve or thirteen years ago" in a phone call after the mission That Special Someone). He served as a helicopter pilot and an infantryman during the war, and during the mission Easy Fare, Roman alludes to him driving a tank.

During the war, Niko both witnessed and committed numerous atrocities, which led to his cynical perspective on life, and a certain degree of regret, depression, and emotional detachment. Eventually, Niko's unit of fifteen men (most of them friends from his hometown) were ambushed by enemy forces, and all but three were killed: Darko Brevic, Florian Cravic, and Niko himself. Niko concluded that either Florian or Darko had sold the group out, and he vowed to uncover and kill the culprit, not only to gain revenge, but also to hopefully 'close the book' on the incident, and move on with his life.

Post-war life

Niko had trouble finding steady work after the war. Niko's cousin, Roman, had already moved to America to start a new life in Liberty City; Niko spent the next decade working in the European criminal underworld, leading to a period of incarceration. He began working for a human trafficking ring led by Ray Bulgarin; when a boat involved in the operation sank in the Adriatic during a smuggling run into Italy, Niko swam to safety, but everything and everyone else was lost. Bulgarin believed that Niko had intentionally scuttled the ship and stole his money; the gangster's reach was too great within Europe, so Niko joined the merchant navy to escape Bulgarin's influence.

Life in Liberty City

Niko spent seven months with the cargo ship Platypus, which eventually headed for Liberty City.

During the game, Niko says he moved to Liberty City because he wanted a new life by living the American Dream, but when he does arrive in Liberty City, he has nothing except Roman. Niko parted ways with Hossan and the Platypus crew there, partly to reunite with his cousin, and partly to track down Florian Cravic, who had moved to Liberty City after the war. Roman had been boasting of great success in Liberty City, but in truth, his assets amounted to a small, gritty taxi depot and rundown apartment, and he was saddled with heavy debts due to his gambling habit. Niko would assist Roman in his taxi business, and protect his cousin from the loan sharks who were harassing him. Roman's connections eventually led to Niko taking work with the Russian Mafia, setting in motion the events of the game.

Niko quickly develops a hatred toward Dimitri Rascalov after the events of the missions Russian Revolution and more seriously, Hostile Negotiation. For various reasons (primarily money and promises), Niko will work with many criminals in the game (including the McReary Family, Playboy X, Elizabeta Torres, Ray Boccino, Jimmy Pegorino) for money. Eventually, he manages to find Florian Cravic, encounter Darko, and in one of the two Endings in GTA IV (Deal and Revenge), he will kill either Dimitri Rascalov (Deal) or Jimmy Pegorino (Revenge) at the cost of Roman Bellic or Kate McReary's life.

At the end of the game, a Weazel News report states that Niko is wanted for questioning by the police (although not as a suspect), for the events at his cousin's wedding.

Niko's immigrant status is uncertain, and arouses the suspicion of the LCPD and FIB. Although Niko often protests while fleeing police that he "has his papers.", Roman says that Niko does not have a visa.

If Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend is played after Pest Control, Niko tells Packie that he has intentions of going after Ray Bulgarin, although Ray would be killed by Luis Lopez.

Personality

Niko is very protective of his family and loved ones, particularly his cousin Roman, whom Niko constantly has to worry about due to his gambling habit, and Roman has an indiscreet nature of frequently getting the pair into trouble. He is withdrawn among strangers, but has good manners, and shows a softer side with love interests like Kate McReary and Michelle; that said, the horrors of war, both witnessed and perpetrated by Niko, have given him a great sense of guilt, and an ambivalence about the value of human life — he warns away pursuers and expresses regret over his past violence, but also feels that killing is all that he can do, readily taking on jobs which necessarily involve murder. He has an explosive temper when he is betrayed, manipulated, or his loyalty is questioned, but he is also quick to help the defenseless and unfortunate, even those he merely meets in passing; he apparently possesses a sense of idealism which was wounded by his wartime experiences. Unfortunately, such a split attitude leads to hypocrisy — Niko, for example, appears to genuinely sympathize with the McReary's grief over the demise of one of their brothers (either Derrick McReary or Francis McReary), despite having secretly committed that murder himself.

Niko's bitterness at the murder of his friends during the war has consumed him, and he is unable to let it go, taking on several highly dangerous jobs merely to enable his quest for vengeance. Several of his friends, most notably Roman, urge him to find a new reason to live, and there are many morality choices for Niko to emphasize his trait.

Niko's businesslike manner usually leads him to behave more maturely and cautiously than his acquaintances, although with acquaintances like Brucie Kibbutz, Bernie Crane and Roman, this is no surprise. He has an apparent distaste for illicit drugs, much like Carl Johnson. He turns down Little Jacob's offer of marijuana and warns against Packie's cocaine habit; he also finds it distasteful to traffic in cocaine and particularly heroin, although this may be due to the heavy jail sentences they attract as much as any moral qualms. He is skeptical of American mainstream culture, which he sees as shallow and hypocritical and has trouble relating to Roman's fascination with the country. However, he reasons that being in America is far better than back in Serbia due to the country's instability and misery.

Niko also exhibits dislike for American conservative politicians, whom he considers to be hypocrites. An example is Bryce Dawkins, whom Niko says is a "bullshitter" for giving homophobic speeches and preaching about family values to gain political power when he himself is a homosexual.

Niko has a certain degree of pity for other people, even random strangers, and feels obliged to help others who cannot help themselves. Most missions involve Niko doing jobs for money, particularly one occasion, after meeting a troubled young girl, Marnie Allen; he even gives her some of his own money multiple times to help her out.

Niko almost always refuses alcohol when it is offered to him (he asks for water in the mission Ivan The Not So Terrible) except for the mission The Holland Play where Playboy X pours him a glass but immediately before taking a sip, Niko changes his mind and puts the glass on a table. There is a scene where Niko does drink a glass of vodka (on the rocks) in the mission One Last Thing while talking to Jimmy Pegorino, but this is understandable considering what he has just been through. Niko does seem to enjoy a drink, but knows the time and place for it. He refuses alcohol outright in instances where he needs to keep a sharp mind, such as during missions.

Niko's favorite radio stations are Vladivostok FM and Liberty Rock Radio 97.8.

LCPD Database record

Surname: Bellic

First Name: Niko

Age: 30

Place of Birth: Unknown

Affiliations: Linked to Russian and West Indian Criminals in Broker

Criminal Record: 2008 - Grand Theft Auto

Notes:

  • Recent immigrant to Liberty City from Eastern Europe
  • Appears to be avoiding allegiance to one particular criminal organization.

Errors

Naming and Language

MichaelHollick

Michael Hollick - voice of Niko

"Niko" means "Nobody" in the Serbian and Bosnian language. The surname "Bellic" would not exist in the Serbian, Bosnian or Croatian languages, as these do not allow consecutive consonants (i.e., the double-L in "Bellic"); "Bellic" is also pronounced with a hard 'c' ("bel-lik") throughout the game — Niko himself uses the incorrect pronunciation when introducing himself to the receptionist at Goldberg, Ligner and Shyster in the mission Final Interview. A proper pronunciation would use a hard 'ch' (as used in-game with the names "Darko Brevic" and "Florian Cravic"); a more authentic rendering of Niko's surname would be 'Belić'. At one point, Florian, speaking in his native Serbian, pronounces the name correctly; "Bellic" may simply be an Anglicized version of "Belić".

The first name "Niko" is distinctively Croatian, rather than Serbian — the Serbian equivalent would be "Nikola". In the mission Final Interview, Tom Goldberg refers to Niko as "Nikolai", although this is an assumption on his part — he begins their interview by saying, "Hello Niko; what's that short for? Nikolai?" Niko does not respond and no one else calls him "Nikolai" in the game.

Niko's voice actor, Michael Hollick, is American, and the accent he assumes for Niko is not a Serbian one; Niko's spoken Serbian is frequently mispronounced or wrongly emphasized.

Beta

NikoBellic-GTAIV-Beta

In beta, Niko had longer hair, longer bristles and brighter eyes.

In artwork and earlier screenshots, Niko had often been seen wearing fingerless gloves. The files still remain in the PC version and can only be used with an in-game trainer. Obtaining them in the game without modding is impossible. The reason why they have been removed from the final version of the game is unknown, but it is likely due to the fact that they are not very inconspicuous.

In early beta versions of GTA IV, Niko had slightly thicker hair and sometimes he can be seen with a buzz cut, neither of which appear in GTA IV, but still exist in the game files.

In Other Media

NikoBellic-GTAIV2

A comparison between Sasha and Niko.

Popularity

Niko was voted 13th in the 2011 edition of the Guinness World Records for the Top 50 favorite game characters. His name was incorrectly spelled "Nico Bellic."

Based On

Niko appears to be visually inspired by Sasha from the movie Behind Enemy Lines (2001), which takes place in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war. Sasha's clothes are even available to buy in the Russian Shop.



Mission appearances

GTA IV

  • As the protagonist, he appears in every mission.
The Lost and Damned
The Ballad of Gay Tony

Mission Information

  • Niko appears in the second most storyline missions in the GTA series with 97 missions. (Carl Johnson appears in 104)
  • Niko appears in the most missions in the GTA IV era, with 97 missions.
  • Diamonds in the Rough and Frosting on the Cake are the only crossover missions not to involve Niko.
  • Niko is the only character to appear in three opening cutscenes, as he is present in The Cousins Bellic, Clean and Serene and I Luv LC. However, Niko's appearance in Clean and Serene, in which he is seen pushing past a pedestrian in Alderney, is inaccurate with the story, as he would still be confined to the boroughs of Broker, Dukes, and Bohan.
  • Niko, along with Patrick McReary, can be fought and killed in The Ballad of Gay Tony mission Ladies Half Price. Niko and Packie have a colossal amount of health, and their deaths do not affect the story [1].


Murders committed

Murders Information

Gallery

Trivia

  • In an episode of the TV Series Criminal Minds, a murderer states in all his personal information, that his name is "Niko Bellic", while one of the main characters states that it is the name of the Main Character in Grand Theft Auto IV, everyone stares at him, and he says "What... I know things!"

See also

[ ve ]Characters in Grand Theft Auto IV
ProtagonistNiko Bellic
Central charactersRoman Bellic | Little Jacob | Dimitri Rascalov† | Jimmy Pegorino† | Bernie Crane | Darko Brevic
Main charactersMallorie Bardas | Vladimir Glebov† | Mikhail Faustin† | Brucie Kibbutz | Manny Escuela† | Elizabeta Torres | Patrick McReary | Francis McReary | Gerald McReary | Derrick McReary† | Kate McReary | Playboy X | Dwayne Forge | Ray Boccino† | Phil Bell | United Liberty Paper contact | Jon Gravelli
Radio DJsBeatrix Fontaine | DJ Green Lantern | DJ Mister Cee | DJ Premier | François K | Roy Ayers | Femi Kuti | Gary Sheen | Jane Labrador | Jeffron James | Lazlow Jones | Marcel LeMuir | Roy Haynes | Ryan McFallon | Karl Lagerfeld† | Jimmy Gestapo | Iggy Pop | Bobby Konders | Juliette Lewis | Daddy Yankee | Carl Bradshaw | Vaughn Harper† | Ruslana Lyzhychko
Supporting charactersMichelle/Karen | Ilyena Faustin | Isaac Roth† | Kim Young-Guk† | Ray Bulgarin† | Jay Hamilton† | Jim Fitzgerald† | Johnny Klebitz† | Gordon Sargent | Michael Keane† | Maureen McReary | Luis Fernando Lopez | Anthony Corrado† | Stevie | The Fixer | Tony Prince | Bryce Dawkins | Eugene Reaper† | Mohammed | Zorba Philippidis
Minor charactersAdam Dimayev† | Aiden O'Malley† | Alejandra | Alonzo | Andrei† | Angela Allan† | Angie Pegorino | Anna Faustin | Anthony† | Benny† | Bledar Morina† | Bobby Jefferson | Brett | Bucky Sligo† | Catch | Charlie† | Charles Matteo† | Christopher Tibbits | Chuck Williams-Jones | City Official | Clarence's Associate† | Dardan Petrela† | Dave Bosoy† | Doctor Rosem | Eduard Borodin† | Felipe | Frank Garone† | Frankie Gallo | Jason Michaels† | Jayvon Simson† | Jermaine Andrews | Jimmy | John | John Barbosa† | Joseph DiLeo† | Joseph Kaplan | Kalem† | Karen (Lawyers) | Katerina | Lamon | Larissa Slalom | Lavar Davis† | Lenny Petrovic† | Lori Williams-Jones† | Luca Silvestri† | Lyle Rivas† | Marco Bonnaro† | Mark† | Marlon Bridges† | Mickey | Mitch | Mori Green† | Mr. Fuk's Rice Box manager | Muscovski | Oleg Minkov† | Peter Marchetti† | Priest | Sal† | Sheila Stafford† | Shirley† | Slimeball | Talbot Daniels | Teddy Benavidez† | Thai Prostitute | The Blackmailer† | The Doctor | The Hater† | The Kidnapper† | The Truck Driver† | Tom Goldberg† | Tom Rivas† | Tony† | Tony Black† | Trunchez Brothers† | Unnamed Russian Goon | Vasily | Vera | Mason Waylon | Wedding Assassin | Wilson Taylor Sr.† | Unnamed Lost MC Biker† | Sergei
GirlfriendsAlexandra Chilton | Carmen Ortiz | Kiki Jenkins
Random charactersBrian Meech | Mel | Real Badman | Hossan Ramzy | Sara | Pathos | Jeff Harlingford | Marnie Allen | Eddie Low† | Cherise Glover | Clarence Little† | Gracie Ancelotti | Ilyena Faustin | Ivan Bytchkov
Petrovic BratvaAnton† | Boris† | Georgi† | Igor | Ivo† | Kenny Petrovic | Lenny Petrovic† | Mrs. Petrovic | Rami Yalon | Sergey† | Vanya | Vasil
Most Wanted criminalsAlonso Goralski† | Antonio Rivette† | Barry Lamora† | Bert Reker† | Christov Mahonvic† | Danny Hatmaker† | Darren Covey† | Fernando Tisdel† | Freddy Paparo† | Frederick Harrison† | Glenn Lushbaugh† | Jimmy Kand† | Juan Haimo† | Keenan Burdett† | Leo Brodell† | Lino Friddell† | Marty Boldenow† | Maxwell Caughlin† | Mervin Eskuchen† | Noel Katsuda† | Phil Bacerra† | Preston Pecinovsky† | Rodrigo Stavnes† | Rodney McEniry† | Scott Guzowski† | Sergi Szerbin† | Shon Kikuchi† | Simon Nashly† | Tommy Francovic† | Tyler Pickrel
Mentioned charactersChan Jaoming† | Fifteen Man Squad | George Lawton | Hsin Jaoming | Huang Lee | Joe Lawton | Lester Arnold | Lester Leroc | Marko | Mr. Wong | Niko's Brother† | Phyllis | Rudy D'Avanzo† | Rudy D'Avanzo's Father† | Thomas Piretta | Wu "Kenny" Lee† | Zhou Ming
Other charactersRob | Vicki | Yusuf Amir | Troy Harder | Lola Del Rio | Jase | Milica Bellic | Roman's Child | Mila Tadic | Jerry Kapowitz | Horatio Humboldt | Gloria Hole | Steve | Kelly
Beta charactersAlyssa Funke | Bradly Narlock | Cletus Luzell | Dick Godley | Marcel Hevas | Marty Connor | Raymond Alberga | Tommy Francini | Wilbert Wetterer
† denotes Deceased, Italics denotes a status determined by the player's choice
Characters in GTA IV | Category:Characters in GTA IV | Grand Theft Auto IV | Category:Characters
[ ve ]Characters in The Lost and Damned
ProtagonistJohnny Klebitz
Central charactersBilly GreyJim FitzgeraldBrian JeremyTerry ThorpeClay Simons
Main charactersAngus MartinAshley ButlerThomas StubbsMalcDeSeanRay BoccinoElizabeta Torres
Supporting charactersJason MichaelsAgent JonesRandom BikerAndreasMartaEd McCornishJimmy MatthewsNiko BellicLuis Fernando LopezPlayboy X
Minor charactersAngels of Death lieutenantArthur StubbsBernie CraneBug expertCarmen OrtizChadCharlieCrack HoCurtis StockerDanDerrick McRearyEvan MossHorse (informant)Horse (The Lost MC member)Isaac RothIvan BytchkovJerome PilchardKay HartmanLeavisLennox KincadeLester ArnoldLost MC LadyMilton SavanahMori GreenMr. RonceroPretty BoyRandom BikerRay's goonRoman BellicRoman's KidnapperThe CookTony PrinceTriad 1Vladimir GlebovUnnamed Congressman
Random charactersDave Grossman
Other charactersSteveKelly
† denotes Deceased, Italics denote a status determined by the player's choice
Characters in The Lost and DamnedCategory:Characters in The Lost and DamnedThe Lost and DamnedCategory:Characters
[ ve ]Characters in The Ballad of Gay Tony
ProtagonistLuis Fernando Lopez
Central charactersTony PrinceYusuf AmirArmando TorresHenrique BardasRocco Pelosi† • Ray Bulgarin
Main charactersMori KibbutzBrucie KibbutzAdriana Yanira LopezTimur† • Uncle Vince† • Evan Moss† • Gracie Ancelotti
Supporting charactersRoman BellicPatrick McRearyDerrick McReary† • DessieTroyGalina BulgarinAbdul AmirJoniThe CelebinatorNiko BellicJohnny Klebitz† • Ahmed Khaleel† • Al Di NapoliAlfonso Vasquez Jr.AnaBlue BrothersBilly Grey† • British PrinceBruce SpadeChase Point Dealer† • Chris HuntCindy the WaitressCindy (Booty Call)Clay 'PG' JacksonCloe ParkerCostas† • DanaDanniDominoEugene Reaper† • Frickie Van Hardenburg† • Jack Duffy† • JacobIsaac Roth† • Jerry KapowitzJojoJonelleKay HartmanKerry McIntoshLilyMarki Ashvilli† • MauriceMel Toblowsky† • Michael Keane† • MoniqueMori Green† • Mr. SantoOscar GomezPapiDJ PaulPoppy MitchellSharon MortonTahir Saaed† • TamiTaniaTaylorThe Cook† • Triad 1Union OfficialVic Manzano† • Vicki
Random charactersArnaudDaisy Cash-CoozeMargot
Mentioned charactersAbigail GraysonAlonso GomezAnn LanksBill JewellCarmen OrtizCharlotte CrownDani LupisellaDelancey MeduaDenzel LissErnesto LopezGiovanni AncelottiIsaac HammersteinJason PrineJimmy BostonJohn O'ConnellJudith KibbutzLeta Lopez-WilkinsonLewis GeorgesMarcusMiss TerrieMr. LopezNick LancasterRoy ZitoSuphot PaciTony ArmsWilly Valerio
Other charactersJaseMiranda CowanTerrorism ExpertRobVikkyZack AdhemSteveKellyMalcolm ForthrightUnnamed Bleeter founder
† denotes Deceased, Italics denotes a status determined by the player's choice
Characters in The Ballad of Gay TonyCategory:Characters in The Ballad of Gay TonyThe Ballad of Gay TonyCategory:Characters
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