| Niko Bellic | |
|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto character | |
 Promotional artwork forGrand Theft Auto IV | |
| First appearance | Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) |
| Last appearance | Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009) |
| Created by | Rockstar North |
| Voiced by | Michael Hollick |
| Motion capture |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Fighting style | Krav Maga |
| Family | Milica Bellic (mother) Roman Bellic (cousin) |
| Origin | Eastern Europe |
| Nationality | Serbian |
Niko Bellic (NEE-kohBEL-ək) is a fictional character and theplayable protagonist ofRockstar North's video gameGrand Theft Auto IV (2008), the sixth main entry inRockstar Games'Grand Theft Auto series. He also makes non-playable appearances in the game'sepisodic contentThe Lost and Damned andThe Ballad of Gay Tony, both released in 2009.Michael Hollick provided the character'svoice andmotion capture.
Within the game's storyline, Niko is an ex-soldier fromEastern Europe, who was shaped by his experiences fighting in an unspecified war, developing a very cynical view on life. After becoming involved with a Russian crime syndicate and discovering that his unit was sold out to enemy forces, he decides to move toLiberty City to pursue theAmerican Dream, inspired by his cousin Roman's personal tales of luxury and riches. However, upon his arrival, he quickly discovers that those stories were greatly exaggerated, and attempts to improve his and Roman's financial situation by becoming involved with the local criminal underworld. As the game's story progresses, Niko works for various prominent crime figures in the hopes of finding the traitor who betrayed his unit during the war, while slowly learning to let go of his past and quest for revenge and attempting to distance himself from the criminal lifestyle.
Niko's character received critical acclaim for his maturity, moral ambiguity, and personal growth, and has been called one of the best protagonists in the series. For his role, Hollick won Best Performance by a Human Male at the 2008Spike Video Game Awards.
WriterDan Houser described Niko Bellic as "a more rounded character" than those in previous games.[1] He felt that his dual personality—often saving innocent people, while also being a "cold-hearted killer"—made him more relatable.[1] He also felt that Niko's unfamiliarity with Liberty City allowed for the player to relate to him more, only driven by his vague past and relationship with Roman. When deciding on Niko's background, the writers felt that being an immigrant could lead to more dangerous situations, and therefore more enjoyable missions; after discussions with criminal experts, Houser found that "the real scary characters are not born in America anymore".[1] He felt that Niko's outsider view ofAmerican culture was "fun".[1] The team wanted Niko to be "more of ananti hero than a hero, capable of making positive actions within his criminal world".[2] They wanted his demeanour to reflect the weight of his past and choices.[2]
Niko's design underwent a few changes, but was finalised early in development.[3] His outfit underwent several changes based on Eastern Europeans, particularly photographs of men fighting in winter wars inYugoslavia andChechnya. The primary motivation for the design was a face to convey the appropriate emotions and a body that could move nicely with the new animations.[1] The in-game purchasable outfits were also designed to fit with the character.[4] The writers found that Niko needed a motivation to come to America, so they created his cousin, Roman. Houser felt that the two could not be brothers as there would be a deeper level of familiarity than necessary. He described the two as adouble act, with Roman's fantasist charm playing off Niko's tough cynicism. The team gave othernon-playable characters (NPCs) more definable behaviours and dialogue to make them feel more alive.[5]
Niko is voiced byMichael Hollick.[6] Hollick was paid aboutUS$100,000 for his voice acting and motion-capture work over the course of about 15 months from 2006 to 2007. Hollick was paid about $1,050 a day for his work on the game, about 50% more than the standardScreen Actors Guild-negotiated rate for actors, although he claimed it was still a fraction of the income he would receive from a film or TV-show performance, and that he was upset about not getting residuals from game sales, putting the blame on the union for not securing such agreements.[7] Hollick toldThe New York Times that while he was a theatre student atCarnegie Mellon University he developed a talent for dialects.[7][8][9][10]
Russian actorVladimir Mashkov claims he was in discussions with Rockstar Games to voice the character, and that the character's appearance is based on him, specifically from his role of theSerbian soldier, Sasha Ivanic, in the 2001 movieBehind Enemy Lines, but he ultimately turned down the offer.[11] Actor and formermixed martial artistBas Rutten performed the motion capture for Niko's fighting scenes;[12] he worked on the game for over a year, and brought mixed martial artistAmir Perets for additional work.[13] Niko's fighting style is primarilyKrav Maga.[14][15]
Niko's nationality is unspecified in the game and is subject to debate.[16] It was believed by some that he wasRussian,Serbian, orCroatian.[17][18][19] Executive producerSam Houser spoke on the matter, saying that Niko is "from that grey part of broken-down Eastern Europe", suggesting that Niko's nationality was left intentionally vague or to the interpretation of the player.[20] Following the game's release, several journalists referred to Niko as Serbian.[21][22][23][24] In the game, Niko occasionally makes statements inSerbo-Croatian;[25] however, it is suggested by his cousin Roman that Niko speaks theSerbian variety.[26] In 2025, Dan Houser stated in an interview that Niko is Serbian.[27]
Niko was born inYugoslavia around 1978. His mother Milica, a maternal and caring presence in Niko's life, regrets that her sons were forced to endure the hardships they did as children, including theirabusive,alcoholic father. As a teenager, Niko participated in a war as aninfantryman,tank driver, andhelicopter pilot, during which he witnessed numerous atrocities that traumatised him, leading to hiscynical view on life. He is implied to have committedwar crimes.[28] After his unit of fifteen men from his village was ambushed by the enemy, Niko escaped and concluded that the unit had been betrayed by one of their own soldiers. He later learned that there are two other survivors, Florian Cravic and Darko Brevic, and vowed to search for the traitor.[29]
After the war, Niko experienced difficulty leading a normal life, and his brother was killed in action. Knowing only violence, Niko turned to theBalkanic criminal underworld. He joined a smuggling and trafficking ring run by Russian crime lord Ray Bulgarin. During one smuggling run intoItaly, the boat that Niko was working on sank in theAdriatic Sea.[30] He was able to swim to safety, but Bulgarin accused him of sinking the ship intentionally to escape with the money.[31] Niko later joined themerchant navy to flee from Bulgarin, befriended the crew of thePlatypus cargo ship, and contemplated his cousin Roman's requests for him to come toLiberty City in the United States.[32]
Once in Liberty City in 2008, Niko quickly realises that Roman's stories of wealth and success were exaggerated.[33] In reality, his cousin lives in a small, decrepit apartment,[34] and owes gambling debts across the city, which he struggles to pay through his unprofitable taxi service.[35][36][37][38] Niko begins assisting Roman by working as a cab driver and protecting him fromloan sharks.[39][40] He also works forRussian gangster Vlad Glebov, whom Roman borrowed money from, to prevent his cousin from sinking further into debt.[41] Niko completes most of the jobs he is given with ease, as his military skills give him an advantage over the street thugs of Liberty City.[42][43] During this time, he also begins making criminal contacts that will eventually become important allies,[44] such asYardie gangster Little Jacob and car entrepreneur Brucie Kibbutz.[45][46] Niko's professional and personal relationships expand over the course of the game, as he is introduced to more powerful and influential criminals.[47]
After Niko kills Vlad upon learning he slept with Roman's long-time girlfriend Mallorie,[29] he and Roman are kidnapped by Russian mobsters on orders of their boss, Mikhail Faustin. Not bothered by Vlad's murder, Faustin releases them and employs Niko as a hitman.[48] Niko quickly discovers Faustin's unstable nature after being ordered to kill the son of powerful crime lord Kenny Petrović.[49] When Petrović threatens retaliation, Faustin's deputy Dimitri Rascalov convinces Niko to assassinate Faustin to make amends,[50] but later betrays him by bringing him before Ray Bulgarin.[31] Niko survives but discovers that Dimitri's men burned down Roman's apartment and cab depot, forcing the cousins to seek refuge in Bohan.[51] There, Niko begins making more criminal contacts, including local drug lords and theIrish Mob, who offer him work.[52][53] In the process, he discovers that his girlfriend Michelle is an undercover government agent,[54] and he isentrapped into working for her agency, known only by its cover name: United Liberty Paper. In exchange for assassinating several known or suspected terrorists, the agency clears Niko's criminal record and begins a search for the traitor he seeks.[55]
Niko later partakes in a botchedblood diamond deal on behalf ofMafiacaporegime Ray Boccino, who helps him locate Florian Cravic.[56] Niko confronts Florian, who has started a new life in Liberty City under the name Bernie Crane and reveals that he did not betray their unit. Realizing the traitor was Darko Brevic, Niko continues working for the Mafia in the hopes they could help him locate Darko.[57] He performs several jobs for dying mobster Jon Gravelli, an associate of U.L. Paper,[58] and Jimmy Pegorino, theDon of the Pegorinocrime family.[59] Earning Pegorino's trust, Niko is later ordered to kill Boccino, whom an increasingly paranoid Pegorino suspected of being a police informant.[60] Niko also befriends Irish mobster Patrick McReary, whom he assists with abank robbery[61] and kidnapping the daughter of Don Giovanni Ancelotti to ransom her for the diamonds, which are ultimately lost in agarbage truck when Bulgarin intercepts the exchange.[62]
During this time, Niko's conflict with Dimitri continues as the latter's men kidnap Roman, forcing Niko to rescue him.[63] Later, Roman's fortunes improve when he receives a large insurance payout for his destroyed business, which he uses to rebuild it and purchase a luxurious apartment for himself and Niko. Eventually, U.L. Paper locates Darko inBucharest,Romania, and flies him into Liberty City, where Niko confronts him and decides his fate.[64] Having achieved closure over his past, and after severing ties with most of his employers, Niko is contacted by Pegorino for one last favour: to partake in a highly lucrativeheroin deal in collusion with Dimitri. Learning that Dimitri is located aboard thePlatypus, Niko is left to decide between exacting revenge on him or going through with the deal.[65]
The former scenario sees Niko successfully killing Dimitri and his men,[66] only for Pegorino, enraged at losing out on a substantial profit, to try and exact revenge on him at Roman and Mallorie's wedding. Pegorino performs adrive-by attack on Niko, but accidentally kills Patrick's sister Kate, whom Niko had been dating.[67] Little Jacob and Roman later help Niko find and kill Pegorino.[68] If Niko instead agrees to work with Dimitri, the latter betrays him by keeping the heroin for himself,[69] and sending a hitman to Roman and Mallorie's wedding. Niko survives the attempt on his life, but the hitman accidentally kills Roman with a stray bullet.[67] With Little Jacob's help, a vengeful and devastated Niko tracks down and kills Dimitri, who had double-crossed and murdered Pegorino.[70] In both endings, Niko learns that Mallorie is pregnant and muses on the American Dream, concluding that it is a hollow promise which no one can truly achieve.
Niko plays a minor role in both ofGrand Theft Auto IV's expansion packs,The Lost and Damned andThe Ballad of Gay Tony, which take place alongside the storyline of the base game, from the perspectives of characters with minor roles in its narrative.[71] He appears as anNPC in the missions that cross over with the base game.
Niko is referenced several times inGrand Theft Auto V (2013). When planning a jewellery store robbery alongside protagonist Michael De Santa, Lester Crest briefly considers "an Eastern European guy making moves in Liberty City" as a possible accomplice before dismissing the idea, claiming that he "went quiet".[72] If selected as a crew member for a bank heist, Patrick McReary will talk about the robbery he and Niko carried out in Liberty City, mentioning that Niko is "probably dead" as he has not heard from him in the past five years.[73] As anEaster egg, players can view Niko's profile on the in-game social media platform LifeInvader, which reveals that he is still working for Roman's taxi company. Niko's latest message to his cousin is wishing him a happy birthday.[74]
In the "Collector's Edition" ofGrand Theft Auto Online, players can choose what their character looks like by selecting between different parents; Niko is one of the special parents available, meaning that players can select Niko so that their character has a level of resemblance to him.[75][76]
Niko received positive reactions from critics.Jon Hicks ofOfficial Xbox Magazine and Andy Robinson ofComputer and Video Games both called Niko "charismatic" and "likeable", stating that they prefer him over previous protagonists of the series.[77][78] George Walter ofGamesRadar praised the depth of the character, andIGN's Hilary Goldstein found him relatable when faced with difficult decisions.[21]Jeff Gerstmann ofGiant Bomb felt Niko was "the only thing that mattered to [him]" as he progressed through the story, with the character becoming one of his favourite features of the game.[79] Seth Schiesel ofThe New York Times named Niko one of the most realised video game characters, attributing this to the game's script.[80]
Niko was voted as the 14th top character of the 2000s decade by readers ofGame Informer.[81] In 2008,The Age said "few characters in video game history have provided us with such a spectrum of emotions. Niko's tale is such a roller coaster ride that by the climax you'd be forgiven for feeling exhausted and perhaps even a little numb."[82] Tom Bramwell ofEurogamer opined Niko "himself is quickly sympathetic - his moral latitude is rooted in horrible war stories, but he's warm-hearted - and imposing".[83]GameDaily stated that he had a heart-of-gold beneath his rough exterior.[84] In 2011, readers ofGuinness World Records Gamer's Edition voted Niko as the 13th-top video game character of all time.[85]Yahtzee Croshaw ofZero Punctuation considered Niko an improvement over previous series protagonists, regarding him as "a very human, very relatable character who could still believably lose his mind."[86]
Нет, таких слов в моём лексиконе, „не мой уровень", не было никогда в жизни. Мне, прям, сейчас аж стыдно. Дело в том, что это была странная такая, полуаферистическая вещь. Я очень рад, что эта игра собрала за месяц полмиллиарда долларов – это идёт разговор о GTA IV. То есть это самая продаваемая игра в мире. И они использовали мой образ из картины Джона Мура под названием „В тылу врага". Вот, им понравилось такое. Я очень старался, собирал по кусочкам этот бомжеватый вид. И мне не сказали тогда, что это такое. Может быть, я озвучил бы. Не знаю. Ну, это интересно, часть профессии, но не особенно меня это увлекает. <…> Я даже не знал, что это, я не принял это всерьёз.
He's a Russian immigrant with a life of crime and several problems at home.
Niko is a war-scarred Serbian...
An ex-soldier comes to America from Croatia, seeking revenge for a wartime betrayal.
He's from that gray part of broken-down Eastern Europe, a war-torn area -Sam Houser
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Dan Houser: And forGTA IV in particular, it's like, We're going to try and write... You know, our animation's going to be a lot better. Our character models are going to start to look better. The world is going to look amazing. Therefore, we can support better, you know, longer scenes. We can have more in-depth characters. We gotta to find a tone that works that with the game. It's not easy, no problem. Then I start to worry and worry and worry. And also, writing as a Serbian immigrant. I was an immigrant, but I'm not Serbian. And trying to capture what on Earth that would feel like."We know he was party to a war-crime atrocity and victim of a double-cross that led to the slaughter of all but three members of his paramilitary unit.
InGrand Theft Auto V, players can find Jimmy de Santa looking at Niko's LifeInvader page. While being an Easter egg, it shows that Niko is alive by 2013. [...] Posts on his account can be seen, such as wishing Roman a happy birthday and a picture of Chinatown.
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