Endings in GTA IV


 * For plot details before what's shown below, see here.

Grand Theft Auto IV has two dramatically different endings, Deal and Revenge. Because of this, it is recommended to save on a different file after the mission That Special Someone so that you can easily play the other ending without having to replay the whole game. This page lists the events of both endings.

Both the endings end with the two main antagonists, Dimitri Rascalov and Jimmy Pegorino dying. Dimitri is directly murdered by Niko in Deal/Revenge, and Pegorino is killed either by Dimitri himself (Deal) or Niko (Revenge). The final boss of the game is Dimitri/Pegorino for Deal and Revenge respectively. The main difference between the two endings is Roman Bellic or Kate McReary dying. Roman advises Niko to Deal so he can use the money to trip to Vice City and leave his life of violence behind him Roman said Darko did not help and neither would Dimitri. Kate tells Niko to refuse the deal since he shouldn't turn on his own promise to himself for money. Both advise Niko to a different decision, and ironically, the one Niko takes advice from will die in the end.

The Lead Up
One Last Thing

After Niko deals with Darko in the previous mission, he gets a call from Pegorino. Niko meets him at Honkers. Pegorino has a deal with Dimitri, and needs Niko to make the deal. But Dimitri betrayed Niko in the past which makes Niko reluctant to do the deal.

When Niko leaves Pegorino, Niko calls Roman and tells him about the situation. Roman already knows about the deal, he also knows where Dimitri is hiding out. Niko now decides that he could just kill Dimitri instead since he knows Dimitri's hideout. But Roman begs Niko to take the deal and not to kill him, because he wants the money to take himself and Niko to a vacation in Vice City.

Niko then calls Kate and tells her about the deal. He explains that taking the deal would be going back on an oath he swore to himself, but that the money could make things easier for himself, and for Roman. Kate pleads with him to not take the deal, and to stick with what he believes in (not knowing that the alternative is Revenge).

The game prompts the player to "Make Your Decision". Two icons appear on the map. A Deal (shown in green dollar icon) and a Revenge (shown in red person icon). The player must drive to the dollar icon to take the Deal and drive to the red person icon to take Revenge.

Deal
If the Price is Right ($250,000)

If the player chooses Deal, Niko meets his friend Phil in a townhouse in Tudor. They drive to the area where the deal is to take place. It turns out however that Dimitri is after his revenge. He killed the people who Niko was supposed to make the deal with. Niko and Phil decide to get the money anyways and kill Dimitri later.

They enter the warehouse in Port Tudor from the roof, and find themselves in a gunfight. After killing most of the men, they make their way to the room with the money, only to see someone else escaping with it. They chase the thief down and collect their money. Niko takes Phil back to Tudor and both of them decide that they're out of the crime business.

Mr and Mrs Bellic (No Reward)

Niko calls Kate, she is too angry to come to the wedding after Niko didn't take her advice. Roman then calls and tells Niko to get to the Church for his wedding with Mallorie.

The wedding goes perfectly to plan. However, after the wedding, Sergei, a man hired by Dimitri, comes up behind Niko and tries to kill him. After many shots are fired, Niko manages to turn the gun around and kill the man. One of the bullets however, killed Roman. Niko is so angry that he fires several bullets in Sergei's stomach. Little Jacob warns him to go home - the police will arrive soon!

A Revenger's Tragedy (No Reward)

Niko goes home and sleeps. After he awakes, Little Jacob calls. He has a car, and he's following Dimitri's men back to Dimitri. Niko finds Jacob and takes control of the car. He chases them back to Dimitri. After a gun battle he sees Dimitri kill Pegorino because of his selfishness. Niko chases him to the roof of the casino.

Dimitri finds a helicopter, Niko a boat. Jacob picks up Niko in an Annihilator. Both Dimitri and Niko crash on Happiness Island where Niko kills Dimitri to get his revenge on Roman's death. Credits roll. After the credits many phone calls take place. In one Mallorie reveals that she is pregnant and states that her child will struggle without a father.

Revenge
A Dish Served Cold (No Reward)

If the player chooses Revenge, Niko enters a heavy gunfight on a ship, killing all the Russian Mafia in Broker. Niko gains access to the cargo hold where he finishes off Dimitri's goons then gets up close and personal to Dimitri.

Niko executes Dimitri in cold blood and leaves his body at the floor of the hold. He jumps off of the boat and gets ready for Roman's wedding at 10:00 tomorrow.

Mr and Mrs Bellic (No Reward)

After that mission, Niko calls Kate, she is very happy that he cut his ties with that man (not knowing how he cut his ties). She's coming to the wedding. Niko picks her up. On the way he talks about his criminal life as if it was a thing of the past.

The wedding goes perfectly to plan, however after the wedding, a very angry Jimmy Pegorino drives past firing. Everyone ducks the bullets except for the now deceased Kate.

Out of Commission ($250, 000)

Niko goes home and sleeps, and when he awakes he gets a call from Jacob. Jacob has a car and is following Pegorino's men back to Jimmy himself. Niko meets Jacob and Roman. Niko takes control of the car.

When Pegorino's men arrive, Niko enters a heavy gunfight before chasing Pegorino out of the building. Pegorino grabs a speedboat, Niko a bike. Jacob and Roman pick up Niko in an Annihilator.

Both Pegorino and Niko crash on Happiness Island, where Niko kills Pegorino. Credits roll. After the credits, many phone calls take place. In one, Roman reveals that Mallorie is pregnant, and if it's a girl, they will name her Kate, in honor of Kate McReary.

Which ending is canon?
At this time, Rockstar Games have not announced the canon ending, and until they do, or until the next full installment in the series is released, there is no concrete evidence to prove that either ending is canon. one clue pointing towards the "Revenge" ending as canon, is the fact that during the final cutscene for the "Revenge" ending, in the mission; Out of Commission, it is possible to see a large explosion in the background behind Niko (see Myths in GTA IV). This explosion is widely believed to be that of Bulgarin's jet at the end of The Ballad Of Gay Tony,though one problem of this being Bulgarin's jet is in the "Revenge" ending it comes from Alderney though in TBoGT it never leaves Broker. This explosion does not appear in the "Deal" ending, though this could be related to the heroin situation at that point in the story (see Heroin).

Other reasons include the phone calls Niko makes to Kate and Roman following his choice. If choosing "Deal", Niko is berated by Kate for going back on his own principles, and he admits to Roman that he is unsure whether or not he made the right decision. If choosing "Revenge" however, Niko is congratulated by Kate for understanding that he doesn't need money to be happy.

Clues pointing to "Deal" as canon are the credits in The Ballad Of Gay Tony also show Packie McReary; Niko's friend and ally, leaving the city. Some fans take this to mean that perhaps the "Deal" ending is canon, believing Packie would not leave his mother after Kate's death. Other reasons are the text messages Niko gets from Roman before choosing Deal/Revenge he pleeds niko to do the Deal and says he shouldn't throw it away for revenge and says he should do the deal because he came here for women, fast cars, and money, and because he is his cousin. But we hear nothing more from Kate. Another clue is the final lines of each ending, in "Deal" we actually here "It's Over" in "Revenge" we hear "I Don't Know" instead.

In conclusion Rockstar will probably never announce a "Correct" ending because there is none, the whole game is player's choice so that means the "Canon" ending is also up to the player.