Niko Bellic

"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. Niko is the cousin of Roman Bellic and the son of Milica Bellic.

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.

After killing Vlad, Niko is nearly killed by Dimitri Rascalov & Mikhail Faustin; but spared. After killing Mikhail, Dimitri reveals his connections with Ray Bulgarin and turns against him, even trying to kill him. Niko and Roman were then run out of money in Roman's Sorrow, in which his Broker Safehouse is destroyed. It is at this point that Niko becomes a hitman and an associate of many. He develops affiliations and becomes a worker of the McReary Family, Playboy X, Dwayne Forge, the Pegorino Family and some others over the course of the game. Maximizing his hatred of Dimitri, Rascalov gets Roman kidnapped.

Niko eventually becomes in forced contact with the United Liberty Paper, who blackmails him into doing some "country-protecting" work. Also, Ray Boccino managed to help Niko find Bernie Crane; when he confronts him, Bernie, begging for forgiveness, claims he is not only a homo but that he is not the one who betrayed Niko (despite escaping). Niko forgives him and actually begins helping Bernie with his life.

The U.L.P. successfully manages to get Bellic Darko Brevic in That Special Someone. Taking into consideration how it will make Niko feel and how Dark is actually living a bad life, Niko is unable to decide whether to kill him. Before choosing, Darko reveals that he betrayed Niko for only 1000$, enraging him. The player then decides if he will kill Darko or let him live.

Niko will finallly end the game in Deal or Revenge and kill Dimitri Rascalov, at the cost of either 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 of 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. This is further evidenced in a Liberty Tree article about the death of the Platypus's captain, Zorba Philippidis, which states that none of the crew possess visas.

If Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend is played after Pest Control, Niko tells Packie that he intends to go 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 business-like 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 frequently turns down Little Jacob's offers for marijuana and warns Packie's about his 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 bisexual. However, a conversation between Niko and Kiki Jenkins reveals he considers himself neither liberal nor conservative, and that the war gave him a highly cynical view of politicians in general.

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 had 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.

Naming and Language
"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 'Belic'. At one point, Florian, speaking in his native Serbian, pronounces the name correctly; "Bellic" may simply be an Anglicized version of "Belic".

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
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.

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
 * Clean and Serene
 * Buyer's Market
 * Collector's Item
 * Knowing Me, Knowing You (Voice)
 * Credits (TLAD)


 * The Ballad of Gay Tony
 * I Luv LC
 * Not So Fast
 * Ladies Half Price

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.

Murders committed

 * Bledar Morina - Murdered for harassing Roman Bellic.
 * Kalem Vulaj - Murdered for harassing Roman Bellic.
 * Dardan Petrela - Murdered for harassing Roman Bellic.
 * Ivan Bytchkov - Murdered on Vladimir Glebov's orders (optional).
 * Vladimir Glebov - Murdered for sleeping with Mallorie Bardas.
 * Joseph Kaplan - Murdered on orders of Mikhail Faustin (optional).
 * Lenny Petrovic - Murdered on orders of Mikhail Faustin.
 * Jason Michaels - Murdered on Mikhail Faustin's order for "messing around" with his daughter.
 * Mikhail Faustin - Murdered on orders of Dimitri Rascalov, and to appease Kenny Petrovic.
 * Lyle Rivas - Murdered on orders of Bruce Kibbutz.
 * Tom Rivas - Murdered for not paying off his debt to Brucie Kibbutz.
 * Charlie - Murdered for trying to arrest him, Playboy X and Johnny Klebitz.
 * Tom Goldberg - Murdered on Francis McReary's orders for giving him potential legal trouble.
 * Clarence Little - Murdered on Francis McReary's orders.
 * Marlon Bridges - Murdered on Playboy X's orders.
 * Cherise Glover - Murdered for ratting on Dwayne Forge (optional)
 * Jayvon Simson - Murdered for ratting on Dwayne Forge.
 * Jose Trunchez - Murdered so that Dwayne Forge can get the Triangle Club back.
 * Javier Trunchez - Murdered so that Dwayne Forge can get the Triangle Club back.
 * Jesus Trunchez - Murdered so that Dwayne Forge can get the Triangle Club back.
 * Playboy X - Murdered on orders of Dwayne Forge (optional).
 * Dwayne Forge - Murdered on orders of Playboy X (optional).
 * Roman's Kidnapper - Murdered in order to rescue Roman Bellic.
 * Oleg Minkov - Murdered on orders of United Liberty Paper.
 * Adam Dimayev - Murdered on orders of United Liberty Paper.
 * Eduard Borodin - Murdered by him and Little Jacob on orders of United Liberty Paper.
 * Anthony Spoleto - Murdered on orders of Gerald McReary.
 * Frank Garone - Murdered on orders of Gerald McReary.
 * Eddie Low - Murdered in self defense for trying to kill him.
 * Bucky Sligo - Murdered on orders of Derrick McReary.
 * Mitch - Murdered in order to extract Aiden O'Malley from police custody
 * Aiden O'Malley - Murdered for trying to testify against Derrick McReary.
 * Francis McReary - Murdered in order to rescue Derrick McReary (optional).
 * Derrick McReary - Murdered on orders of Francis McReary (optional).
 * Alonzo - Murdered so he does not warn Teddy Benavidez.
 * Teddy Benavidez - Murdered for failing to pay Ray Boccino.
 * Joseph DiLeo - Murdered for stealing diamonds from Ray Boccino.
 * John Barbosa - Murdered for stealing diamonds from Ray Boccino.
 * Luca Silvestri - Murdered for stealing diamonds from Ray Boccino.
 * Jim Fitzgerald - Murdered on orders of Ray Boccino.
 * Isaac Roth - Murdered for threatening Ray Boccino.
 * Charles Matteo - Murdered for discovering Phil Bell's role in sabotaging a cocaine deal.
 * Frankie Gallo - Murdered for tipping off the LCPD.
 * Kim Young-Guk - Murdered on orders of Jon Gravelli for bringing counterfeit currency into Liberty City.
 * Anthony Corrado - Murdered for leaking information to the FIB, for Jimmy Pegorino.
 * Ray Boccino - Murdered for being a potential rat on Jimmy Pegorino's orders.
 * Darko Brevic - Murdered for betraying Niko and their Fifteen Man Unit (optional).
 * The Killer - Murdered for killing Roman Bellic (only in Deal ending).
 * Jimmy Pegorino - Murdered for killing Kate McReary (only in Revenge ending).
 * Dimitri Rascalov - Murdered for betraying Niko (Revenge); Murdered for killing Roman Bellic (Deal).

Murders Information

 * Niko kills most of his former employers, Vladimir Glebov, Mikhail Faustin, Ray Boccino, Dimitri Rascalov and Jimmy Pegorino. He can also kill either Playboy X or Dwayne Forge, and Francis McReary or Derrick McReary.
 * Niko kills two of Johnny Klebitz's best friends (Jason Michaels and Jim Fitzgerald).
 * He also kills one of Johnny Klebitz's former employers and antagonists (Ray Boccino).
 * Niko is one of two protagonists who kills another protagonist's enemy in the entire GTA series, the other being Luis Fernando Lopez. Niko kills Johnny's antagonist Ray Boccino and Luis kills Niko's antagonist Ray Bulgarin.

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!"