Niko Bellic

"I need money, this pays, I don't care if I live or die, and I'm looking for someone."

- 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 gun for hire in Liberty City. Ever since Niko was 15, 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 in the Wars.

Early life and family
Niko was born in Yugoslavia (present-day Serbia) in Eastern Europe. It was implied that his father was abusive. 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 Josef, 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 says in the place he grew up, they 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.

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/Revenge), he will kill either Dimitri Rascalov (Deal/Revenge) or Jimmy Pegorino (Revenge) at the cost of Kate McReary or Roman Bellic'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.

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 however 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.

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 errors
"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.

Trivia

 * As Niko is either a protagonist or not a traveling companion in each GTA IV-era game, he's not assigned a favorite radio station. However, he tells Little Jacob that "this city has some incredible music" and that he is a keen reggae fan. Also, he tells Pathos and Patrick McReary that he listens to rap music.
 * In the opening cutscene of The Lost and Damned during the mission Clean and Serene, Niko can be seen in the background roughly brushing past a pedestrian, and cursing him in Serbian. Oddly, Niko shouldn't even be seen in Alderney, as this contradicts GTA IV. At the time of the mission, Niko is restricted to the boroughs of Bohan, Broker and Dukes. Niko, unlike Johnny Klebitz cannot cross all the bridges at the start of GTA IV. Johnny is an American and has a visa, allowing him to cross all bridges.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Niko has accrued the highest canon body count of any other protagonist in the GTA series, with 50.
 * 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.
 * Vladimir Glebov calls Niko "Yokel" multiple times in the game. Yokel is a derogatory term for people who grew up in poor countries.
 * One of Niko's girlfriends, Alexandra Chilton, frequently reveals on her blog that Niko has a very large penis, comments refer to his "bulging package" and how "well-hung" he is. After Niko sleeps with her for the first time, she writes on her blog that she is to discuss this with her friends, Heidi & Paige. Alex also comments that he can be rough and kinky, including a session where he "bullfrogged" her over a washing machine, which she recorded and spanked her with a frying pan, amongst others. She also writes how she once had to steam clean her whole flat after he left.
 * There is a possible reference to Niko in a competing game, Saints Row. There is a commercial featuring a man named Vlad with an East European accent (Jason Zumwalt, the same voice actor that voices Roman), with hints that he is a human trafficker, and claims he is willing to have the player's family killed. At the start of GTA IV, Niko works with a man named Vlad Glebov (Niko later kills him).
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Niko is currently the only protagonist to originate from Europe, although Tommy Vercetti and Toni Cipriani have European roots.
 * 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."
 * 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 is the only protagonist to appear in the GTA IV, TLAD and TBOGT opening cutscene, as he appears in The Cousins Bellic, Clean and Serene and I Luv LC.
 * Niko is one of two protagonists who kills another protagonist's enemy in the whole GTA series, the other being Luis Fernando Lopez. (Niko kills Johnny's antagonist Ray Boccino and Luis kills Niko's antagonist Ray Bulgarin)

Mission appearances
GTA IV
 * As the protagonist, he appears in every mission.

The Lost and Damned The Ballad of Gay Tony
 * Clean and Serene
 * Buyer's Market
 * Collector's Item
 * Credits (TLAD)
 * Knowing Me, Knowing You (Voice)
 * I Luv LC
 * Not So Fast
 * Ladies Half Price

Murders committed
Significant people Niko has killed:
 * Bledar Morina - Murdered for harassing Roman Bellic (optional).
 * Kalem Vulaj - Murdered for harassing Roman Bellic (optional).
 * Dardan Petrela - Murdered for harassing Roman Bellic (optional).
 * 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.
 * 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 (optional)
 * The Blackmailer - Murdered on Francis McReary's orders after threatening to expose his corruption.
 * Tom Goldberg - Murdered on Francis McReary's orders for giving him potential legal trouble.
 * Clarence Little - Murdered on Francis McReary's orders (optional)
 * 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 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 (opional).
 * 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 and repeatedly trying to kill him.