Niko Bellic

Niko Bellic is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of Rockstar North's 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV, the sixth main game in the Grand Theft Auto series developed by Rockstar Games. He also appears in the game's episodic content The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, both released in 2009, and as an easter egg in Grand Theft Auto V, released in 2013. He was voiced by Michael Hollick.

Niko Bellic
Grand Theft Auto character
Promotional artwork from Grand Theft Auto IV depicting Niko Bellic
First appearanceGrand Theft Auto IV (2008)
Last appearanceGrand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009)
Created byRockstar North
Voiced byMichael Hollick
Motion capture
In-universe information
FamilyMilica Bellic (mother)
Roman Bellic (cousin)
Mallorie Bardas-Bellic (cousin-in-law)
OriginEastern Europe

Niko is a war veteran from Eastern Europe who, at his cousin's, Roman Bellic, insistence, moves to Liberty City, a fictional city based on New York City, to pursue the American Dream and start a new life alongside Roman. However, Niko has additional motivations to travel there, in particular to search for the man who betrayed his military unit in the war and exact revenge. Though he attempts to leave his violent past behind, Niko soon becomes entangled in a world of violence, crime, and corruption as he moves up in the criminal underworld city, doing work for various contacts in an attempt to earn enough money to secure a better lifestyle for himself and Roman, and find the traitor as soon as possible.

Nationality

Niko's nationality is never specified in the game, and has been a subject of some debate.[1] Prior to the game's launch, it was believed by some that he was Russian, Serbian or Croatian.[2][3][4] Executive producer Sam 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.[5]

Biography

Niko was born in 1978 to Milica Bellic and an unnamed father. In the game's backstory, Niko's father is a violent alcoholic who physically abuses him, his mother, and his elder brother. Milica, who possesses a maternal and caring nature in the backstory, regrets that her sons have been forced to endure such hardships as children. Niko participates in an unnamed war as an infantryman, tank operator, and helicopter pilot. During his time fighting he witnesses numerous atrocities, including the murder and mutilation of over 50 children, which traumatized him, leading to his cynical view on life, with certain degrees of anger, regret, emotional distress and severe depression. A defining moment is when his army unit of fifteen young men from his village are ambushed by the enemy. Niko escapes and later concludes that the unit has been betrayed by one of their own soldiers. He returns to the pit where his friends were buried, digs up the bodies, counted them, and identifies each of the corpses. From this he learns that there are two other survivors, Florian Cravic and Darko Brevic. Niko vows to search for the traitor.

By the end of the war, Niko experiences difficulty finding work and leading a normal life, and his elder brother has been killed in action. Knowing only violence and having very little opportunities, Niko turns to the Balkanic criminal underworld for the following ten years, while at the same time trying to search for the two other men who survived the ambush. His cousin Roman Bellic who settled in the United States offers Niko to join him. After being released from a brief stint in prison, Niko joins a smuggling and trafficking ring run by Russian criminal Ray Bulgarin. During one smuggling run into Italy, the boat that Niko is working on sinks in the Adriatic Sea, a mile from the nearest shoreline.[6] Niko swims to safety, but Bulgarin accused him of escaping with the money. Niko joins the merchant navy in order to flee from Bulgarin. He spends the following seven months at sea in the Atlantic Ocean, befriending the crew of the Platypus and contemplating Roman's requests for him to come to Liberty City.[7] Niko eventually discovers that Florian Cravic, one of the two survivors of the ambush, also lives in Liberty City, and accepts Roman's offer, arriving in circa 2008.

Life in Liberty City

Niko quickly realises that Roman's stories of success were exaggerated: he lives in a small, decrepit apartment and runs a small taxi depot,[8] and owes gambling debts across the city to several powerful criminals.[9][10][11][12] Niko's military skills such as close quarter combat, basic helicopter piloting, shooting and swimming give him an advantage over the street thugs of Liberty City.[13][14] Niko protects Roman from loan sharks, and soon begins making money and contacts that can help him locate Florian Cravic within the city.[15] His professional and personal relationships expand over the course of the game.[16]

Initially, Niko worked with his cousin in Broker to help him to remove the threat of various loan sharks from around the city and expanding his taxi business, but Niko kills Vladimir Glebov, a loud-mouthed Russian loan shark with influential friends, for having sex with Roman's long-time girlfriend Mallorie Bardas. Niko and Roman are soon kidnapped by henchmen of Glebov's superior, the powerful but mentally unstable Russian Mafia don, Mikhail Faustin, and his erstwhile assistant, Dimitri Rascalov. The two are interrogated in the basement of Faustin's mansion, however Faustin enters the basement, angry because he had not authorized the kidnapping. Faustin kills the henchman interrogating Niko and shoots Roman in the stomach for screaming too loudly. After being released, Faustin reveals that he hated Vlad Glebov and actually approves of Niko for killing him, admitting that "The only reason I keep him around is because I fuck his sister". Faustin gives Niko work as a hired gun, but eventually orders him to kill the son of a rival Russian mafia don, Kenny Petrović. After killing Petrović's son, Dimitri sets up Niko to assassinate Faustin, under the promise of protection from Kenny Petrović to prove that the death should be blamed on Mikhail and that Niko was just a hired gun. Deciding he has no choice, Niko confronts Faustin at his club, Perestroika, where he gets into a gunfight with Faustin and his bodyguards. Chasing him to the club's rooftop, Niko corners Faustin and aims a gun at him. Faustin tells Niko that neither he or Dimitri will survive in America without him, and that the greed of Liberty City takes over everyone. Niko executes Faustin, but not before he is warned that Dimitri will betray him. When Niko goes to collect the money for the hit, Dimitri in fact betrays him by trying to sell Niko to Ray Bulgarin. Roman's business and Niko's apartment is then burnt down by the Loan Sharks.

Niko moved to Bohan, where he made contact with various drug dealers, including Elizabeta Torres and Playboy X. He obtains further contacts including the McRearys, a weak Irish-American crime family and allies of Torres, consisting of Packie, Derrick, and Gerry, Dwayne Forge, Playboy X's mentor and former friend who recently left imprisonment, Francis McReary, one of the brothers of the McReary crime family who has become a prominent yet incredibly corrupt police officer, and Ray Boccino, a caporegime in the Pegorino Family. Through Boccino, Niko was able to gain further entry into the world of the Liberty City Commission, working for would-be Don Jimmy Pegorino. Thanks to this vast network of contacts, Niko was able to move into a penthouse apartment in the center of Algonquin and enjoyed a high standard of living, yet he was still frustrated by his failure to find the perpetrator behind the attack on his former unit, composed of childhood friends, from the war. Eventually, with the help of Ray Boccino, Niko tracks down the suspect he believed lived in the city, Florian Cravic. Niko confronts Cravic, only to discover he has become a flamboyant homosexual called Bernie Crane, who is secretly dating the Deputy Mayor of Liberty City, Bryce Dawkins, intent on forgetting the past. Niko then concludes that Darko Brevic was the man responsible for the atrocity, but has no lead to his location. After completing work for a shady government agency and the most powerful Mafia don in Liberty City, United Liberty Paper and Don Jon Gravelli, Niko is rewarded by Brevic being tracked down to Bucharest, Romania, and flown specifically to Liberty City. Niko, along with Roman, confront a bound and confused Darko Brevic at the airport, who reveals he betrayed Niko's unit for a mere $1,000. Before killing Darko, Roman suggests to him that he is forced to live his hard life he is apparently living, giving Niko a kill-or-spare choice. If Niko kills Darko, he later admits that he didn't feel any better by his move. If Niko lets Darko live, then he is at first disappointed but decides that he did the right thing. It is highly likely but unconfirmed if either option gives Niko his long needed closure.

Niko would later be presented with the chance to complete a heroin deal with bitter enemy Dimitri Rascalov, on behalf of Pegorino, and here Niko either attempts to complete the deal, only to be betrayed, upon which point he must shoot his way to the money, or instead Niko goes straight to the boat where Rascalov is hiding and kills him there. If the first path is chosen, Roman is killed by a hitman sent by Rascalov for Niko; if the second path is chosen, Kate McReary, Niko's girlfriend, is killed by an enraged Pegorino in a drive-by shooting when Kate is attending Roman's wedding. Following these various endings, Niko either tracks down and kills Rascalov (who kills Pegorino before his own death), or chases and murders Pegorino, aided by the contacts he has built up throughout his time in the city. With all of his loose ends tied up, Niko muses on the American Dream and concludes that it is a hollow promise, which no one can truly achieve.

In Grand Theft Auto V, set in 2013, Niko is briefly mentioned by Packie, who claims he has not heard of him since 2008. Lester Crest also briefly refers to "an Eastern European making moves in Liberty City" who "went quiet", implying Niko left his life of crime behind. An Easter egg in the game mentions that Niko still works for Roman’s taxi company.

Characteristics

Niko is portrayed as a very down-to-business person, and angers easily. He has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour, and often makes acerbic remarks. Though he regrets his past crimes, he feels that his soul is permanently tainted, and that killing is all he can do. Niko appears to be a more mature, empathetic, and sensible person than many of his acquaintances. His female acquaintances often point out that Niko has sophisticated manners and appears to be a very decent person. Many times he attempts to resolve conflicts between two parties without the use of violence.

The most significant aspect of Niko's personality is his cynicism, which he gained in the war.[17][18] Although generally he is a caring individual, Niko's realistic view of life allows him the ability to manipulate people. Niko's biggest weakness is his inability to let go of the past, and the desire for revenge is a driving force in many of his decisions. Despite his long involvement with criminal activity, Niko holds a somewhat sympathetic view of law enforcement, stating that cops are just people trying to survive. Near the end of the game, Niko expresses a desire to move on from his criminal past and get a fresh start. Niko has a distaste for drugs despite his frequent involvement in the drugs trade and regularly refuses offers of marijuana by Little Jacob.

Portrayal
Michael Hollick, voice of Niko Bellic, won a Spike TV award for "Best Performance by a Human Male"

Niko Bellic is voiced by Michael Hollick.[19] Hollick was paid about $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 standard Screen Actors Guild-negotiated rate for actors, although he claimed it was still a fraction of the income he would get 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.[20] Hollick told The New York Times that while he was a theater student at Carnegie Mellon University he developed a talent for dialects.[20][21][22][23]

Russian actor Vladimir 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 the Tracker in the 2001 movie Behind Enemy Lines, but he ultimately turned down the offer.[24] Rockstar Games have not commented on Mashkov's claims.

Other appearances

Niko plays a minor role in both of Grand Theft Auto IV's expansion packs, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, which take place simultaneously with the storyline of the base game, from the perspective of Johnny Klebitz and Luis Lopez, respectively.[25] He appears as an NPC in the missions that cross over with the base game.

In The Lost and Damned, Niko appears in the missions "Buyer's Market", where he assists Johnny and Playboy X on a drug deal that goes awry, and "Collector's Item", where he oversees the diamond deal with the Jewish Mob alongside Johnny, which is ambushed by Luis. He also makes a cameo appearance in the first mission of the expansion, "Clean and Serene", walking down the streets of Alderney (although this is likely an oversight, as the mission takes place before the bridges to Alderney open in Grand Theft Auto IV, meaning Niko couldn't have possibly been there at that time). Niko is indirectly mentioned by Brian Jeremy at the end of the mission "It's War" as a "Polak" guy who killed Jason Michaels, only for Billy Grey to correct him, saying he was a Serb, and then dismiss the idea, claiming that Jason was killed by the Angels of Death

In The Ballad of Gay Tony, Niko appears in the first mission, "I Luv LC", as one of the masked bank robbers holding Luis hostage during the heist of the Bank of Liberty. He appears again shortly after in that mission, almost running Luis over with his car on the pedestrian crossing. In "Not So Fast", Niko appears again alongside Johnny during the diamond deal which is ambushed by Luis. His final appearance is in "Ladies Half Price", where he and Patrick McReary attempt to exchange Gracie Ancelotti for the diamonds in Luis and Tony Prince's possession, only for the deal to be ambushed by Ray Bulgarin's men.

Niko is mentioned several times in Grand Theft Auto V, indirectly by Lester Crest and directly by Patrick. His LifeInvader profile also can be seen on Jimmy De Santa's laptop as an easter egg. In the "Collector's Edition" of Grand Theft Auto Online, players can choose what their character is to look 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.[26][27]

Reception

Niko's character has been well received by critics, as well as by gamers. He was voted as the 14th top character of the 2000s decade by readers of Game Informer.[28] In 2008, The Age ranked Niko as the second greatest Xbox character of all time, as "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."[29] IGN's Hilary Goldstein commented "Niko's struggles with his ruthless nature never inhibit the gameplay, but instead enhance the emotional gravity of a brilliant storyline. The more absurd the action becomes, the greater we feel the very real pathos of Niko Bellic."[30] Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer opined Niko "himself is quickly sympathetic - his moral latitude is rooted in horrible war stories, but he's warm-hearted - and imposing."[31] GameDaily included him in a top 25 list of video game anti-heroes, stating that he has a heart-of-gold beneath his rough exterior.[32] In another article, GameDaily listed the "scary foreigner" as one of their top 25 video game archetypes, using Niko as an example of this due to his "European thug" appearance.[33] They also used him as an example for the "walking stereotype" archetype.[34] In 2011, readers of Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition voted Niko as the 13th-top video game character of all time.[35]

See also
  • List of characters in Grand Theft Auto IV

References
  1. Cowen, Nick (28 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV: the biggest and the best". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  2. Workman, Robert (16 October 2007). "Grand Theft Auto IV". Businessweek.com. Retrieved 30 July 2010. He's a Russian immigrant with a life of crime and several problems at home.
  3. Schiesel, Seth (21 May 2008). "A Video Game Star and His Less-Than-Stellar Pay". New York Times. Niko is a war-scarred Serbian...
  4. "Top 10 Video Games of 2008". New York: Nydailynews.com. 2 January 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2010. An ex-soldier comes to America from Croatia, seeking revenge for a wartime betrayal.
  5. Crispin Boyer (27 April 1008). "Sweet Land of Liberty". Electronic Gaming Monthly: 44–56. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2008. He's from that gray part of broken-down Eastern Europe, a war-torn area -Sam Houser
  6. Schiesel, Seth (28 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto Takes On New York". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. p. 1. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  7. Stuart, Keith (29 April 2008). "How Grand Theft Auto smashed the system". Guardian. London: Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  8. "Grand Theft Auto IV". Ur magazine. Rogers Publishing. p. 64.
  9. Boyer, Crispin (27 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Review". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  10. Kendall, Nigel (26 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV the drive of your life". Times Online. London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  11. Taves, Scott (28 April 2008). "'Grand Theft Auto' will blow you away". NBC News. Microsoft. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  12. "Grand Theft Auto IV Review for Xbox 360". gamespot.com. CBS Interactive Inc. 29 April 2008. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  13. "Grand Theft Auto IV". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  14. Thompson, Clive (2 May 2008). "Games Without Frontiers: 'Grand Theft Auto IV' Delivers Deft Satire of Street Life". Wired.com. Condé Nast Digital. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  15. Gray, Sadie (4 May 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Making a killing is the name of the game". Times Online. London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  16. Waite, Roger (27 April 2008). "Its just a game says man behind Grand Theft Auto". Times Online. London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  17. Schiesel, Seth (21 May 2008). "A Video Game Star and His Less-Than-Stellar Pay". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  18. Goldstein, Hilary (29 April 2008). "IGN: Grand Theft Auto IV Review". Uk.xbox360.ign.com. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  19. "Jack Black announces new game trailers at video game awards". Daily Telegraph. News Limited. 16 December 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  20. Schiesel, Seth (21 May 2008). "A Video Game Star and His Less-Than-Stellar Pay". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. p. E1. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  21. Totilo, Stephen (11 April 2007). "'GTA IV' Details: Who's Niko Bellic? And Where's Staten Island". MTV News. MTV. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  22. Androvich, Mark (21 May 2008). "Voice of GTA IV's Niko Bellic wants more respect". Gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  23. "About Michael Hollick". Michaelhollick.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  24. Posner, Vladimir (27 September 2010). "Vladimir Mashkov's interview". Posner (TV show). Episode 61 (in Russian). Event occurs at 32:30. Channel One Russia. Retrieved 30 July 2018. 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.
  25. Totilo, Stephen (23 January 2009). "'Hell No' - No New Lines For Niko Bellic in 'Grand Theft Auto' Expansion". MTV Multiplayer. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  26. "More Details and Screens from the Grand Theft Auto V Special and Collector's Edition Digital Content". Rockstar Games. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  27. "Some More Details on Grand Theft Auto Online". Rockstar Games. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  28. Vore, Bryan (3 December 2010). "Readers' Top 30 Characters Results Revealed". Game Informer. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  29. "The Top 50 Xbox Characters of All Time". The Age. Fairfax Media. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
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  31. Bramwell, Tom (27 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Review". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. p. 2. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  32. "Top 25 Game Anti-Heroes". GameDaily.com. AOL Inc. 25 April 2009. p. 17. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  33. Buffa, Chris (29 January 2009). "Top 25 Game Archetypes". GameDaily.com. AOL Inc. p. 13. Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  34. Buffa, Chris (29 January 2009). "Top 25 Game Archetypes". GameDaily.com. AOL Inc. p. 17. Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  35. Marchiafava, Jeff (16 February 2011). "Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time". Game Informer. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
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