Niko Bellic

Nikolai Bellic
'Grand Theft Auto' character
File:Niko-Bellic.png
First game	Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)

Nikolai "Niko" Bellic is a fictional character in the Grand Theft Auto video game series, serving as the anti-heroic protagonist and player-controlled character in Grand Theft Auto IV. He is 30 years of age and a Croatian veteran of Bosnian War, between 5'11 and 6’2 (1.80 to 1.88 m) and is 190-200 lbs (86-90 kg). Seeking the American Dream, Niko immigrates to Liberty City.

Role

Prologue

Nikolai "Niko" Bellic is the child of Karmalaf and Millica Bellic, along with his brother who died when Niko was young, although it is never stated when or how he died. He served in the Bosnian War as an "angry" teenager, and witnessed and committed numerous atrocities which deeply affected him, giving him a cynical view on life and serious feelings of regret and depression as he became older. A defining moment in the war for Niko was when his army unit of fifteen young men (including him) were ambushed by the enemy. Niko barely escaped with his life, but most of his friends were killed and he later discovered that two others also survived. Realizing that one of them tipped the enemy off to their location, Niko vowed to track down the culprit, not solely on revenge, but because he needed closure and that doing so would put his demons to rest. When the war ended, work was hard to come by in the country. His cousin, Roman, moved to America to start a new life in Liberty City. Niko, knowing only violence most of his life, turned to the criminal underworld for the next ten years while at the same time searching for the two men who survived the ambush. At some point during this interval, he was arrested and imprisoned.

Sometime after he was released, Niko joined a human trafficking ring run by Rodislav Bulgarin. When a boat sank during one smuggling run, Niko managed to swim to safety, but everything else was lost. Bulgarin believed Niko sunk the boat and escaped with the money onboard. Niko denied this, but Bulgarin's decision was final and he was too powerful a figure to fight back against. Niko quickly joined the merchant navy and fled from Bulgarin. He spent the next seven months at sea, befriending the crew of the Platypus and contemplating Roman's request for him to come to America. Niko eventually discovered that Florian Cravic, another survivor of the ambush, was living in Liberty City. Niko not only came to America for Roman, but he also wanted to find Florian Cravic and escape Bulgarin's wrath.

Arrival in Liberty City

Upon arriving in Liberty City, Niko realizes that Roman's tales of success were lies: he lives in a tiny apartment, runs a small taxi depot and owes gambling debts to several criminals. Niko ends up working for Roman, protecting his cousin from the loan sharks that keep harassing him. Roman soon loans Niko's services to friends and enemies alike, which angers Niko although he needs the money, and sets in motion the events of the game. Though Niko is seemingly a cold person, he is in fact friendly and caring. These qualities allow him to make friends quickly, often with benefits. Jacob "Little Jacob" Hughes, Brucie Kibbutz, Patrick "Packie" McReary and Dwayne Forge are just some of the people he has helped and befriended. Niko's view of American culture is one of confusion and mild disgust. The rampant materialism annoys him and he has trouble relating to Roman's fascination with the country. Plus, after working for so many criminals, he feels that everyone in Liberty City is a crook. Niko's biggest flaw, as mentioned by Roman many times, is his inability to let go of the past - mainly the tragic betrayal that got so many of his friends killed - and his pessimistic view on nearly every aspect of life, which contrasts greatly to Roman's optimism.

Personality

Niko seems to have a natural talent for forging friendships. He can become close to almost anyone, even some once counted as enemies. However, he will not hesitate to sever a previously profitable relationship if it goes against his values or completes one of his objectives.

This air of friendliness is just a facade, however, used to better facilitate his time in Liberty City. Niko has been described as "cold" by multiple people. His own cousin has called him a "sociopathic serial killer" to his face. He accepts jobs that will inevitably result in the death of one or more people with an air of utter casualness.

Although he is a skilled hitman, he does not ethically blend in with his criminal environment. For instance, although the game gives you an option to consume large amounts of alcohol and drive under influence, Niko does not abuse harmful substances, such as tobacco and drugs, while some of his friends in Liberty City are drug users (a running gag throughout the game is Little Jacob's tendency to smoke a Marijuana joint at very bad times, such as flying in a helicopter, to Niko's intense annoyance). He knows how to act or say things appropriately. While one of the dating sequences with Alex, she mentions that she wanted her mother to die quickly from cancer. Niko responded, "You don't really mean that, do you?" Also, unlike any previous protagonists of the franchise, Niko often calls out apologies when he hits the pedestrians while driving.

He seems to believe that the ends justify the means: he doesn't care what gets between him in his journey, as long has he completes his personal objectives and keeps the people closest to him safe. However, even he has limits to what he'll kill for, and generally only takes on "hits" if there's a passably good reason behind it. There are also certain parts that show Niko having concern for the well being of his soul, and the possibility of going to Hell for some of the things he has done. However, at one point in the game, he tells Llyena Faustin that he doesn't believe in the existence of the soul, because he has seen humans do things to one another that creatures with souls could never do.

Although never explicitly named by Rockstar Games as an inspiration, Niko's physical appearance (And default outfit) is extremely similar to that of an unnamed sniper played by Vladimir Mashkov in the film Behind Enemy Lines.

Michael Hollick

Niko is voiced by Michael Hollick.Hollick was paid about $100,000 for his voice acting and motion-capture work over the course of about 15 months from 2006 to 2008. 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. Hollick told The New York Times that while he was a theater student at Carnegie Mellon University he developed a talent for dialects.

See also

• Grand Theft Auto IV
• Grand Theft Auto (series)
• List of characters in Grand Theft Auto IV

External links

• Template:Imdb character
• GrandTheftAuto Forums - Niko Bellic
• Niko Bellic at GameSpot