Niko Bellic
Encyclopedia
Niko Bellic is the main protagonist and playable character in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
for Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
and Microsoft Windows
. He is a 30-year-old former soldier from Eastern Europe who moved to Liberty City
to escape his troubled past and pursue the "American Dream
". Niko was persuaded to move by his cousin Roman, who claimed to be living a life of luxury, with beautiful women, sports cars and lots of money. It soon becomes apparent, however, that he runs a failing taxi business, has mounting debts and various criminals from Liberty City's underworld have put a price on his head. Aware of Niko's violent past, Roman had lied to convince his cousin to move to the city, knowing that Niko would fight against his pursuers, and eventually be the one to turn his lies into a reality. It is also stated that Roman is motivated partially by desire to see his cousin again. Niko, however, has underlying motivations for moving to Liberty City, which are revealed as the story unfolds. Although he is the protagonist in only the original game, he also appears in The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
and it is said he is from the Balkans
. Niko's nationality has been a subject of some debate: prior to the game being launched, it was believed by some that he was Russian and articles have interpreted the character as being from Croatia
or Serbia
. Executive producer Dan Houser
spoke on the matter saying that Niko is "from that gray part of broken-down Eastern Europe", suggesting that Niko's nationality was left intentionally vague or to the interpretation of the player.
Niko's father was a violent alcoholic, who abused him, his mother and elder brother. Niko's mother, Milica, who possessed a maternal and caring nature, regretted that her sons were forced to endure such hardships as children, since Niko and his brother grew up during the difficult times of the Yugoslav Wars
. His elder brother was killed in action in the war, a war in which Niko participated as an enraged youth. Niko witnessed numerous atrocities during the war, including the murder and mutilation of over 50 men and women, which led to his cynical perspective on life, with certain degrees of regret, depression, emotional and social detachment. A defining moment in the war for Niko was when his army unit of fifteen young men from his village were ambushed by the enemy. Niko barely escaped the ambush, and weeks later concluded that the unit had been betrayed by one of their own soldiers, so he returned to the pit where his friends were buried and shoveled up, counted, and identified each of the corpses. From this he learned there were two other survivors: Florian Cravic and Darko Brevic. Niko vowed to search for the perpetrator, motivated not solely by revenge, but a need for closure and to move on with his own life. Despite this, Niko possesses certain skills which were acquired during his early army training, such as close quarter combat, slight helicopter piloting, shooting and swimming.
By the end of the war, Niko experienced difficulty finding work and leading a normal life in Yugoslavia. His cousin Roman decided to settle in the United States
, in order to lead a new life in Liberty City before the war. Niko, knowing only violence, turned 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. After being released from a brief stint in prison, Niko joined a smuggling and trafficking ring run by Russian criminal Ray Bulgarin. Niko would eventually discover that Florian Cravic, one of the two survivors of the ambush, was also residing in Liberty City.
During one smuggling run into Italy
, the boat that Niko was working on sank in the Adriatic Sea
a mile from the nearest shoreline. Niko managed to abandon the ship and swim to safety, however everything else placed on the ship was lost beyond salvaging. Bulgarin accused Niko of escaping with the money on board. Although Niko denied the accusations, Bulgarin refused to believe him and he was too powerful to argue with, so Niko joined the merchant navy
in order to flee from Bulgarin. He spent the following seven months at sea in the Atlantic Ocean
, befriending the crew of the Platypus and contemplating Roman's request for him to come to Liberty City. Roman had been asking Niko to come to Liberty City to share his lavish life of a mansion, a sports car, money and beautiful women, which Niko desired and perceived as a "break". Niko was also motivated to come to Liberty City in order to locate Florian Cravic and evade Bulgarin.
Initially, Niko worked with his cousin in Broker, helping him to remove the threat of loan sharks and expanding his taxi business. After killing Vladimir Glebov, a Russian loan shark with influential friends, Niko later found work with a powerful Russian Mafia don, Mikhail Faustin, and his erstwhile assistant, Dimitri Rascalov. Faustin later ordered Niko to murder the son of rival don Kenny Petrovic on a whim, and in order to spare himself and his cousin from the wrath of Petrovic, Niko was coerced into killing Faustin by Rascalov. Rascalov would then reveal himself to be an associate of Bulgarin, who was now based in Liberty City, and Niko and Roman were forced to flee Broker after their apartment and taxi depot were firebombed.
Niko moved to Bohan, where he made contact with various drug dealers, including Elizabeta Torres and Playboy X. He forged further contacts with Irish crime family the McRearys, dejected former criminal Dwayne Forge and Ray Boccino, a caporegime in the Pegorino Family. Through the latter, 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; he was still frustrated by his failure to find the perpetrator behind the attack on his former unit.
Eventually, Niko tracks down, with the help of Ray Boccino, Florian Cravic, only to discover he has become a flamboyant homosexual
secretly dating the Deputy Mayor of Liberty City, Bryce Dawkins, also intent on forgetting the past; Niko then concludes that Darko Brevic was the man responsible for the atrocity. Thanks to his work for a shady government agency, United Liberty Paper, Niko was later rewarded by having Brevic flown specifically to Liberty City, where he, along with Roman, would finally be able to confront him. Before killing Darko, Roman suggests 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, then 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 Nico; if the second path is chosen, Kate McReary, Niko's girlfriend, is killed by an enraged Pegorino at a drive. Following these various endings, Niko either tracks down and kills Rascalov, 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.
During the game it is shown that 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. At one point, he shows an extreme contempt for American advertising, saying that it has "nothing to back it up." This is the polar opposite of Roman's view of American life, which is one of pure optimism. After working for so many criminals, the cynicism he developed in the Balkans is merely reinforced in Liberty City.
The most significant aspect of Niko's personality is his cynicism
, which he gained in the war. He criticizes his acquaintances for expecting him to have fun amidst his troubled situation. Niko's biggest weakness is his inability to let go of the past - which causes him much aggression when the issue of finding his betrayers comes up; Niko is criticized by many of his friends and most notably Roman, for this weakness. Despite that, Niko holds on firm to his belief that one of the main reasons he is in America is to resolve and put closure to his past. Niko also has a prominent distaste for drugs— he regularly refuses Little Jacob's offers of marijuana, frequently criticises Brucie's steroid
addiction, expresses disgust for the heroin he deals with, and usually does not drink alcohol (the exceptions being in the cutscene after his confrontation with Darko and when controlled by the player. Playboy X at one point offers him a drink, but when Niko sits, he simply stares at the glass briefly before putting it down). Along with this, Niko also has a somewhat positive view of law enforcement. He willingly goes to the funeral of slain police commissioner Francis McReary and he also has said that cops are just people trying to survive. He also criticizes Roman for prank calling the police because he thinks that Roman may someday need the help of the police. He still has these views even though many of the people around him do not and in some missions Niko can only succeed by killing or shooting at law enforcement.
Though Niko doesn't much talk about American politics, he is shown to have a disliking for communism
and capitalism
throughout the game's cutscenes.
. Niko first helps Johnny sell some Heroin but the deal is a sting. The second time they meet is to make a diamond deal with the Jewish Mob, but Luis Lopez attacks the deal and Johnny steals the money. Niko was also responsible for many of the events that provide the storyline of The Lost and Damned. Among these events were the killing of Lost member Jason Michaels, on the orders of Mikhail Faustin, which lead to The Lost’s leader, Billy Grey, to falsely claim that it was an attack by The Angels of Death, provoking the gang war between them. Also, Johnny is responsible for one of Niko's problems in GTA IV; he kidnapped Roman for the Russians. Later, when Niko works for Ray Boccino, he assassinates the treasurer
of The Lost, Jim Fitzgerald, after Johnny steals Ray’s money during a diamond trade. This event acts as part of a chain of events
that leads to the breakup of The Lost. Niko's voice is later heard after Johnny bugs Bryce Dawkins Infernus and listens to it: since the car has been given to Niko as a gift, Niko can be heard yelling at the police. Later he is seen at various stages in the credits.
Niko is referred to as "a Serb" in a dialogue between The Lost members.
. 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. Hollick told The New York Times
that while he was a theater student at Carnegie Mellon University
he developed a talent for dialects.
included him in a top 25 list of video game anti-heroes, stating that he has a heart-of-gold beneath his rough exterior. In another article, they list 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. They also used him as an example for the "walking stereotype" archetype.
|-
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. He is a 30-year-old former soldier from Eastern Europe who moved to Liberty City
Liberty City (Grand Theft Auto)
Liberty City is a fictional city in Rockstar Games' video games series Grand Theft Auto, based primarily on several major cities including New York City...
to escape his troubled past and pursue the "American Dream
American Dream
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each...
". Niko was persuaded to move by his cousin Roman, who claimed to be living a life of luxury, with beautiful women, sports cars and lots of money. It soon becomes apparent, however, that he runs a failing taxi business, has mounting debts and various criminals from Liberty City's underworld have put a price on his head. Aware of Niko's violent past, Roman had lied to convince his cousin to move to the city, knowing that Niko would fight against his pursuers, and eventually be the one to turn his lies into a reality. It is also stated that Roman is motivated partially by desire to see his cousin again. Niko, however, has underlying motivations for moving to Liberty City, which are revealed as the story unfolds. Although he is the protagonist in only the original game, he also appears in The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
Early life
Niko's nationality is never specified in the game, although he speaks and reads SerbianSerbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
and it is said he is from the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. Niko's nationality has been a subject of some debate: prior to the game being launched, it was believed by some that he was Russian and articles have interpreted the character as being from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
or Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. Executive producer Dan Houser
Dan Houser
Dan Houser is an English video game producer and vice president of creativity for Rockstar Games...
spoke on the matter saying that Niko is "from that gray part of broken-down Eastern Europe", suggesting that Niko's nationality was left intentionally vague or to the interpretation of the player.
Niko's father was a violent alcoholic, who abused him, his mother and elder brother. Niko's mother, Milica, who possessed a maternal and caring nature, regretted that her sons were forced to endure such hardships as children, since Niko and his brother grew up during the difficult times of the Yugoslav Wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
. His elder brother was killed in action in the war, a war in which Niko participated as an enraged youth. Niko witnessed numerous atrocities during the war, including the murder and mutilation of over 50 men and women, which led to his cynical perspective on life, with certain degrees of regret, depression, emotional and social detachment. A defining moment in the war for Niko was when his army unit of fifteen young men from his village were ambushed by the enemy. Niko barely escaped the ambush, and weeks later concluded that the unit had been betrayed by one of their own soldiers, so he returned to the pit where his friends were buried and shoveled up, counted, and identified each of the corpses. From this he learned there were two other survivors: Florian Cravic and Darko Brevic. Niko vowed to search for the perpetrator, motivated not solely by revenge, but a need for closure and to move on with his own life. Despite this, Niko possesses certain skills which were acquired during his early army training, such as close quarter combat, slight helicopter piloting, shooting and swimming.
By the end of the war, Niko experienced difficulty finding work and leading a normal life in Yugoslavia. His cousin Roman decided to settle in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in order to lead a new life in Liberty City before the war. Niko, knowing only violence, turned 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. After being released from a brief stint in prison, Niko joined a smuggling and trafficking ring run by Russian criminal Ray Bulgarin. Niko would eventually discover that Florian Cravic, one of the two survivors of the ambush, was also residing in Liberty City.
During one smuggling run into Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the boat that Niko was working on sank in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
a mile from the nearest shoreline. Niko managed to abandon the ship and swim to safety, however everything else placed on the ship was lost beyond salvaging. Bulgarin accused Niko of escaping with the money on board. Although Niko denied the accusations, Bulgarin refused to believe him and he was too powerful to argue with, so Niko joined the merchant navy
Ship transport
Ship transport is watercraft carrying people or goods . Sea transport has been the largest carrier of freight throughout recorded history. Although the importance of sea travel for passengers has decreased due to aviation, it is effective for short trips and pleasure cruises...
in order to flee from Bulgarin. He spent the following seven months at sea in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, befriending the crew of the Platypus and contemplating Roman's request for him to come to Liberty City. Roman had been asking Niko to come to Liberty City to share his lavish life of a mansion, a sports car, money and beautiful women, which Niko desired and perceived as a "break". Niko was also motivated to come to Liberty City in order to locate Florian Cravic and evade Bulgarin.
Life in Liberty City
Upon arriving in Liberty City, Niko realizes that Roman's stories of success were entirely exaggerated; he actually lives in a small, decrepit apartment, runs a small taxi depot in the Hove Beach area of Broker in Liberty City, and owes gambling debts across the city to several powerful criminals. Niko's hardened past proves useful for his cousin, and Niko is forced to protect Roman and himself from the loan sharks that keep harassing him. Roman soon introduces Niko to friends and enemies alike, all of whom offer work which Niko accepts, giving him access to money and contacts that can help him locate "that special someone". Starting from Roman, Niko's relationships keep expanding over the course of the game.Initially, Niko worked with his cousin in Broker, helping him to remove the threat of loan sharks and expanding his taxi business. After killing Vladimir Glebov, a Russian loan shark with influential friends, Niko later found work with a powerful Russian Mafia don, Mikhail Faustin, and his erstwhile assistant, Dimitri Rascalov. Faustin later ordered Niko to murder the son of rival don Kenny Petrovic on a whim, and in order to spare himself and his cousin from the wrath of Petrovic, Niko was coerced into killing Faustin by Rascalov. Rascalov would then reveal himself to be an associate of Bulgarin, who was now based in Liberty City, and Niko and Roman were forced to flee Broker after their apartment and taxi depot were firebombed.
Niko moved to Bohan, where he made contact with various drug dealers, including Elizabeta Torres and Playboy X. He forged further contacts with Irish crime family the McRearys, dejected former criminal Dwayne Forge and Ray Boccino, a caporegime in the Pegorino Family. Through the latter, 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; he was still frustrated by his failure to find the perpetrator behind the attack on his former unit.
Eventually, Niko tracks down, with the help of Ray Boccino, Florian Cravic, only to discover he has become a flamboyant homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
secretly dating the Deputy Mayor of Liberty City, Bryce Dawkins, also intent on forgetting the past; Niko then concludes that Darko Brevic was the man responsible for the atrocity. Thanks to his work for a shady government agency, United Liberty Paper, Niko was later rewarded by having Brevic flown specifically to Liberty City, where he, along with Roman, would finally be able to confront him. Before killing Darko, Roman suggests 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, then 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 Nico; if the second path is chosen, Kate McReary, Niko's girlfriend, is killed by an enraged Pegorino at a drive. Following these various endings, Niko either tracks down and kills Rascalov, 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.
During the game it is shown that 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. At one point, he shows an extreme contempt for American advertising, saying that it has "nothing to back it up." This is the polar opposite of Roman's view of American life, which is one of pure optimism. After working for so many criminals, the cynicism he developed in the Balkans is merely reinforced in Liberty City.
Personality
Niko is portrayed as a very down-to-business person, and is very protective when it comes to his family and those closest to him, especially Roman, despite the fact that Roman often gets him into further trouble. During the game, many of his female acquaintances often point out that Niko has sophisticated manners and appears to be a very decent person. Niko also maintains a no-nonsense attitude, and at many times throughout the game attempts to resolve conflicts between two parties without the use of violence. However, he is shown to get angry easily when he is met with irrationally, is falsely blamed or cheated - a trait that might have been aggravated by his past experiences during the war, and he is often quite sarcastic. However, he is also portrayed as a caring figure; the player can have Niko help various random people on the streets who are having problems, and Niko also consoles the family of a friend after one of their family members dies (not mentioning that he is the killer of the family member). He appears to be a more mature and sensible person than many of his acquaintances. Also, Niko possesses an ability to manipulate people into giving him his own way — for instance, when Francis McReary is trying to get him to assassinate someone threatening to expose him, Niko simply refuses unless he is paid for his services - when McReary tells him that the target sells drugs to kids, he responds "the world is full of bad people, Mr. McReary."The most significant aspect of Niko's personality is his cynicism
Cynicism
Cynicism , in its original form, refers to the beliefs of an ancient school of Greek philosophers known as the Cynics . Their philosophy was that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature. This meant rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and...
, which he gained in the war. He criticizes his acquaintances for expecting him to have fun amidst his troubled situation. Niko's biggest weakness is his inability to let go of the past - which causes him much aggression when the issue of finding his betrayers comes up; Niko is criticized by many of his friends and most notably Roman, for this weakness. Despite that, Niko holds on firm to his belief that one of the main reasons he is in America is to resolve and put closure to his past. Niko also has a prominent distaste for drugs— he regularly refuses Little Jacob's offers of marijuana, frequently criticises Brucie's steroid
Anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, technically known as anabolic-androgen steroids or colloquially simply as "steroids", are drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in the body. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of cellular tissue ,...
addiction, expresses disgust for the heroin he deals with, and usually does not drink alcohol (the exceptions being in the cutscene after his confrontation with Darko and when controlled by the player. Playboy X at one point offers him a drink, but when Niko sits, he simply stares at the glass briefly before putting it down). Along with this, Niko also has a somewhat positive view of law enforcement. He willingly goes to the funeral of slain police commissioner Francis McReary and he also has said that cops are just people trying to survive. He also criticizes Roman for prank calling the police because he thinks that Roman may someday need the help of the police. He still has these views even though many of the people around him do not and in some missions Niko can only succeed by killing or shooting at law enforcement.
Though Niko doesn't much talk about American politics, he is shown to have a disliking for communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
throughout the game's cutscenes.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Niko is the main protagonist and playable character in Grand Theft Auto IV, with the player following his experiences upon arriving, and settling in Liberty City. After settling in the city, he is faced with decisions that the player can determine.The Lost and Damned
Niko makes several, non-playable appearances in the Grand Theft Auto IV expansion pack, The Lost and Damned. Niko meets the game’s protagonist, Johnny Klebitz, twice during the game much like in his main story along with a cameo in the game’s intro, when a man he accidentally bumps into swears at him, prompting him to swear back at the man in SerbianSerbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
. Niko first helps Johnny sell some Heroin but the deal is a sting. The second time they meet is to make a diamond deal with the Jewish Mob, but Luis Lopez attacks the deal and Johnny steals the money. Niko was also responsible for many of the events that provide the storyline of The Lost and Damned. Among these events were the killing of Lost member Jason Michaels, on the orders of Mikhail Faustin, which lead to The Lost’s leader, Billy Grey, to falsely claim that it was an attack by The Angels of Death, provoking the gang war between them. Also, Johnny is responsible for one of Niko's problems in GTA IV; he kidnapped Roman for the Russians. Later, when Niko works for Ray Boccino, he assassinates the treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of The Lost, Jim Fitzgerald, after Johnny steals Ray’s money during a diamond trade. This event acts as part of a chain of events
Chain of events
A chain of events is a number of actions and their effects that are contiguous and linked together.-Chain reaction:A chain reaction is a chain of events where one or more events in the chain causes additional reaction in an earlier stage of the chain...
that leads to the breakup of The Lost. Niko's voice is later heard after Johnny bugs Bryce Dawkins Infernus and listens to it: since the car has been given to Niko as a gift, Niko can be heard yelling at the police. Later he is seen at various stages in the credits.
Niko is referred to as "a Serb" in a dialogue between The Lost members.
The Ballad of Gay Tony
Niko plays a lesser role in TBOGT than in TLAD. He first appears in the first mission I Luv LC, where he is seen holding Luis Lopez hostage (along with the help of Packie & Derrick McReary). He and Luis manage to escape the bank. (he also appears stopping to let Luis cross the street). Luis sees him later in the mission "Not So Fast" where Luis steals the Diamonds being dealed by Niko & Johnny. Like last time, the two of them escape. He finally appears trading the Diamonds for Gracie Ancelloti in the mission "Ladies Half Price". He also is the result of some dramatic irony in TBOGT (for example, he's the one who killed Dimitri letting Bulgarin claim the Heroin). Although it is very rare, Niko can sometimes be seen and killed randomly on multiplayer free roam.Characterization
Niko Bellic is voiced by Michael HollickMichael Hollick (voice actor)
Michael Andrew Hollick is an American actor. He is best known for the portrayal of Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV. Other credits include minor TV-roles on Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Sex and the City.-Personal life:He is currently residing...
. 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
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
-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. Hollick told The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
that while he was a theater student at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
he developed a talent for dialects.
Reception
Niko's character has been well received by critics. IGN comments "...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..." Eurogamer says "[Niko] himself is quickly sympathetic - his moral latitude is rooted in horrible war stories, but he's warm-hearted - and imposing.." GameDailyGameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
included him in a top 25 list of video game anti-heroes, stating that he has a heart-of-gold beneath his rough exterior. In another article, they list 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. They also used him as an example for the "walking stereotype" archetype.
See also
- Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
- Grand Theft Auto (series)Grand Theft Auto (series)Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
- List of characters in Grand Theft Auto IV
- Pretty Village, Pretty FlamePretty Village, Pretty FlamePretty Village, Pretty Flame is a 1996 Yugoslavian film directed by Srđan Dragojević that gave uniquely bleak yet darkly humorous account of the Bosnian War.It is considered a modern classic of Serbian cinema...
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External links
- Niko Bellić on Grand Theft Wiki