| Niko Bellic | |
|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto character | |
 Promotional artwork for Grand Theft Auto IV | |
| First game | Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) |
| Last appearance | Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009) |
| Created by | Rockstar North |
| Voiced by | Michael Hollick |
| Motion capture |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Fighting style | Krav Maga |
| Family | Roman Bellic (cousin) |
| Significant others |
|
| Origin | Eastern Europe |
Niko Bellic is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of Rockstar North's 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV, the sixth main entry in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto series. He also makes non-playable appearances in the game's episodic content The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, both released in 2009. Michael Hollick provided the character's voice and motion capture.
Within the game's storyline, Niko is an ex-soldier from Eastern Europe, who was shaped by his experiences in an unidentified war he fought in, developing a very cynical view on life. After becoming involved with a Russian crime syndicate, and discovering that his unit was sold out to enemy forces, he decides to move to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream, inspired by his cousin Roman's personal tales of luxury and riches that he had experienced while living there for the past decade. However, upon his arrival, he quickly discovers that those stories were greatly exaggerated, and attempts to improve his and Roman's financial situation by becoming involved with the local criminal underworld. As the game's story progresses, Niko works for various prominent fictional crime figures, in the hopes of finding the traitor who betrayed his unit during the war, while slowly learning to let go of his past and quest for revenge, and attempting to leave the criminal life that comes with major risks.
Niko's character received critical acclaim for his maturity, moral ambiguity, and personal growth, and has been called one of the best protagonists in the series. For his role, Hollick won Best Performance by a Human Male at the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards.