Is Niko Evil

[Bellic_Enterprises]

Is Niko - in your opinion evil? - or is he just a mis-understood man, whom under the presures of society in Liberty city is infulenced by Evil?

 

 

I certianly think its the latter, and in my opnion, is the best GTa Chareceter

[Kreepman]

Niko is just a confused man.

[Starion]

What do you mean by Evil?

 

I personally think he is just a man who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, to be honest. We all remember what he said in one of the earlier missions:

 

"Dammit, I promised myself I wouldn't kill anyone in this country"

 

^ Or something like that.

 

And we also have to remember that Niko does care for his friends, and other people.

[Corcovado]

He has a lot of rage and hate inside him.

At one point Brucie tells Niko to let the wild beast out (or something like that)

and Niko replies: I think its the opposite, I have to control my wild beast.

 

He helps people who are in need and shows great concern and caring for them.

 

No I don't think he's evil, not at all. He is a character with a lot of emotions, and I agree the best gta character so far. He makes a lasting impression.

[Knight_Yellow]

Hes a shade of grey as far as evil goes, he has no problem killing people if he gets paid but he doesnt kill for fun.

 

Even then you have tv or movie characters that kill people but they are oftenly "good".

 

Dexter: He's a serial killer that kills other killers.

Hannibal: He's a cannibal that targets other killers/corrupt people.

Jigsaw: Serial killer killing people with moral flaws.

[gummybear]

i think he's too obsessed with his past and he needs serious therapy

[asnaes1981]

 

i think he's too obsessed with his past and he needs serious therapy

I agree. Niko needs therapy. All former soldiers get therapy these days.

 

Also, good and evil are concepts that are controlled by the people in power, like government or religion.

[Don Garcia aka NjNakedSnake]

He kills with little regard for human life, and he does it for money.

 

Evil alright.

[v350]

He is a bad man. He kills people for money. Steals cars, robs banks and works as a hitman. No his is not misunderstood or confussed, he is just bad. Thats what makes GTA so fun!

[Gta IV King]

Niko is a man who walks around a city with a rocket launcher killing innocent civilians... Of course he's evil.

[blitsbebop]

Nope he just had a f*cked up child-hood.

 

If he was like I he would go get some helpful therapy.

 

I ran away from home over 3 times so yeah, Niko therapy helps you know

 

 

[.Up&Coming.]

I think he's the most sane, caring protagonist yet. I think he's the least evil of all of them (except Vic Vance...).

 

He's the best. I really can't think of a better game character in any game I've played before. He has such good emotion, but sometimes when he's having a normal conversation like the cutscene before killing Faustin, he just randomly bursts out screaming at people after talking completely normal.

 

It catches me by surprise sometimes. He's just amazing. The accent pulls it all together.

[gummybear]

he's also sold and smuggled people, that's definitely evil in my book

[Coltrane's Muse]

 

i think he's too obsessed with his past and he needs serious therapy

I agree. Niko needs therapy. All former soldiers get therapy these days.

 

Also, good and evil are concepts that are controlled by the people in power, like government or religion.

You, too, buy into the existentialist agenda? Aye dios mio!

Edited May 19, 2008 by Coltrane's Muse

[chitoryu12]

He is a bad man. He kills people for money. Steals cars, robs banks and works as a hitman. No his is not misunderstood or confussed, he is just bad. Thats what makes GTA so fun!

He's not bad, or evil. Look at how he progressed to all of that. When Niko commits crimes, it's out of necessity. Remember how after his first in-mission kill he gets angry at himself for having to do it? He desperately wants a straight life, but he's spent so much time in the civil war seeing the horrors of Eastern Europe that you won't find in German porn that he's essentially a broken man.

 

Try watching the Niko trailer Rockstar released just before the game. It'll really give you an idea of the state of his soul and why Niko does what he does.

 

P.S. Random rampages are not considered part of the canon, so as far as the game is concerned, he's never killed a hundred people with explosives and gotten out of it with a $5,000 bribe and returned to full health in a day after he fell onto an exploding car full of oil.

[blitsbebop]

Tommy was evil, he killed people and did not give a f*ck!

 

He is the one you should watch out for!

[Coltrane's Muse]

Claude (Speed) by a country mile. He's the twenty-first century's iteration of Charles Starkweather.

[chitoryu12]

Claude (Speed) by a country mile. He's the twenty-first century's iteration of Charles Starkweather.

Not really. Starkweather was merely deranged, trying to find a reason to kill. His first murder was in revenge for not letting him buy a stuffed dog on credit for a girl he befriended. He killed her family in anger over an arguement.

 

Claude is different. Claude had the personality of a dumpster (and I really need to find a better analogy. I've used that one three times already) and a look to match. He would nuke a city if he would become king of some small African nation in return. The guy had no emotion whatsoever, to the point where I often wondered if he was just an android.

 

You want evil, go for Tommy. He would get to the top through any means, from murder of innocents to torture. He's the only protagonist who regularly tortured and mutilated others, even innocents he was told to murder over the phone, just for more cash and power.

[Mr. Someguy]

I think he's been twisted (and traumatized) by the killing he saw when he was young.

[Tony_Starks]

i don't think he's evil, he just doesn't give a f*ck wether he lives or dies. Tommy has got to be the most evil, the "harwood butcher" fresh out of jail and straight back into it without missing a beat. ah good times, best gta character ever.

[Beee]

i bet he grew up playing GTA the way he acts..

[Slamman]

I was filming the graphics with Niko on the construction cranes and on various roofs to get some scope of the vistas...When the cam angle came right up to Niko's face, his body and skull disappeared and you could see the reverse side... He has a full eyeball and hair but no brain!!!! How he even functions, much less chooses the side of darkness/evil, is beyond me.

 

The man has no "BRAIN"!!!!

[Beee]

 

I was filming the graphics with Niko on the construction cranes and on various roofs to get some scope of the vistas...When the cam angle came right up to Niko's face, his body and skull disappeared and you could see the reverse side... He has a full eyeball and hair but no brain!!!! How he even functions, much less chooses the side of darkness/evil, is beyond me.

 

The man has no "BRAIN"!!!!  

so his not evil ?

 

i dont get u

his eyeballs look evil ?

[Slamman]

He's "The Hollowman", kind of a scary, twisted movie, if you recall that one!

 

I was saying the brain isn't visible but you can see his hair and eyes fully, when the camera view cuts into extreme closeup, try it next to a wall, move the camera angle up towards his head! Or below his head. The eyes are "bloodshot" on both sides, so it's rather creepy.

 

I would echo the sentiments of Rockstar on his moral compass...He's Amoral.

[kraft7]

He's not evil, He's not killing people just for the money. He's just mixed in with the wrong crowd. His life is about survival now. He doesn't want to get pushed around by other people. He cares about his family and helps them. He helps Roman by killing Vlad cause he was sleeping around with his girlfriend. He moved to LC to get away from all of that but he just can't get away from all the bad people.

 

It's up to you the player to choose how Niko is in the end. Should you execute [insert character's name here] or not, should you get revenge to stand by what you believe in or should you make a deal to help your cousin. Forget the past and start a new life? or not.

 

IMO Niko is not evil. He's standing by what he believes in and he will do whatever he can to help his family, the only thing in his life he cares about.

 

kill or be killed

[Faltskogian]

Interesting that R* included Claude's outfit from GTA 3 in this game.

 

Are they hinting that Claude is actually Niko and visa versa? or do i need to get out more?

 

[Corcovado]

you need to go out more

[Faltskogian]

Thought so!

 

[RONIN1191]

Claude (Speed) by a country mile. He's the twenty-first century's iteration of Charles Starkweather.

Not really. Starkweather was merely deranged, trying to find a reason to kill. His first murder was in revenge for not letting him buy a stuffed dog on credit for a girl he befriended. He killed her family in anger over an arguement.

 

Claude is different. Claude had the personality of a dumpster (and I really need to find a better analogy. I've used that one three times already) and a look to match. He would nuke a city if he would become king of some small African nation in return. The guy had no emotion whatsoever, to the point where I often wondered if he was just an android.

 

You want evil, go for Tommy. He would get to the top through any means, from murder of innocents to torture. He's the only protagonist who regularly tortured and mutilated others, even innocents he was told to murder over the phone, just for more cash and power.

I agree with your assessment of Claude with one exception - where you state he'd nuke a city if he would become king of some small nation in return. I say he'd do it if the right person were to tell him to do it- he truly was Fido after all.

 

Tommy would nuke a city in return for a small nation; of that I am quite certain. Tommy wasn't referred to as the 'Harwood Butcher' because of the way he slices his meat y'know.

 

Niko? He doesn't deal in black and white, he can't afford to- too much of his world, and the people in it, are morally ambiguous to begin with so to call him good or evil is too basic. I see him as a conflicted individual, but intelligent- he is aware of his actions but is also adept at compartmentalizing (mark of a military background) and while he may be conflicted after certain kills, he has no compunctions about pulling the trigger to elicit a desired response or effect. That he does not care whether he lives or dies just means this is a man you do not f*ck with; and adds considerable weight to his words and actions.

[DriftNismo]

i don't think he's evil, he just doesn't give a f*ck wether he lives or dies. Tommy has got to be the most evil, the "harwood butcher" fresh out of jail and straight back into it without missing a beat. ah good times, best gta character ever.

Hell yeah, Tommy was the best GTA character ever!

 

Nah, i don't think Niko is evil, just with all he has been through he doesn't care what happens to him anymore and just does what he has to to get by. All the IV missions are probably nothing compared to what he did in "The Old Country".