History AlternativeCharacterInterpretation / GrandTheftAutoIV

Given [[BlackAndGrayMorality the morally ambiguous nature of the game]], fans are bound to have differing views on the characters.

* [[spoiler:Dimitri Rascalov. Was his first façade [[AffablyEvil genuinely affable]], and that [[EtTuBrute him turning on Niko]] [[SanitySlippage was due to how Mikhail's insanity just wore him down]]? Or was he a psychopathic bastard [[EvilAllAlong from the start]]?]]

* There's also the question of who's the real BigBad. While [[spoiler:Dimitri]] spends most of the game being the Big Bad to Niko, he only takes this position when [[spoiler:Mikhail Faustin]] is killed. On the other hand, [[spoiler:Ray Bulgarin]], while he is a major threat to Niko, he is not much involved in the story. And [[spoiler:Jimmy Pegorino]] becomes the BigBad almost by the end of the story, especially if Niko kills off [[spoiler:Dimitri]] before [[spoiler:Pegorino]] as part of the Revenge ending, so he is an invoked example. If [[spoiler:Darko Brevic]] had not been reduced [[spoiler:a [[TheAtoner nihilistic drug addict]]]], he could very well have been the BigBad of the whole story.
* [[spoiler:Darko Brevic, a man motivated by drugs, greed, or revenge against the people who murdered his friends?]]

** Is he truly a good guy turned bad because of the trauma he has been through over the course of the war, or has he always been a bad person with a hidden, dark side? Some moments in the game seem to suggest that he's not much different from your average GTA protagonist. For example, when he is ordered to kill some bikers in the final mission, he willingly shoots Jim's partner and taunts his death. Also, his actions in free mode can be fully canon. In fact, if you wreak havoc with the cops, your agency contact will call you saying to stop. Niko's response? He just responds sarcastically.

* Niko Bellic is a more complex character than you might think. He's a hypocritical man who's just as bad as the other GTA protagonists, or a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds given his tragic backstory. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

** Is he truly a good guy turned bad because of the trauma he has been through over the course of the war, or has he always been a bad person with a dark side? Some moments in the game seem to suggest that he's not much different from your average GTA protagonist. For example, when he is ordered to kill some bikers in the final mission, he willingly shoots Jim's partner and taunts his death. Also, his actions in free mode can be fully canon. In fact, if you wreak havoc with the cops, your agency contact will call you saying to stop. Niko's response? He just responds sarcastically.

* Niko Bellic is a more complex character than you might think. He's a hypocritical man who's just as bad as the other GTA protagonists, or a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds given his tragic backstory.

* Niko Bellic, He's a hypocritical man who's just as bad as the other GTA protagonists, or a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds given his tragic backstory.

*** Niko killing [[spoiler:Francis]] and letting [[spoiler:Derrick]] live (if you took that option). Again, was it purely moral? Or did he just not want to risk murdering Packie and Gerry's beloved brother (with [[spoiler:Francis]] being the least liked of the siblings)? For one thing, Niko says "fuck you" to [[spoiler:Francis]] when he orders him to kill [[spoiler:Derrick]]. On the other hand, Niko is not interested in what [[spoiler:Derrick]] has done (It's not my business") and he was threatened by Gerry ("Nothing personal, but don't fuck with my family, or I will fuck with yours.")

*** Niko killing [[spoiler:Francis]] and letting [[spoiler:Derrick]] live (if you took that option). Again, was it purely moral? Or did he just not want to risk murdering Packie and Gerry's beloved brother (with [[spoiler:Francis]] being the least liked of the siblings)? For one thing, Niko says "fuck you" to [[spoiler:Francis]] when he orders him to kill [[spoiler:Derrick]]. On the other hand, Niko is not interested in what [[spoiler:Derrick]] has done (It's not my business") and he was warned by Gerry if he would screw up his family.

* Niko Bellic, a hypocritical man pretending to have feelings, or a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds given his tragic backstory.
** [[spoiler:Darko Brevic's dialogue gives us a few more interpretations about Niko, more specifically the quote: "You say I ruined you? You were always a killer! I just helped you see that". It is possible that Niko was a murderer because of his violent upbringing in war times?]]
** The [[spoiler: "Deal"]] option near the end of the game can count as one too. [[spoiler: Is Niko only making the deal with Dimitri for the money? Or is it a genuine attempt to allow bygones to be bygones so that he can escape from this cycle of revenge and move on with his life?]]

* Niko has a romantic side, but without [[GameplayAndStorySegregation player input]] he shows very little interest in sex. Is it simply because of his trauma and his mission to find [[spoiler:Darko]] take priority, or is he (a heteroromantic) {{Asexual}}? The latter is supported by his genuine interest in Kate, despite knowing she doesn't sleep around.

* Niko Bellic, an hypocritical man pretending to have feelings, or a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds? There may be a good argument, since Niko is the GTA protagonist with the most tragic backstory.
** Another interpretation with a bit of TearJerker: Is Niko trying to be a {{sociopath}}? Considering that he kills people for money and sells drugs as if he had nothing like a conscience, one could almost say that he is a {{sociopath}}. However, if you call Roman via cellphone after the mission "Pest Control", he will say that he is tired of killing people because this job is affecting his consciousness. He's clearly unhappy for having this life and several easter eggs from [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV GTA V]] suggest that Niko gave up this lifestyle. So yes, Niko tries to be a sociopath, especially for the violent upbringing he had during wartime.

* There's also the question of who's the real BigBad. [[spoiler:While Dimitri spends most of the game being the Big Bad to Niko, he only takes this position when Mikhail Faustin is killed. On the other hand, Ray Bulgarin, while he is a major threat to Niko, he is not much involved in the story. And Jimmy Pegorino becomes the BigBad almost by the end of the story, especially if Niko kills off Dimitri before Pegorino as part of the Revenge ending, so he is an invoked example. If Darko Brevic had not been reduced a [[TheAtoner nihilistic drug addict]], he could very well have been the BigBad of the whole story.]]

* [[spoiler:Dimitri Rascalov. Was his first façade [[AffablyEvil genuinely affable]], or was he a psychopathic bastard [[EvilAllAlong from the start]]?]]

* There's also the question of who's the real BigBad. [[spoiler:While Dimitri spends most of the game being the Big Bad to Niko, he only takes this position when Mikhail Faustin is killed. On the other hand, Ray Bulgarin, while he is a major threat to Niko, he is not much involved in the story. And Jimmy Pegorino becomes the BigBad almost by the end of the story, so he is an invoked example. If Darko Brevic had not been reduced a [[TheAtoner nihilistic drug addict]], he could very well have been the BigBad of the whole story.]]

* There's also the question of who's the real BigBad. [[spoiler:While Dimitri spends most of the game being the Big Bad to Niko, he only takes the position of villain when Mikhail Faustin is killed. On the other hand, Ray Bulgarin, while it is a major threat to Niko, he is not much involved in the story even though he is more powerful and influential than Dimitri. And Jimmy Pegorino becomes the villain almost by the end of the story, so he is an invoked example. If Darko Brevic had not been reduced a [[TheAtoner nihilistic drug addict]], he could very well have been the BigBad of the entire storyline.]]

** Darko Brevic's dialogue gives us a few more interpretations about Niko, more specifically the quote: "You say I ruined you? You were always a killer! I just helped you see that". Is it possible that Niko was a murderer because of his violent upbringing in war times?

* Dimitri Rascalov. Was his first façade [[AffablyEvil genuinely affable]], or was he a psychopathic bastard [[EvilAllAlong from the start]]?

* There's also the question of who's the real BigBad. [[spoiler:While Dimitri spends most of the game being the Big Bad to Niko, he only takes the position of villain when Mikhail Faustin is killed. On the other hand, Ray Bulgarin, while it is a major threat to Niko, he is not much involved in the story even though he is more powerful and influential than Dimitri. And Jimmy Pegorino becomes the villain almost by the end of the story, so he is an invoked example. If Darko Brevic had not been reduced to a nihilistic drug addict, he could very well have been the BigBad of the entire storyline.]]