Nikolai (Modern Warfare)


 * For other characters with the name 'Nikolai', see Nikolai (disambiguation)

"Da - I know a place."

- Nikolai responding to Price at the end of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

"Nikolai" is the code name for a Russian informant amongst Imran Zakhaev's Ultranationalists and ally of the SAS in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. He continues to help MacTavish in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. His true identity has not yet been revealed. He is voiced by Sven Holmberg.

Cold War
Nikolai is a former Soviet Army Senior Sergeant from an anti-tank rifle unit.

Nikolai is also a veteran of the Soviet-Afghan War. During this war, which lasted from 1979 to 1989, the Soviets attempted to protect the Marxist regime in Kabul from Islamic guerrillas.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Prior to "Crew Expendable," Nikolai has supplied Bravo Team with the cargo ship intel. In events before the mission "Blackout," Nikolai has been detained by the Ultranationalists under suspicion of espionage. The SAS team under Captain Price must find and rescue him before he is executed. He has been informing the British from the Ultranationalist camp until his cover was blown. He helped to start the entire chain of events in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, as it was he that supplied the intel for the cargo ship mission.

In "Hunted," the Black Hawk carrying the extracted team is shot down over hostile territory, and he is forced to fight alongside the team with only the AK-74u he has been found with. Finally, under cover of AC-130 fire, Nikolai is evacuated by a second helicopter airlift to a safe house in Hamburg, and his last mention in the game is a loading cutscene in which he sends the SAS the coordinates to Khaled Al-Asad's safehouse in Azerbaijan.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Nikolai plays a bigger role in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 than in its prequel, and he is quite adept at flying multiple vehicles, though it is unknown how he has acquired them.

In "The Hornet's Nest," the stranded Task Force 141 team is left without a helicopter, since the U.S. has been barred from entering Brazilian airspace and the invasion has overwhelmed civilian communications. Captain MacTavish calls Nikolai to come rescue the team. Nikolai arrives in a Pave Low, but heavy RPG fire makes the landing zone too "hot," or dangerous. Soap orders Nikolai to wave off, as the team should be able find a secondary extraction point. Roach, when running and keeping up with the Task Force, falls from the rooftops, further delaying the exit. Roach quickly rushes throughout the favela, evading enemy forces, reaching the rooftops, and making it to the helicopter.

In "The Enemy Of My Enemy," Nikolai extracts Price and Soap from the Boneyard under fire in a C-130 Hercules as they ram their jeep into the back of the plane. Nikolai then drops off Price and Soap at Site Hotel Bravo in "Just Like Old Times," but despite having been told that it is a one-way flight, he returns to rescue the two in "Endgame" with a Little Bird.

Locations
Before Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
 * Afghanistan — Took part in the Soviet-Afghan War.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
 * Caucasus Mountains — Rescued by Captain Price's Bravo Team.
 * Western Russia — Shot down but evacuated to Hamburg.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
 * Rio De Janeiro, Brazil — Evacuated Soap's team in a Pave Low.
 * Kandahar, Afghanistan — Rescued Soap and Price from the Bone yard.
 * Site Hotel Bravo, Afghanistan — Rescues a heavily wounded MacTavish and Price and takes them to a "secret place".

Quotes
"The man is a coward, Captain Price. Al-Asad would never sacrifice himself."

- Nikolai remarking on Khaled Al-Asad shortly after being rescued.

"Da, I know a Place."

- At the end of "Endgame". Last thing to be said in Modern Warfare 2

"Have the Americans already attacked Al-Asad?"

- Nikolai to Captain Price as they board the "Big Bird" at the end of Blackout.

"Americans are making mistake, they will never take Al-Asad alive."

- Nikolai to Captain Price, when Price responds to the above quote stating that the American Invasion is in a few hours.

"Yes, I can still fight; thank you for getting me out of here."

- Nikolai responding to Gaz's previous question.

"My friend, from up here it looks like the whole village is trying to kill you!"

- Nikolai exclaiming the hostiles in "The Hornet's Nest".

"Try to get the situation under control before I get there, ok?"

- Nikolai to Price in "The Enemy Of My Enemy".

"I see you do not have situation under control."

- To Price, later, as a major understatement, in "The Enemy of My Enemy".

"They will be looking for us you know."

- Nikolai to Price in Endgame

"Sandstorms around Kandahar, Captain Price, I have to fly around them. I'm not being paid enough to crash my plane."

- Nikolai to Price around the middle of "The Enemy Of My Enemy" after Price asks where he is.

Trivia

 * Nikolai's physical likeness is a facial scan of Joshua Lacross, a Hollywood Visual Effects artist who won a VES award for his work on the "John Adams" miniseries.
 * It is mentioned in the level "The Enemy Of My Enemy" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that Nikolai took part in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as a Soviet soldier.
 * Nikolai played a big part in the story of the original Modern Warfare, as he supplied the intel for the cargo ship operation.
 * Nikolai looks very different in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in "Endgame" than he did in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in "Blackout", although this could be because of the five year time gap. Nikolai seems to have much shorter hair and some heavy stubble. His appearance may also be different because in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare he is encountered after being a prisoner, apparently suffering from physical abuse, and possibly from malnutrition.
 * Nikolai stands at 188 centimeters, as mentioned in "Blackout".
 * He is not featured in the Museum, even though his pavelow is.
 * In "The Enemy of My Enemy", Nikolai is heard yelling in Russian after Price told him to shut up. However this was directed at Shadow Company or the Mercenaries who were attempting to shoot him down (He says: Вот дерьмо! Нет, мне недоплачивают за эту работу! Одни ракеты сколько стоят! Твою мать! Пизда!!; trans. Holy shit! No, I'm really not paid enough for this job! The missiles alone cost so much! Your Mother! Fuck!).
 * "Da," Russian for "yes," is a sort of catchphrase of Nikolai's, as he repeats it many times.
 * Soap most likely participated in several missions with Nikolai between Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2, as Nikolai refers to Soap as his friend quite often, despite not even acknowledging that Soap exists in Modern Warfare.
 * "Endgame" is the only mission in which Nikolai physically appears in Modern Warfare 2. In other missions he is only heard over the comms or piloting aircraft (despite he's not seen piloting).
 * The name Nikolai is very common for important Russian characters in Call of Duty, like Nikolai Badanov and Nikolai Belinski.
 * If you look closely at the planes Cockpit seats in The Enemy of My Enemy, you will see that no-one is actually piloting Nikolai's plane.
 * He was born in April 1969. This can be seen in the "Blackout" intro.

Appearances

 * (2 games)
 * Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (First appearance)
 * Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2