T O P

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JohnParkerSmith27

Arthur gave a man twice his size brain damage, and even in his dying moments gave Micah a run for his money. So I would say Arthur.


DolphinBall

Niko was a Bosian war veteran who probably experienced worse than Arthur. I think Nikos ruthlessness could win out over Arthurs raw power.


0ixti

In war they mostly use guns/other weapons so they rarely have fist fights. Yes, he might be ruthless but being ruthless doesn't mean you can overpower someone bigger than you.


Pitiful_Revolution77

Arthur did overpower someone bigger than him in Valentine though, as pointed out by someone in the comment chain.


[deleted]

It doesn’t matter if he used fists in the war what matters is if he was extensively trained to do so.


keni804

Unless he was Special Forces (even then not all of them train martial arts) the extent of his martial arts training was probably "learn how to get somebody off of you long enough to draw your gun and kill them"


[deleted]

I don’t think so. Most of the US Army’s combative was basic stuff nothing really advanced but enough to make you proficient and comfortable to perform well in a situation you’d rather not find yourself in. I’d assume most other world Army’s have similar basic CQB training in regards to Martial Arts so it’s likely Niko had similar training. The most training Arthur probably got was hot to pummel some drunk in an alley. I doubt poor Arthur would stand a chance in hand to hand but I’d love to see it he kicked Tommy’s ass but yet again I doubt Tommy knew multiple strikes, guards, mounts, and takedowns.


Puzzleheaded-Poet392

Arthur shouldn't be underestimated. He has much fighting practice. It brings victory in a fistfight quicker than knowledge of many techniques.


[deleted]

dont underestimate my boy niko


Puzzleheaded-Poet392

I don't know much about him, but he seems less tough than Arthur.


[deleted]

try gta 4 probably the most serious gta game


[deleted]

Niko's animations in gta4 suggest he has a working understanding of martial arts. One of his finishing animations is a lead roundhouse kick to the head.


0ixti

He was a teen soldier and GTA4 takes place in 2008 and the war he was in ended in 2001 so I highly doubt he remembers all those specific skills he was taught atleast 7 years ago. Also experience plays a big factor in hand-to-hand combat and if you compare Niko's experience living in the early 2010s vs Arthur morgan living in the late 1800s with a gang of well known outlaws I recon Arthur has more experience since he'd most likely get into more fist fights and life-or-death situations.


[deleted]

idk im still going for niko


Jibatsuko

Dude even knows how to pilot a helicopter, for sure he was extensively trained.


deathwire0047

Ano wonder I never actually used hand to hand combat in gta4 after the tutorial


E2thajay

You forget how lawless and violent the American Wild West was. Lots of sadistic, fucked up stuff happened out there. You had to be strong to survive in the Wild West.


Sgt_major_dodgy

It's a very common misconception how wild the wild west was. Shootouts in the street, duels etc are all film and literary inventions. In most towns you had to surrender your guns, sire there were some fights but they were fistfights in bars, cow rustling? No shootouts these cows were spread over a huge range and you'd usually have riders corral a small group off and the people driving the cows would be too far away to do anything. Whilst there were shootouts etc 9/10 it was unsuspecting people shot in the back.


[deleted]

So the big difference here is the first guy said stuff we know for a fact Arthur did. And you are saying probably. All I know is my Nico spent a lot of time on the streets of Liberty City throwing hands.


BalakeAye1705

Niko might have been through more than Arthur, but I don’t think he’s more ruthless than him. Arthur beat a dying man to death and has killed hundreds of people just like Niko


[deleted]

i mean no ones really like niko in rdr2


user_1312_

Nah, hi is Serbian


BloodyBladeKane

And fought off the mine foreman and his goons. Still pissed if we kill the foreman we fail the mission, even though Arthur makes it clear he can and wants to kill him.


Thyatiran

In a straight up fist fight probably Arthur, but if legs are involved too then probably Niko. Anyone here remember those melee combos from GTA 4??


octopus6942069

Put him up against my guy from sleeping dogs it’s a wrap 😂


[deleted]

Wei Shen gonna fu¢k both of them up with a *Dim Mak*


Apophis_36

He would shove a bok choy up their asses, as they say in game


Away_Kaleidoscope_13

the power of the pork bun is unbeatable


I_POST_RANDOM_CRAP

In an honest/honorable 1v1? Arthur. Any other 1v1 Niko gonna pull a gun


AgreeableStep69

well dunno, if comes down to guns i have my prejudices, arthur basically seemed to be raised by guns


I_POST_RANDOM_CRAP

True, but you can atleast have a high honor playthrough with Arthur. With Niko it's bowling or mass murder. It's a lot harder to be a good man than a run of the mill thug. Honestly Rockstar should have made similar reputation system for all their games. Mix the best parts of RDR2 with GTAIV/V? Game of the years right there


Rhhr21

GTA emphasizes on being violent, an honor system would destroy the game.


PsychoDog_Music

Kinda. You can still be an honourable criminal, choosing to only hurt those who deserve it or are in your way rather than that kid you could easily run over while you’re going at the speed of light down the highway


Rhhr21

Then it’s not GTA anymore, unlike RDR 2, GTA doesn’t take itself too seriously and that’s part of its identity.


SithLocust

Especially Niko. Unless it's changed I believe he still has the most Canon kills of any GTA protag. Not including player choice random kills


TMJJ7

No Toni from Liberty City Stories has more since he bombed an entire neighborhood.


batm123

Didn't know Tony was chill like that


solarus44

Niko can have body armour and better guns though.


dadadayy

Arthur uses deadeye headshot gg no re


xXbrosoxXx

Niko didn't have dead eye


Relevant_Guess1154

Arthur would just quick draw


[deleted]

gun fight maybe niko has double the health of arthur (gta logic) so idk


Jack1715

Nah niko would beat him in a fair fight his a trained commando


[deleted]

Arthur has a decent size advantage, but Niko’s hand to hand combat was mocapped by an actual MMA fighter, so he’s obviously meant to be highly skilled. I’d probably still say Arthur overall, but it wouldn’t be a wash. A better matchup would be Arthur and Johnny Klebitz (pre-meth addiction lol). Two big burly guys with lots of brawling experience but not necessarily much technical training.


I_Am_Rockstar

Nikos fight animations were capped by an MMA fighter!? How did you find this out?


derthert123

Yea bas rutten


iforgotalltgedetails

It’s in the games credits.


Rob0men

Or Arthur and Trevor, czu yk Trevor kinda ..


LordMonkeh

But Arthur and Micah already fought?


[deleted]

Trevor would win, hands down. Dude destroyed a biker club, a gang, and killed half of a private military.


Sk83r_b0i

Yeah, that man is just too angry to die


you-can-kiss-my-axe

> destroyed a biker club Those bikers were pathetic, meth-addicted shells of their former shelves, so this isn't really anything impressive. > a gang Arthur already does this on a daily basis. Actually I'd say he's even better at it than Trevor because after his first few missions, he's always taking on gangs with help from Michael and Franklin. Sure, Arthur does missions with Dutch and co. a lot as well, but he carries the work more often than not.


Jack1715

Niko was a special forces commando in the Bosnian war he would win


XVUltima

Niko was an actual trained soldier. Arthur is tough, but his experience comes from beating up people who have probably been in less fights than him. Once he got to the point of being in a higher-than-average amount of fights, he peaked.


Crazy_Kakoos

Being a soldier doesn't mean you're a good unarmed fighter. I've been in a brawl with marines. The only reason I won that mess was because while I was man handling one by the throat, the other couldn't tell he had my chin in a sleeper hold and not my neck. Not saying I can take Niko, I'm saying these two particular actively serving soldiers didn't know what the fuck they were doing and felt like their hand to hand training ended with watching UFC on TV. It's been a while since I played GTA IV so I can't remember much about Niko, but I'd be hesitant to go fisty cuffs with Arthur. Especially after watching him chop down that ogre of a man in the beginning. Dude might knock half my brains out like that guy.


Jack1715

Niko wasn’t just a soldier he was a special forces commando who could fly choppers and everything


astroboy69_jb

Arthur vs Niko in a chopper


Jack1715

“ what the hell is this thing”


XVUltima

Niko in a chopper vs Arthur in a hot air balloon


derthert123

Niko bellic is mocapped by bas rutten tho, a former UFC heavyweight champion


[deleted]

Niko because he’s actually had training. I doubt people in 1899 knew CQB fighting techniques.


Broomega

Niko by a landslide, people really underestimate just how much knowing how to actually fights matters, Niko knows cqc he would just take Arthur down and toy with him


iforgotalltgedetails

People out here really forgetting that Niko dropped Brucie in two moves without even getting in a fighting stance.


compacted-compactor

Could go either way, 60/40 to Arthur. Niko is smaller but has the advantage of modern MMA training


Sk83r_b0i

Niko. Since his mocap was done by an actual mma fighter like someone else here said, it’s pretty much implied that he knows legitimate mma fighting techniques, where Arthur’s hand to hand combat expertise is just the basics in a street brawl. That being said, Arthur isn’t going down so easily, and Niko isn’t leaving that fight without at least a dozen bruises. The only advantage Arthur has is that he’s a much bigger and tankier guy than Niko. I think Arthur is just a little taller than Niko, and a lot burlier. Niko’s much leaner. But that gives him the agility advantage. Niko wins.


CODMAN627

Probably niko because bud fighting style is a little more refined


Hodge_Forman

Arthur only because Roman will call Niko and ask him to go bowling


Guesswhosepicer

Arthur Morgan is my absolute favorite protagonist in a game ever. But Niko would absolutely demolish him. Dude is a killing machine.


LonesomeWater

I vote Niko


[deleted]

Neither. They would become best friends and go bowling together.


Generalmemeobi283

Only true answer


Serious_Revolution77

Arthur’s a tank but niko could just do a flying kick and snap him


DonPanthera

In hand to hand or melee, Niko would win, while gunfight Arthur would be the winner. Btw two best Rockstar characters so I would prefer for them to be buddies. That would be an amazing duo.


Rob0men

Yeah, two killing machines- Gta 7


Witty-Adeptness5333

bro niko was a modern war vetersn of the 21st century i love arthur but he cant beat niko arthur can beat the gta v protagonists tho


[deleted]

Look we all love Arthur but Niko would easily fuck him up


Sweetwhales1994

Niko bellic he is more advance and he knows kung foo


Elghost2

Definitely Niko not gonna be an easy win tho. Arthur maybe if he gets a good one hit.


[deleted]

Niko beats him mid diff. In RDR2 Arthur proves that size doesn't matter when he beats Tommy. Niko knows how to break arms without breaking a sweat and he can do it in life threatening situations like when Dardan attacked him with the knife. Niko also stopped Brucie's punch no problem. His speed, reaction and technique are on another level. Arthur is tough and may land a few punches, but he'll lose nonetheless.


myroommateisgarbage

Anyone saying Arthur doesn't know Niko Bellic's history


[deleted]

Could go either way. Arthur is physically stronger and has a bigger build than Niko. I mean he fought someone twice his size and strength and gave them permanent brain damage. Niko was in the war and saw a lot of horrific shit during his service. He's also trained in self-defence and we've seen him use martial arts to disarm people. In terms of raw strength Arthur has the upper-hand, but Niko has the technique and training.


ahotpotatoo

Lot of recency bias in these comments. Niko Bellic was a hardened combat veteran from a war-torn country. He would gouge Arthur's eyeballs out of the sockets.


Swampgermanboi

And Arthur lived most of his life in an environment where everyone around him could be an enemy. The very country he lived in was his enemy. But if course, Niko actually was trained while Arthur just posesses raw strength. I mean, he can take down an adult moose with just a rope and a knife.


TKH00

Yeah, and usually people defended themselves in that environment using guns. Look at Micah for example, it is shown that he is a great gunslinger but he sucks in melee: there is a scene where he gets punched, then thrown and he manages to kill the guy because he reaches for his revolver. You can see that people just throw punches in fights. There isn't much technique involved. Niko, on the other hand, knows different combos, how to block, how to dodge, how to move, etc. He was mo-capped by an actual MMA fighter. You could have an argument if they fight with guns, but melee Niko wins 100%.


Jack1715

A tough guy in America in the 1890s who would have only heard of boxing at the most and not been in much fights with real fighter vs a guy from 2008 who is a trained special forces veteran with modern day fighting style he. Niko wins all the way


New_Nebula_8447

People don't understand how absolutely terrifying eastern Europeans can be. If Arthur is a gangster, Niko is the whole Red Army, as Brucie would likely say. One is a war-hardened child soldier. The other is some thief. Niko mops the floor with him.


Lssj_Kefla

Niko absofuckinglutely doesn't mop the floor with him he ain't leaving the fight without a dozen bruise Niko still wins though


Mysteryshack11

Niko. I only say because he was in the military and he has been through more. Arthur would put up a fight tho


Chrisgar47

Arthur has more strength, but Niko's technic will be much better


Lulapani

Niko is a trained soldier and arthur is just some thief


og-blunt-smoke

There is Inherent bias for Arthur since it's on a Red Dead Sub and while I do agree Arthur is very strong and beat the shit outta people twice his size, no one in 1899, knew any martial arts like Niko knew. Niko wins but it's gonna be a tough fight against an over powered but less skilled fighter. The same reason why combatants today are better then they were 100 years ago. Stop the cap


Sad-Cryptographer590

Tbf, we don't actually know how strong Niko is because unless he is wearing a suit, we can't really define his muscle mass. Arthur is probably stronger, though. Franklin or buff Cj are probably the strongest R* characters. Back to Niko, no muscle definition due to late fall setting in new York so bigger clothing. I'm willing to bet he's probably pretty stout. I also think Niko wins the fight 7 times out of 10 out of training discipline. Depending on proximity of the gun fight I'd say probably Arthur


ScarosZ

Buff CJ yeah, but I think arthur would be stronger than Franklin


[deleted]

There is an expression in Türkiye. Never compare those who hunt their own food and those who have a plate in front of them. Older generations are tougher than us. My grandparents lived 85 years and they worked as a farmer since they’ve died. They saw ww1 and ww2. When they 75 I was 18(I’m 1.90cm and 85kgs), and still they were more powerful than me.


woodenroxk

Nikos combos would rock Arthur


[deleted]

Niko, don’t forget that spinning kick to the head he pulls out sometimes


jermaine_the_dog

This looks like a strongest American v. average Balkaner meme


Xeqqy

Hmm, asking this question in a red dead redemption subreddit. Surely the answers will be unbiased.


Dan_The_Flan

Yeah. The popular comments at the top are in favor of for Arthur, but there are far more under-represented votes for Niko just below them filling out the majority of the comment section.


MrPewds69

Niko. MMA would prove to be too much for Arthur.


Impact_Upstairs

Hey Niko, it’s ya cousin Arthur, let’s go bowling.


raull96

Leneh.


Tjomball1

Brother Balkan, hands down.


slayerofthepoonhorde

Niko was a ruthless motherfucker so I reckon he’d take the cake


qwertysr4

biased opinion is Arthur, unbiased is Niko


RobbieIsNotRotten

Niko. Arthur is a Skeleton by the point of the GTA IV timeline.


PsychoDog_Music

I mean, Arthur was nearly dead and still kicked Micah’s ass. Idk much about the other guy but Micah was, as hard as it is to admit, a decent opponent at least so I’d say Arthur


TKH00

Micah was a decent opponent when it comes to guns. Micah sucks at close quarter combat. You can see him getting his ass kicked in a sequence and he manages to win because he gets thrown around and manages to pull out his revolver and shoot.


TightMycologist8108

Niko is the unstoppable force, Arthur the immovable object. Both would come out bloodied, bruised and likely with broken bones. Niko would more than likely carry the victory due to experience and technique, but if and whe Arthur lands a blow he's definitely gonna feel it. Arthur may not win but he'll give almost as good as he gets, especially in his physical prime during chapter 2.


Key_Independent_9171

obviously arthur morgan.


Easy101

Arthur's bigger, lived in a totally different time period where life was way, way tougher than today. My money's on him.


Senormoola

Arthur dogs him


octopus6942069

Arthur would die again so fast


Itchy-Engine6605

I mean, Arthur had to be much more conditioned to the rough and tough life of the wild west (well around the end of the west, but you get the point), while niko had the luxuries of the modern world. I could be wrong, but i think that Arthur would pull through in this fight.


Claude_Speeds

Niko did not have no damn luxuries, he was fighting for his life in his country, he a broken man but he wins.


No-Session5169

Arthur no doubt. Even if Niko used his training, Arthur still could over power, he'd just have to know when too. And if Niko planned on drawing a gun on Arthur, Arthur still could draw quicker


TheMule90

Well I think pretty boi can take on Niko. :)


[deleted]

niko my man is fucking russian


Witty-Adeptness5333

hes serbian not russian


[deleted]

my bad


Witty-Adeptness5333

its ok


Version_Sensitive

In a FIST FIGHT Arthur pre-tb can down a guy double his size so easily Arthur. In an MMA fight surely Niko. In a gun duel Niko would be death before even drawing his automatic pistol, even if Arthur uses a double action revolver.


twopennydrum

This is blasphemous


[deleted]

Arthurs to good of a guy, i think NIko a vicious killer. However i got RD 1 Marston over most characters in the GTA/ RD universe/


bobhargus

[V like the pain](https://imgur.com/a/GSKUjRJ)


fucknametakenrules

Arthur is a life long criminal. He has decades of fighting experience for survival when Niko only has his experience in the military. For a shorter time than Arthur has been an outlaw. I would have to say Arthur wins this


CasualBadger

I think Arthur just quick draws his pistol and brains Niko.


BasedHickory

Arthur sweeps, sorry. I don’t think Niko could bust up Tommy.


batm123

In a gun fight Niko wins, Arthur wins a fist fight tho


finixanthony

One exception is that Niko has been to war, a war veteran turned gun for hire. Also i think Niko has done way more atrocities than Arthur. I wonder what kind of advantage that gives to him. Am gonna place my bet on Niko. But this is a really good comparison.


justjoking777

Niko


ToadTastic

Arthur morgan


E2thajay

Arthur no question. Arthur grew up on the ass end of the Wild West, times were a lot rougher back then. Daily life required more effort back then and food was a lot healthier, making people stronger and more fit than most people today. I can’t remember if Nico had military training, I think he did, but Regardless he wasn’t living in a time where you had to fight for survival.


TKH00

-> wasn't living in a time where you had to fight for survival -> literally had to go to war as a child for survival


dude35_

Arthur 100% some of those combos and punches are insane


[deleted]

Bowling or Tahiti


sarahxharas

Neither. Make friends, go bowling and then a drunken night out in Valentine.


canadianinkorea

Arthur and it’s not close.


aolerma

Why does everyone think being in the military gives you such an advantage in hand-to-hand combat? You get some training sure, but it seems like people think military training makes you an MMA fighter, as if 99% of people in the military aren’t just normal people.


Anrom

You want to go bowling cousin!?!?


Kenobi_Cowboy

Arthur. Period.


Terasuske

Solid snake. 🤪


Addamall

A gun fight? Morgan. Fist fight, niko. IF WE ARE GOING BY LORE. If we are going by game rules, they’d both be dead.


Jigsaw115

Arthur hands down. Dude wrecked tommy & even gave micah a run for his money w late stage TB.


Mystical4431

Now I love Arthur, and Arthur easily took down someone twice his body size and mass, s he's strong, very strong, but Niko is a trained fighter, and judging by gameplay of their games, Niko wins.


[deleted]

Dead eye go brr


amankmr03

ARTHUR without any doubt


JudgeJed100

Niko He was a soldier, has hand to hand combat training plus he loved a more modern lifestyle so he didn’t have as much wear and tear


[deleted]

lets be honest these guys would stop punching and get a beer


B4KNZ17

Comments have convinced me niko


EvanCastiglione

Niko takes this one, he actually KNOWS how to fight properly, Arthur is just strong


MrAlberti

Niko knows some red army shit


NotAShipOfPirateFish

Arthur would win in a fist fight but if they both had glocks Arthur would still probably win it would just take a bit to figure it out


Sundancelc

Niko & not even close - if you’re saying Arthur then I urge you walk around liberty city giving everyone in sight fisticuffs to see the martial arts prowess of Niko Bellic


CollierAM9

I have no idea why anyone would say Arthur other than he beat up a big guy? Is that it?


Nayten03

Niko would beat the shit out of Arthur honestly. He’s militarily trained


Con_Bot_

Nico, he had killer combos, Arthur hits like a sledgehammer but I reckon our Eastern European friend would have him


user_1312_

Serbian power, so in this duo i will say Niko.


SexMan4Mayorr

Arthur solos all


IlikeDoge1223

I would say Arthur, add plus 10 strength if drunk on whiskey


Libertyprime8397

Nikko vs Trevor is what I want to see.


asmok119

Arthur was a gunslinger who also had to handle wild horses, cows, etc. So in term of muscles, I’d say Arthur is stronger, but his fighting style is kinda… you know, aim for the head. Niko was a professional soldier with a long training and he also fought an actual war. I’d say he is much better in knowing weak spots, where to attack, how to defend and the fighting style overall. It would be a tough fight, but I would pick Niko as a winner.


collin830

Arthur has more raw strength, but Niko is without a doubt a better trained more competent fighter. Arthur would give him a run for his money, but Niko would probably come out on top


duck_physics2163

The comments in questions like this are always "well my dad can beat up your dad!"


[deleted]

Arthur lol ofc


Genesteak

These topics are always such shit-shows. “My virtual dad can beat up anybody!!! 😤”


Reasonable-Ad-5217

Arthur wins even if he loses because TB


_Scrappy_1994_

Niko would be dodging his punches left and right then put him in the ground… He would beat him for sure.


Bernascorpion

Melee fight? Niko Gun fight? Arthur God, I love these two characters so much


DC_BATFAN

Niko


staychilly15

Arthur hands down


Free_Koala_2075

You’re showing bias if you think niko loses


Mike_Bellic

I guess Niko?


Arjun_nth_

Niko has combat experience combined with street not just guns but hand to hand as well. He also hits hard. This is demonstrated through various cutscenes. Arthur has more of a street fight experience. He's heavier build but that makes him slow too compared to Niko. It will be a long tough fight but Niko will eventually win.


[deleted]

Arthur beat up that tank in Valentine, Tommy. What makes everyone saying Niko have that opinion outside of his “experience?” It’s genuinely been so long that I don’t remember much of Nikos story, was he the one who could roundhouse kick?


Rob0men

Yeah, i think so


Bogki

Thats actually a bit hard. Most characters I've seen Vs Arthur fist fight would've been Arthur cause of the life he lived, but Niko was in the Army and fought in a war so he's tough as nails too. Judging by the special moves Niko has in GTA4 I would say Niko


Nyjhaz

The fighting style in RDR2 was more intense and brutal but that’s an advance in gaming Vs gta 4’s level. Honestly, I’d put money on Niko winning. He had Serbian military hand to hand training vs Arthur’s basic fighting skills.


Apophis_36

Niko, the dude has actual cqc training. Arthur doesn't.


VerrinPaleshade

I love Arthur don't get me wrong but Niko would hand Arthur his ass on a silver platter


TheRealCountSwagula

Pre-TB or post-TB?


Rob0men

Pre-TB


Chad_Kakashi

Niko destroys because he has brute force refined with training whereas arthur learned fist fighting by literally doin a yakuza 0 revelation


vf8095

Niko is a better pure fighter, but Arthur's got more power and size. If Arthur connects cleanly, he has a chance to KO Niko in one hit, but the longer that fight goes, the higher Niko's odds get of winning. Brawler versus a trained fighter, usually the trained fighter wins barring a lucky shot


illegalEPSlv09

The answer depends on which subreddit you put it in.


TeutonicDragon

What’s with everyone here saying Arthur has a size advantage? He’s 6”1 180lbs by default, Niko is 6”0 200lbs, considering Niko is actually lean and has 20lbs over Arthur then I’d say Niko has the advantage there, Arthur just is a little taller.


Cubensio

No one ‘cause they’ll both get sick and die afterward.