Nick Burkhardt

Grew up… essentially as an orphan. Nick lost his father in 1994 to a tragic car accident. Not long after, Nick’s mother left him with her sister, Marie Kessler, and was never seen or heard from again. His Aunt Marie took on the responsibility of caring for Nick – leaving her boyfriend so that the two could move to Portland, Oregon. Because Nick was quite young when the accident occurred, he was led to believe that both of his parents died in the car accident.

Living… in Portland, Oregon. Nick stayed in Portland, and is currently living with his girlfriend, Dr. Juliette Silverton. The two of them met while he was investigating a hit-and-run case, and they have been inseparable ever since. Unbeknownst to Nick, he is also living in hiding. He is not actually human, but rather a supernatural guardian called a Grimm. It is his heritage to maintain the balance between mythological creatures, who are hiding amongst us in plain sight, and humans.

Profession… homicide detective with the Portland Police Department. Nick’s mentor is Detective Hank Griffin, who also happens to be his investigation partner and best friend.

Interests… learning to master his Grimm abilities. In the fall of 2011, Nick was ready to propose to Juliette. When purchasing the engagement ring, he saw a young woman who briefly turned into a hag. After arriving at the station later that day, he thought he saw a suspect turn into a vicious monster. Then, later that night, his aunt Marie visited him and told Nick that he was a Grimm, and that it was his duty to “hunt down the bad ones.” Learning to develop and control his Grimm abilities has since taken over Nick’s life.

Relationship Status…in love with Juliette. When Aunt Marie visited, she warned Nick to break up with Juliette for her protection. Shaken, Nick decided to delay his proposal and to conceal his true identity from Juliette. While Nick still intends on marrying her someday, it becomes increasingly harder to protect Juliette from the enemies and violence associated with being a Grimm. Although Nick loves Juliette, he simultaneously cannot shake his Aunt Marie’s advice to let Juliette go.

Challenge… balancing his regular life with being a Grimm, and protecting Juliette. Since discovering his true heritage, Nick has found that most of his murder cases deal with Wesen. Wesen are half-human, half-beast beings who have the capacity to hide among regular human beings. Only Grimms can see through their disguise, and have spent thousands of years protecting humans from them. Dealing with Wesen cases places a strain on Nick, particularly because it makes it harder to keep Juliette in the dark.

Personality… insightful, confident but not arrogant, rational, calm, and brave. Nick’s bravery is second none, as he constantly places himself in dangerous situations to save strangers. He has a strong moral compass, and although he has seen monstrosities as a cop, he still believes that there is inherent goodness inside everyone. Because of this, Nick refuses to kill Wesen, and instead protects the community from those wishing them harm.