Nikolas Cassadine (Marcus Coloma)

The role was originated by Tyler Christopher on July 15, 1996. In 1998, he received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series.^[10] In June 1999, it was reported that Christopher had opted to leave the series in order to pursue primetime opportunities.^[11] Christopher's last appearance was July 15, 1999.

Chase Parker portrayed a young Nikolas in 1998.

The role was recast with Stephen Martines, known under the stage name Coltin Scott.^[12] In 2003, news broke that Martines and the producers were unable to reach an agreement on the financial aspects of the actor's contract.^[13] "Coltin, of course, is very upset at the turn of events," read a message on the actor's official web site.

Following Martines' departure, it was announced that the original actor, Christopher, would reprise the role of Nikolas.^[13] "The original actor became available, and it was an opportunity we didn't want to pass up," said then executive producer Jill Farren Phelps. "Coltin has done a great job and we wish him all the best."

In 2005, Tyler underwent surgery to repair a broken arm, and the role was temporarily recast with Chris Beetem starting on December 6 and lasting about five episodes.^[14]

Tyler again received Daytime Emmy nominations in 2005 and 2006, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.^[10]

On March 15, 2011, it was reported that Christopher had been let go from General Hospital.^[15] "I was told that I would not be signing another contract. I didn't see it coming," said Christopher.^[16] He made his onscreen exit on June 30, 2011.

Christopher returned for three episodes in late July 2011 (July 26-28),^[17][18][19] under new head writer Garin Wolf.^[20] Following a nearly two-year absence, Christopher reprised the role in a recurring status on March 22, 2013.

On June 19, 2013, it was announced that Christopher had signed a long-term contract to remain with the series.^[21]

Christopher brought home his first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in 2016.

On May 25, 2016, Soap Opera Digest broke the news that Nick Stabile would temporarily take over as Nikolas and would probably start airing sometime in June.^[22] Stabile is previously known for his role on Sunset Beach as Mark Wolper. He also pinch hit for Passions Justin Hartley as Fox Crane (now Y&R's Adam) when he was on paternity leave from August-September 2004. Sources have stated that due to lengthy contract negotiations, Christopher has asked for some time off for personal reasons. It was also said that this recast is viewed as a short-term situation by all concerned.^[23] Stabile made his first appearance on June 17, 2016^[24] and his last appearance on July 19, 2016.^[25]

Christopher made his last appearance on June 16, 2016. On July 29, Christopher took to Twitter to clarify what he said during General Hospital Fan Club weekend 2016 about his return, stating that he thinks he will return in September but nothing is official yet. Whether or not he will be taping scenes in September or if he will be back on screen by then is still unknown as well.^[26]

On September 14, 2016, Soap Opera Digest confirmed that Christopher would not return to GH after his contract negotiations crumbled in August.^[27][28][29]

In 2019, due to the recent mentions of Nikolas, there were rumors spreading that Christopher could reprise the role of Nikolas. However, there was also GH buzz suggesting that the role could be recast.

At the end of the episode on October 31, 2019, Marcus Coloma joined the cast of GH as the new Nikolas Cassadine when Nikolas was revealed to be alive.^[30][31] Coloma's casting was a surprise due to there being no prior announcement from the network.

According to Christopher, Nikolas is initially introduced as a "self-assured" teen who comes from money. While he immediately causes trouble, he is not a "villain" but he is "misguided" due to growing up without his parents. Christopher believed the character could go in any direction.^[32] In his early years, Nikolas is very "conflicted" and has a certain "sneer" about him but a "sympathy" that can win anyone over.^[33]

Christopher later voiced his frustrations with playing such a young character and consciously chose to develop Nikolas in more a young man with a "firmer grasp" on his life. He needs to be "more of a man, taking more control" Christopher said.^[34] Christopher revealed that it was the character's "complexity" that initially drew him to the role. "Nikolas was sophisticated, and it took it in a different direction than they wanted." While the writers intended for Nikolas to be "stern, hardnosed" and unwilling to allow anyone in, Christopher made the choice to throw in some vulnerability for the character, whether he puts it on display or not.

Christopher wanted viewers to like the character despite his bad deeds. Unlike the actor, Nikolas is very "elegant," "refined," and "proper."^[35] Nikolas is "the moody, teen-in-turmoil."^[36] Robert Schork of Soap Opera Weekly describe Nikolas an "adolescent wise beyond his years" and an "old soul whose sophistication and maturity belie his youthful facade." Nikolas is not comfortable with his royal status at all, and it makes him feel out of place.^[34]

Soap Opera Digest on Nikolas. (1996),

“All Greek heroes have a weakness. For Achilles--his heel. For Nikolas Cassadine, his legacy. As the son of Stavros Cassadine and Laura Spencer, Nikolas is both the pampered heir and abandoned son, Stefan's vengeful protégé and Laura's vulnerable little boy, Lesley Lu's savior and Luke's nemesis. With confidence, sensitivity and a youthful restlessness all his own. Tyler Baker reveals Nikolas' contradictory nature. As impressed are we now, we believe that Baker has just begun to scratch the surface of his talent -- and his storyline."^[37]

Fifteen-year-old Nikolas first came to Port Charles after donating his bone marrow to his half-sister Lulu, who had been diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Nikolas had known growing up that he had a half-brother, Lucky, but was unaware that he had a little half-sister. He easily bonded with Lulu, though when he met Lucky there was instant animosity. Their early relationship was characterized by revealing family secrets in order to hurt one another. Lucky revealed that Helena killed Lesley, and after a heated argument, Nikolas fell down a flight of stairs and had to be hospitalized. Though Laura explained that Nikolas didn't have a place in her life anymore, he stayed in Port Charles and eventually became best friends with Emily Quartermaine, who began to develop romantic feelings for him.

Laura eventually learned that Lesley was alive, having been saved by Stefan from his mother's plot, and was in a catatonic state resulting from a complication from the drug he used to fake her death. When Laura went to visit her mother, the house they were in exploded and both were presumed killed. Most of the town blamed the Cassadines, and Nikolas's only allies were Emily, nurse Bobbie Spencer, and businesswoman Katherine Bell. When it was discovered that the explosion was a hoax to protect Lesley, the town turned against the Spencers. Stefan, who had married Bobbie, drove Laura out of town when he became convinced that she would continue to hurt Nikolas. Nikolas and Lucky worked through their animosity, and became friends. Laura returned to Port Charles determined to foster her relationship with her son, and the two bonded when it appeared that Lucky had perished in a fire.

It was revealed that Helena was actually holding Lucky hostage, and that Stavros was alive, having been cryogenically frozen by Helena to stave off death. When Helena was defeated and Stavros appeared to die again, Stefan deemed Nikolas ready to take on the mantle of the Cassadine Prince. Though his aunt Alexis Davis was there for him, Nikolas was plagued by insecurities after Stefan left for Europe. He second guessed any behavior that he felt resembled Stavros, and was devastated when Laura entered a catatonic state after the murder of her adoptive father Rick Webber. As a result of losing their mother, Lucky, Lulu and Nikolas became extremely close. Though Nikolas had romanced both Sarah Webber and Gia Campbell, his greatest love turned out to be his first friend Emily Quartermaine.

As Emily battled breast cancer, Nikolas became her most trusted confidant. As their feelings grew, Emily became torn between Nikolas and her first love Zander Smith. Believing she was dying, Emily married Zander as her last gift to him, though she eventually entered remission. Eventually Emily and Nikolas could no longer resist and slept with one another on the floor of the cottage Zander had bought for her. Witnessing their adultery started Zander on a downward spiral, and Emily ended their marriage. Zander went on to kidnap Emily, but was killed by the police. Stefan also interfered, but eventually committed suicide. When a car accident left Nikolas with amnesia, war widow Mary Bishop took him in, leaving Port Charles and Emily to believe he had died. Mary lied to Nikolas, telling him he was her late husband Connor, who looked just like Nikolas.

Emily eventually discovered the deception and carefully worked to unlock Nikolas' fragile mind. Finally remembering Emily, the two reconciled, causing Mary to breakdown at the second loss of her "husband." After she murdered several teens, Mary was shot and killed by Nikolas. To spare Emily the pain of a trial, Nikolas pled guilty to murder, and the two married him before he was sent to prison. Nikolas' doppelgänger Connor Bishop returned to town, and began romancing Emily on the orders of a very much alive Helena and as revenge for the death of his wife Mary. Connor eventually raped Emily, who emotionally retreated from her husband. The strain on the marriage became too much, and Nikolas began an affair with also unhappily married Courtney Jacks. While Courtney ended her marriage to Jasper Jacks, Emily and Nikolas divorced as well. When Courtney became pregnant, it was unclear if the father was Nikolas or Jax. When Jax learned that Nikolas was the father, he switched the results of a DNA test in order to protect Courtney and the baby from Helena.

After misinterpreting a close moment between Nikolas and Emily, a pregnant Courtney leaves town and is briefly abducted by Helena. After her escape, she returns to Port Charles in the middle of an encephalitis outbreak, and she and Nikolas both become ill. Because of her illness, a C-section was necessary to save the baby, which lead to her death. Jax claimed to be the father but within months, Robin revealed the truth to Nikolas at John's baptism. Nikolas renamed John to Spencer, honoring Lucky and Lulu. Nikolas hired an unstable nanny working for Helena. Helena was eventually able to gain control of the baby on December 21, 2006, and killed Colleen. Helena attempted to christen him as the next Cassadine heir, but Emily and Nikolas were able to thwart her. Nikolas eventually had Spencer baptized and name Emily as his godmother.

Nikolas and Emily continued their romance, and they attended a fundriaser at the Metro Court. They soon were soon held hostage with several of their friends when a team of mercenaries lead by a plastic surgery disguised Jerry Jacks attempted to rob the hotel's safe. They both helped care for an injured Robin, and Nikolas supported Emily when her father Alan Quartermaine died as a result of the incident. After the crisis had passed, Jerry, using the alias James Craig, injected Nikolas with an experimental poison in a bid to have Nikolas finance a new life for him with the Cassadine fortune. Robin discovered Jerry with Nikolas, and Jerry forced her to pretend she was involved with Nikolas. Though Nikolas had ended his relationship with her, Emily learned the truth and worked with Robin to save him. When Jerry's identity was revealed, he ended up giving Nikolas the antidote. As he recovered, Nikolas began exhibiting strange symptoms, including uncontrolled violence and anger, making him a possible suspect as the Text Message Killer, who harmed many of Port Charles's female residents. Emily was murdered in November 2007, shortly after the two got engaged at the Black and White Ball, honoring Alan.

Nikolas began to befriend nurse Nadine Crowell, who was able to get Nikolas to admit his reluctance to treat his tumor was because the tumor allowed him to see "Emily". With Nadine's encouragement, Nikolas begins treatment while also hoping his hallucinations will lead him to the identity of Emily's killer. When he realizes that supposedly deceased mobster Diego Alcazar is the killer, the two fight and Diego is inadvertently killed when chains become wrapped around his neck. When Dr. Ian Devlin tells Nikolas he has an experimental drug that will allow him more time with his visions of Emily, Nikolas agrees to pay him ten million dollars. He also starts a program to allow patients without insurance to be treated at General Hospital, much to the pleasure of Emily's mother Dr. Monica Quartermaine.

Convinced that Emily would want this and for the sake of his son, Nikolas decides to go forward with the surgery that will remove his tumor and his visions of Emily. Emily visits one last time, leaving her engagement ring in his hand while he is in surgery. While working on a clinic dedicated to Emily, Nikolas romantic sparks begin to fly between Nikolas and his former nurse Nadine. The two share kisses, and even waltz at Wyndamere. Nikolas also finds him self attracted to Claudia Zacchara, who is stabbed by Jerry and eventually washes up on the shores of Spoon Island where Nikolas find her.

The two bond and share a kiss, though Nikolas is taken aback when she reveals that she is responsible for the comatose state of Michael Corinthos, Carly's son with A.J. Quartermaine that mobster Sonny Corinthos had adopted. In order to avoid her being murdered, Nikolas agrees to keep her secret, though he also decides to keep his distance from her. When Nadine is nearly killed in a fire started by Jerry, Nikolas forces her to recuperate at Wyndamere and tells her he is starting to fall in love with her. The two eventually make love, though their relationship is tested when they must fake getting married to ease the last days of Nadine's dying aunt Raylene. After talking with Raylene, Nikolas admits to himself that though he cares for her, Nadine's feelings for him are much stronger than his for her.

When Carly, throws a benefit at General Hospital to raise money for children suffering from traumatic brain injuries, Nikolas and Nadine attend. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman named Rebecca who looks just like the deceased Emily Quartermaine, though with shorter, lighter hair, is seen around the hospital. When Nikolas' cousin Sam McCall is involved in a traffic accident with a man who is transporting a weapons grade biotoxin internally, the man is rushed to General Hospital. As the doctors begin to operate, the biotoxin is released into the air vents, incapacitating all of the members of the operating room staff and several guests at the gala. While Nadine is trapped in the boardroom with other guests, Nikolas tries to find Rebecca as he debates whether she is real or a symptom of his tumor returning. Rebecca later turns out to be Emily's twin sister. Nikolas and Rebecca split up after she reveals she dated him for his money. He and Elizabeth begin an affair in July 2009. In January 2010, Lucky walks in on the two and severs his ties with Nikolas. Soon after, Elizabeth is revealed to be pregnant.

Elizabeth has a mental breakdown and was admitted to Shadybrook. Meanwhile, Helena had wormed her way back into Port Charles, intent on taking Elizabeth's baby and raising it as the Cassadine heir with Nikolas. Lucky kept Helena at bay for Elizabeth, and while it helped, Elizabeth pushes Nikolas away, thinking she and Lucky would get back together. Elizabeth had a paternity test done to determine the father of her baby. The results say that Nikolas is the father, but unknown to Nikolas or Elizabeth, Helena intercepted the results and had them switched, and Lucky is the father of Elizabeth's baby. Initially not able to cope with this information, Elizabeth eventually comes around to let Nikolas be a part of their child's life with the help of a terminal cancer patient named Shirley Smith, who befriends both Elizabeth and Nikolas.

Nikolas is determined to take an active role in his new child's life, and starts spending more time with Spencer to get ready for that. On July 9, 2010, Elizabeth walks up on Nikolas playing with Spencer. Nikolas is happy when Elizabeth asks him to be with her in the delivery when their child is born, and he accepts. They both acknowledge their mistakes in the affair, and decide to move on for the sake of their baby.

Elizabeth goes into labor a month early, and gives birth to a baby boy on July 19, 2010. They name the child Aiden Alexi Nikolossovich Cassadine. On July 20, 2010, Aiden goes missing, and Elizabeth, Nikolas, and Lucky initially suspect Helena, but then it's revealed that serial killer Franco has taken baby Aiden. Lucky manages to track down Aiden to Franco's mother, and returns him to Nikolas and Elizabeth. Though Elizabeth and Nikolas are able to get along, Nikolas realizes that it's not working out and calls Elizabeth's sister Sarah to get Elizabeth to come out to California to help her settle down. Elizabeth leaves soon after with her kids in tow. Meanwhile, Nikolas befriends Brook Lynn Quartermaine, who is kicked out of her old place after a scheme that went wrong. He hires her as an escort to accompany him on formal events and gives her a place to stay.

Elizabeth returns from California, and also starts to become more comfortable around Nikolas and Aiden. Meanwhile, Nikolas also becomes close to Brook Lynn, which surprises and upsets Elizabeth. They get into an argument over the issue, but before anything happens, Brook Lynn leaves town to pursue her music career, and Nikolas, in turn, lets her go.

Nikolas's relationship with Lucky and Lulu is distant, though not hostile, after the reveal of his affair with Elizabeth and Lucky subsequently bringing a kidnapped Aiden home. However, that changed on March 18, 2011, when Elizabeth and Lucky's son Jake is hit by a car and ends up in the E.R. Nikolas comes to the hospital to support Lucky, then later takes Aiden and Cameron back to his place when Jake dies while in surgery. Nikolas attends Jake's memorial and also helps Elizabeth out by taking care of the boys while she tries to deal with her grief. Meanwhile, Lucky marries Siobhan McKenna, a woman he recently met, to help her stay in the U.S. and Nikolas helps the couple celebrate by decorating Lucky's apartment so that they can enjoy a reception of their own.

Soon after, Lucky forgives Nikolas and lets him back into his life, letting Nikolas support him while he's dealing with loss of Jake and the fact that Luke was the one responsible for the hit-and-run. After Luke skips town amid belief from his family that he has an alcohol problem, Nikolas helps Lucky deal with this new revelation and come to terms with moving on with his life. When Lulu refuses to give up on her dad, Nikolas lends her money to buy her father's casino and bring Luke back.

In June 2011, Lucky sets fire to the old Spencer house after his father turns his back on him. However, Siobhan shows up and, thinking Lucky is inside, goes into the building and is injured. Lucky is upset with himself for putting his wife in danger, and wants to start drinking again out of guilt. While he is pouring himself a drink, Elizabeth shows up and convinces him not to by revealing that he is Aiden's father, not Nikolas, and that she found out the night Jake died. When Elizabeth tells Nikolas this, he is outraged and refuses to believe Elizabeth, thinking she is trying to keep Lucky sober by lying to him and taking away his son. Lucky comes by soon after to convince Nikolas as well, but Nikolas still is trying to convince Lucky that Elizabeth is lying to him so he won't start drinking. When he realizes he's cornered, he packs up and decides to leave town with Spencer and Aiden so that he won't lose Aiden.

Nikolas stops by Emily's grave to say goodbye, and here, he changes his mind and brings Aiden back to Elizabeth and Lucky. He tells them that he is just going to ignite another war between the Spencers and Cassadines by taking Aiden away, and that's not what Emily would want. Nikolas believes that he's never got over losing Emily, and he needs to leave in order to deal with his grief. He leaves, though, on good terms with his brother, as they share a laugh over how Nikolas has always spoken perfect English without a Russian accent.

Nikolas goes to Switzerland with Spencer, but in July, he ends up at Cassadine Island, where he runs into Lulu, who's looking for her father with her boyfriend, Dante Falconeri. He's there to visit Helena, who's looking for him. When she asks about Aiden, he coldly tells her to never speak of him again. After Helena leaves, Nikolas asks Lulu why she is looking for Luke when it's clear he doesn't want to be found. He goes on to complain about how when he was revealed to be Laura's son, everyone was concerned about how Lucky would react, but no one cared about how he felt and it was always about what Lucky was feeling. He felt like he had to put Lucky first all his life, and he had to do it again when he gave up Aiden. Lulu realizes he's become emotionless like a Cassadine after he left town. He departs on the note that Lulu is determined to see the best in Luke like Laura did, and it ended up ruining their mother. When Helena comes upon him again, commenting on how much he is his father's son, Nikolas tells her that no one can control him now.

Nikolas returns to Port Charles on March 22, 2013, appearing on the doorstep of Dante and Lulu's apartment, where Luke and Laura were just talking about the Cassadines. He tells them he is here to see Lulu, and when he is informed that she has been kidnapped, he moans that he is "too late." Before he can tell his mother what he meant, a shot is fired through the window and Nikolas is shot in the abdomen. It was later revealed that Nikolas was shot after Lulu refused to sleep with Stavros.^[38] Stavros said that Lulu had to sleep with her or he would kill her family.

Nikolas is rushed to GH for treatment. Elizabeth, who is on duty, urges Nikolas to stay alive as he flatlines, and works along with the other medical personnel to revive him. Nikolas soon falls into a coma. Luke attempts to use adrenaline to make Nikolas come out of the coma, so Nikolas can tell him where Lulu is. Luke is caught by Laura before he could inject Nikolas.  Nikolas soon wakes up and tells Alexis that Stravos is alive and is obsessed with Lulu. Nikolas is relieved when Luke and Laura bring Lulu home and is even happier when he learns that his grandmother and father are dead.

Nikolas begins to flirt with Elizabeth and even kisses her. Elizabeth stops him, claiming she wants to explore her new relationship with AJ Quartermaine. When Tracy finds out that Nikolas has feelings for Elizabeth, she asks him to team up with her to bring AJ down as CEO as ELQ. Nikolas agrees. The partnership did not last long, as Elizabeth begged Nikolas not to work for Tracy. Nikolas moves on and is thrilled when Spencer and Lesley return back to town. Nikolas becomes friends with a pregnant doctor named Britt Westbourne. Britt had been rejected by the man she claimed fathered her child, Dr. Patrick Drake, and she and Nikolas commiserated over their unrequited love. Elizabeth is unhappy about their relationship because she dislikes Britt.

She tells Nikolas about all the heinous acts Britt has committed and Nikolas confronts Britt. She admits to her unethical behavior and Nikolas gives her the benefit of the doubt, knowing he's made his share of mistakes too. Britt soon moves in with Nikolas and bonds with Spencer. Nikolas comes back one day and finds Patrick yelling at Britt. He orders Patrick to leave, but asks Britt why he was so angry. Britt tells him that she told Patrick the baby she's carrying was not his, as she somethled him and everyone else to believe. She only claimed the baby was his so she would win him back from Sabrina Santiago, Patrick's current girlfriend. She concedes she should have told him earlier, but she wanted a second chance with him, but she realized she would never get. Nikolas helps Britt get over Patrick and she eventually does.

As Nikolas and Britt are engaged to be married, it is revealed that Ben is really Dante and Lulu's son. Furious that she lied to him, Nikolas kicks Britt out of his life. Nikolas. Helena returns to Port Charles, and takes up residence at Wyndemere. She blackmails Nikolas into letting her stay over the fact that he rigged the mayoral election, so that Lomax would win again. Nikolas is shocked when Helena reveals that the newly arrived "Jake Doe" is Jason Morgan with amnesia. Nikolas also finds out that Helena and Luke Spencer are working together. Nikolas questions, Luke and Helena's alliance; but Helena remains vague about it.

On February 20, Nikolas banishes Helena to Cassadine Island after her plan with Luke to blow up the Haunted Star. Nikolas continues on with Helena plans to get control of ELQ, and also becomes involved with Hayden Barnes, who is posing as the mysterious "Jake Doe's" wife. When Nikolas learns the full truth behind Hayden's scheme at the Nurses Ball, he wants to cut ties with her. Hayden overhears Nikolas tell Elizabeth that "Jake" is really Jason, and uses it to blackmail him into staying in a relationship with her.

Nikolas gets control of ELQ, with Lucy Coe's help, but he and Elizabeth start to push Hayden too far. Hayden decides to go tell "Jake" the truth about who he is. Nikolas intercepts Hayden and tries to have her killed. He succeeds in putting Hayden in a coma, and Shawn Butler ends up being the fall guy. Hayden comes out of her coma a couple of months later, and has amnesia. Nikolas puts Hayden up at the mansion, and gives her a job at ELQ. On November, 9 Jake reveals that he has finally learned the truth that he is Jason Morgan. He attacks Nikolas once he realizes Nikolas kept the truth from him. On November 10, Hayden reveals that she has been faking her amnesia, but Nikolas decides he still wants to be with her.

On December 22, 2015, Jason and Nikolas got into a fight on the rooftop of the Metro court, and Nikolas accidentally fell off the roof. Nikolas survived because the awning broke his fall, but he was in critical condition.

In 2016, Nikolas and Hayden get engaged and then married. In March 2016, Nikolas discovers Hayden is Rachel Berlin, daughter of Raymond Berlin, who is in prison for a stealing millions of dollars. Nikolas loses trust in Hayden, believing she just married him for his money. On, May 26-17, Nikolas is seen laying on the rocks below Wydenmere, having presumably falling through a window. Jason and Sam go down to help him, but Nikolas is carried away by the current. On June 13, Nikolas is revealed to be alive and is on the same plane as Ava Jerome.

Nikolas and Ava were soon captured by Huxley Lynch, but they managed to escape. They were found in July on Cassadine Island by Jason and Sam, who knew all along that Nikolas faked his death. On July 11, after making out with him, Ava found out in Helena's diary that Nikolas had killed Helena by poisoning her tea. Dante, Lulu, Laura, and Kevin joined Nikolas, Ava, Jason, and Sam on Cassadine Island, but as they were all talking, Theo the fisherman walked in and took everyone hostage at gunpoint. On July 18, Theo revealed himself to be Valentin Cassadine, Nikolas' uncle and according to Helena, the most feared Cassadine. Valentin took Nikolas and Ava upstairs and forced Nikolas to give up all his fortune. As Valentin went to shoot Ava, Nikolas attacked him, but ended up getting shot and falling out the balcony. Nikolas was confirmed dead by Ava on July 22, though his body was never found.

Months after Nikolas was killed, it was revealed that he never really was the Cassadine heir. Valentin returned to Port Charles after being released by the Greek authorities. He revealed that he found the hidden will of his father Mikkos in Greece and it revealed that before he was killed he revised his will and made sure that the entire Cassadine Estate will be given to the eldest living son. Through the deaths of Stavros and Stefan, Valentin became the only living son and hence sole heir to the Cassadine Empire.

On July 16, 2019, Ava asked a professional psychic to try and make contact with Nikolas, wanting to make amends for preventing Valentin from going to prison for Nikolas' murder. However, the psychic's attempts prove unsuccessful and she reveals that Nikolas is not in the spirit world, meaning that he may not be dead.

On August 13, another psychic named Chelsea Lambas warned Laura that her son was in danger and Laura got worried and called Lucky, who was still in Africa. After Lucky assured Laura he was fine, Laura accused Chelsea of being a fraud, but Chelsea said she was referring to her other son, which seems to be another hint that Nikolas could be alive.

It was later revealed in late August that there is a codicil to Mikkos Cassadine's will which could prove that Valentin is not the rightful Cassadine heir, although it is unknown if Jax and Hayden are working with Spencer or a not-so-dead Nikolas.

On October 31, Nikolas was revealed to be alive and was the one who was watching Ava. He was also the mysterious Cassadine ring man who kidnapped Cassandra Pierce from August 2018. He appeared as a masked man at the Metro Court Halloween Party and after running into Laura, Nikolas followed Ava to her gallery, prompting Ava to draw her gun on him and force him to reveal his face. Nikolas then revealed his face to shock Ava.

On November 4, it was revealed that Nikolas revealed himself to Jax months ago and asked for his help to find the codicil to Mikkos' will which could disinherit Valentin and return the Cassadine estate to the rightful heir, Nikolas. In return, Nikolas had promised Jax the shipping division of Cassadine Industries and he also promised Hayden a generous cut of the Cassadine fortune if she helped Jax search for the codicil. Jax and Hayden were upset with Nikolas since he took a big risk on returning to Port Charles but Nikolas was confident that no one will know he is alive until Valentin is destroyed. Jax reluctantly agreed to let Nikolas stay at his new house until the codicil is found. The next day, Laura went to Jax's house and Nikolas wanted to reveal himself but at the same time he couldn't risk it because he wanted to protect her from Valentin.

On November 6, Cassandra called Nikolas from Pentonville and blackmailed him into helping her escape by that night or else she will give him up and blow his cover. Nikolas made a phone call saying that Cassandra has become a problem and told that person to take care of it. Nikolas later went to Rice Park in a white van and was waiting for Cassandra, who knocked out a guard with a shovel and got in the van. Nikolas told her to change clothes and when she did she noticed he wasn't taking her to the airport. Nikolas claimed they were going the back way to avoid detection and he also said that she was a means to an end and that their partnership is over since she chose to blackmail him and she became a liability. Cassandra realized he was never taking her to the airport and then escaped from the van which left Nikolas furious and scrambling. He called Jax and left a voicemail saying they have a problem before calling Detective Harrison Chase as an anonymous "concerned citizen" and was reporting Cassandra's whereabouts and claimed that he thought she had a gun.

When Nikolas got back to Jax's house, Jax confronted Nikolas about where he was and Nikolas confessed that he helped Cassandra escape from police custody. Jax was upset at him for being mixed up with her but Nikolas insisted that he had nothing to do with her drug operations but knew that she had useful information on Valentin. Jason later paid Jax a visit as Nikolas hid on the balcony and revealed that the card used to rent the van for Cassandra's escape came from J & J Jacks of Alaska and then after Jason left, Jax got really upset with Nikolas since Nikolas implicated him in Cassandra's escape. Nikolas didn't mean for that to happen but he can't change it and reminded him of what he had to gain when the codicil is located but Jax said he didn't need it since it was not worth it due to the mess they're in. Carly later came by as Nikolas hid on the balcony again and she wanted to know what was really going on. Jax said he was involved in something and when Carly questioned what it was, Nikolas walked in and revealed himself to Carly. Carly was surprised to see Nikolas alive and insisted that he tell his family, especially Laura but Nikolas said as much as he wants to he cannot do that until Valentin has been neutralized. After Nikolas leaves, Carly reluctantly agrees to stay quiet for the time being. Nikolas went down to the pier with a gun and was around the corner but Charlotte Cassadine spotted him.

The next day, Nikolas returned to Jax's house and Jax was upset that he kept leaving the house. Jax warned Nikolas that he was so close to blowing his cover and ordered him to stop leaving the house. Jax ranted about how Carly was forced to lie to Josslyn and Sonny and Nikolas said that she's a big girl and she can handle it. Commissioner Jordan Ashford paid Jax a visit and afterwards Nikolas left. Nikolas paid a visit to Wyndemere but was caught by Charlotte. Nikolas spun a story and claimed that he was hired by Valentin as Charlotte's secret bodyguard and that he wasn't supposed to reveal himself to her and if she told Valentin he would be fired. Nikolas pleaded with Charlotte for her not to tell Valentin she saw him and she reluctantly agreed. Valentin came in and took care of Charlotte and when she was out of the room, Nikolas almost whacked Valentin with a fire poker but stopped and stayed hidden when Hayden came in. He overheard Valentin offering Hayden a quarter of a million dollars in exchange for information on Helena's portrait and eventually resorted to threatening her. She agreed to his terms and was about to tell him but they were interrupted by Charlotte. Hayden quickly left as Valentin told her to give him the information on ccount to wire the money to. Nikolas snuck out of Wyndemere and called Hayden, asking her to meet him.

On November 26, Nikolas met with Hayden on the pier and he told her he overheard her conversation with Valentin and Hayden revealed that Valentin threatened her. Nikolas promised to help Hayden get out of the mess he got her into and suggested that she'd leave town but she didn't want to because of Violet. Nikolas revealed that it was hard for him not to reveal himself to Spencer but what made this situation bearable was that he knew that Spencer was safe. After Nikolas left, a man grabbed Hayden on the pier and Nikolas came back and fought him off in defense of Hayden. He insisted that Hayden should leave town because Valentin is very dangerous and said that it's not safe for her and Violet. Eventually, Hayden left town after saying goodbye to Violet. It was later revealed that Nikolas set the whole thing up to get Hayden to leave town for her own protection.

On December 4, Nikolas went to Shadybrook and paid a nurse to drug Ava. When Ava was drugged, Nikolas walked in and convinced her that he was in hell and Kiki was there with him which made Ava very upset. Nikolas claimed that she can make amends and that he and Kiki can be at peace if she tells him where Helena's portrait was. Afterwards, Ava gave in and told him she had it at her gallery and begged him to help Kiki and he promised her he would. Eventually, Nikolas left and Ava was shaken up and an emotional wreck after his visit. Unbeknownst to Nikolas, he left his ring under Ava's bed.

Nikolas met with Jax who said he was cutting his losses and ending their partnership since he did not sign up for any of the damage their mission was causing. Nikolas confessed that he staged the incident with Hayden so that she would leave town and also confessed that he knows where Helena's portrait was. Afterwards, Nikolas wore a mask and gloves when he broke into Ava's gallery and was about to look for the portrait but Valentin pulled a gun on him and ordered him to reveal himself. Nikolas assaulted Valentin in self-defense and took off.

On December 9, Jax told Nikolas he was done and he ordered Nikolas to leave but eventually Nikolas learned that he lost his ring. Nikolas hid as Valentin came by Jax's house and offered to partner up with him to find the codicil but Jax said no. Valentin accused Jax of stealing his inheritance and was trying to take him down so he could have Nina all to himself. When he left, Nikolas asked if he still wanted him gone or if he wanted to help get rid of Valentin but Jax said to find the ring. Nikolas remembered that it came off after his visit with Ava at Shadybrook but did not know that Nina took it.

On December 13, Nikolas was on Pier 17 but was hidden while Valentin and Charlotte were there. Charlotte saw Nikolas and said she knew who he was since she saw a picture of him on her mom's phone and Nikolas claimed that her mom knew him since he saved her life one time. Valentin saw her and asked who she was talking to and Charlotte claimed she wasn't sure. Valentin told her that she cannot talk to strangers because it's dangerous and they left to meet Nina. Jax and Carly met with Nikolas and Carly figured out that Ava knows he is alive since his ring was found in her room at Shadybrook and that Ava had a breakthrough overnight. Jax got a text saying that Ava was auctioning Helena's portrait that night which would give Nikolas a chance to get the codicil.

On December 16, Nikolas stayed in the back room while the auction was happening and he was upset when Helena's portrait suddenly burst into flames. Eventually, Trina Robinson spotted him but she didn't see his face. Trina threatened to call the cops on him but he left before she could. Nikolas met with Jax on the pier and said that he was going to destroy Valentin despite the portrait and presumably the codicil being destroyed. Afterwards, Nikolas went back to the gallery and saw Ava aiming a gun at him. Ava confronted Nikolas about being alive all this time and demanded to know where he was for three years. Nikolas explained that he was pulled out of the water by a yacht crew and was recuperating in Athens. He explained that he learned there was a codicil that Mikkos left which returns the entire Cassadine estate to him and disinherits Valentin. Ava revealed to Nikolas that she has the codicil. She said she would give him the codicil because she wanted Spencer to get back everything that was rightfully his, but there were certain terms to be met.

On January 3, 2020, (New Year's Eve on the show) Nikolas rescued Ava from the water after Valentin pushed her off the terrace and he busted down the door into the living room, crashing Valentin and Nina's wedding. Curtis took Ava off of Nikolas' hands as everyone was looking at Nikolas in shock that he was alive. Laura and Lulu hugged Nikolas and shed tears of joy and relief that he was alive and eventually Nikolas confronted Valentin, revealing that he has the codicil and that he is not the rightful Cassadine heir. Valentin was smug and played it off as the codicil being a fake and that he is the rightful heir, but Nikolas also revealed that Valentin was not Mikkos' son after all, he was actually Helena's son which means he is not a Cassadine. Valentin did not believe him and accused him of making it up and called him out on not facing him like a man, however Nikolas insisted that it was because since he is Helena's son, Mikkos made the codicil to make sure he never inherited the Cassadine estate and fortune. After their confrontation, Nikolas went with Laura, Lulu and Kevin into the trophy room and explained what happened to him. When he explained that after he fully recovered from his gunshot wound and that he was planning to disinherit Valentin and destroy him with Mikkos' codicil, Laura slapped him and reprimanded him for not coming home sooner and putting Spencer through grief which led to him trying to avenge his father's "death." Nikolas regretted his actions and said that even though he hated what he put everyone through, he did what he did for Spencer. Ava walked in and revealed that she and Nikolas were set to get married that night, much to everyone's surprise and dismay. Eventually, after objections from everyone, Nikolas and Ava were officially married in Wyndemere.

The next morning, Nikolas stood in Ava's room and he briefly held her at gunpoint, however he gave it back to her and asked for the codicil. Ava said the only way she'll give it to him is if she is by his side and he signs a post-nuptial agreement. He shared a reunion with Alexis who was happy to see him but she scolded him for what he did for the past three years. She was also shocked to learn that Nikolas and Ava were married.

On January 10, Nikolas went to see Elizabeth at the hospital who was happy that he was alive and well. Nikolas told her that he spent the last three years in Europe and was strategizing ways to take down Valentin. Elizabeth was shocked to learn that Nikolas married Ava Jerome and that he has been back in Port Charles since September 2019. She was a little upset that Nikolas didn't contact anyone during the four months he was back in town but understood that he was trying to make sure Valentin was neutralized. She told Nikolas that Hayden has a little girl named Violet and that she can come home now that Valentin is no longer a threat. Nikolas promised to do everything he can to bring Hayden home despite leaving out the fact that he caused Hayden to leave town for her own protection.

On January 20, Nikolas and Ava visited Spencer in France and when Nikolas revealed himself to be alive, he and Spencer shared a heartfelt hug. When Spencer asked where Nikolas had been, Nikolas revealed he was away plotting revenge on Valentin. Spencer grew angry that Nikolas willingly stayed away but Nikolas said he hated every second of being away from Spencer but he needed to find the codicil to take Valentin down from the shadows. Spencer yelled that he needed his father to be alive and that he could have come to see him without Valentin knowing the truth. Eventually Nikolas was disheartened when Spencer told him he was just as heartless as Valentin and demanded that he stays away from him. Eventually, Nikolas was heartbroken so he and Ava went back to Port Charles. On the way back home, Nikolas signed Ava's post-nup and they agreed to not cheat on each other despite having no desire to be together.

On January 30, Dr. Hamilton Finn confronted Nikolas about causing Hayden to leave Violet behind and said he was not going to get away with it, but they would deal with that later since his mom Laura had been shot. Jax eventually told Elizabeth that Nikolas was responsible for Hayden's disappearing act so she slapped him and told him off before ordering him to find Hayden and bring her home.

Later on, Nikolas visited his mom in her hospital room and he poured his heart out to her. He confesses that he feels guilty for staying away and letting everyone grieve for three years and said that he knows he was selfish and that without forgiveness he has no hope. Laura woke up and told Nikolas she will always love him and that she forgives him.

• Conspired with Lucky Spencer to hide the body of undercover cop Ted Wilson in a freezer in the basement of Wyndemere and then planted it in Zander Smith's trunk [Aug 2000]
• Secretly helped his grandmother, Helena Cassadine after she escaped from custody [late 2001]
• Covered up the fact that Gia ran a red light and caused a car accident [Feb 2002]
• Helped Lucky try to cover up how Rick Webber died, thinking that Luke was behind Rick's death [Aug 2002]
• Helped Luke escape custody after being arrested for Rick Webber's murder [Sep 2002]
• Blackmailed Summer Halloway into working for him by distracting Luke's attention away from trying to see Laura [Nov 2002]
• Adultery; slept with Emily Quartermaine while she was married to Zander [Oct 2003]
• Assaulted Zander Smith [Jan 14, 2004; arrested and released]
• Assault; punched Lucky Spencer at the Cellar [Aug 4, 2004]
• Shot Mary Bishop in defense of Emily [Sep 2004]
• Shoved Helena off a cliff [Nov 2004]
• Adultery; had an affair with Courtney Matthews while he was married to Emily and she was married to Jax [2005]
• Assaulted Manny Ruiz in defense of Maxie [Dec 19, 2005]
• Assaulted Logan Hayes [Sep 28, 2007]
• Attacked Carly [Oct 16, 2007]
• Assault; brawl with Jason Morgan [Nov 14, 2007]
• Indirectly killed Diego Alcazar when they were struggling [Mar 6, 2008]
• Assault; punched Scott Baldwin [Sep 8, 2008; arrested and released]
• Breaking and entering; broke into Scott Baldwin's hotel room (along with Lulu) [Nov 2008]
• Hit Rebecca with his car [Dec 8-9, 2009]
• Assault; brawl with Luke Spencer [Dec 15, 2009]

• Tried to shoot Liesl Obrecht in a struggle for the gun [Apr 2014]
• Blackmailed Rosalie Martinez [Jan 2015-July 19, 2016]
• Conspired with Kyle Sloane and Janice Lomax to tamper with electoral votes, thus causing Lomax's manipulated mayoral win against Felicia Scorpio [revealed Jan 13, 2015]
• Corporate Espionage: conspired with Rosalie Martinez, his grandmother Helena Cassadine and Kyle Sloane to take over ELQ [revealed Jan 31, 2015]
• Withheld the information that Jake Doe was actually Jason Morgan [Feb 1-Nov 6, 2015; that Jason was actually revealed to be Drew Cain on Dec 1, 2017]
• Held his grandmother, Helena Cassadine at knifepoint [Feb 5, 2015]
• Manhandled Hayden Barnes [Apr 30, 2015]
• Attempted murder; ordered a hit on Hayden [May 18, 2015; she was shot in the head and left in a coma from May 19 to Jul 31, 2015]
• Framed Shawn Butler for an attempted murder his hitman committed under his (Nik's) orders [May 18, 2015; Shawn was sent to prison as a result]
• Murdered his grandmother, Helena Cassadine, by poisoning her [Nov 23, 2015; revealed Jul 11, 2016]
• Picked a fight with Drew by punching him in the face [Dec 21, 2015]
• Got into a fist fight with Drew [Dec 22, 2015]
• Manhandled Sam (grabbed her arms and left bruises) [Apr 6, 2016]
• Punched Drew in self-defense [Apr 6, 2016]
• Manhandled Hayden [May 25, 2016]
• Faked his own death [revealed Jun 13, 2016]
• Attacked and tied up a woman who tried to thwart his and Ava's escape [Jun 23, 2016]
• Attacked Valentin Cassadine in defense of Ava and fought him for a gun [Jul 19, 2016]
• Faked his death [Jul 19, 2016-Jan 3, 2020; revealed Oct 31, 2019]

• Kidnapped Anna Devane and then Hamilton Finn [Jun 25-Aug 24, 2018; revealed Nov 6, 2019]
• Kidnapped Cassandra Pierce [Aug 24, 2018-Jul 31, 2019; revealed Oct 31, 2019]
• Stalked Ava [Oct 18-31, 2019; revealed Oct 31, 2019]
• Helped Cassandra escape from prison and intended to kill her [Nov 7-8, 2019]
• Unintentionally implicated Jax in Cassandra's escape [Nov 7, 2019-present]
• Nearly hit Valentin with a fire poker [Nov 21-22, 2019]
• Had one of his goons grab Hayden Barnes [Nov 26, 2019; revealed Nov 27, 2019]
• Paid a nurse to drug Ava and made Ava think that he is a vision from Hell [Dec 4, 2019]
• Broke into Ava's gallery and attempted to steal Helena's portrait [Dec 5, 2019]
• Assaulted Valentin in self-defense [Dec 5, 2019]
• Briefly held Ava at gunpoint [Jan 8, 2020; he was never going to kill her]
• Vandalized Franco's portrait of Ava [Aug 14, 2020; revealed on Aug 17, 2020]
• Stalked Ava to her cabin and broke in [Sep 15, 2020]

• Donated bone marrow to save the life of his sister, Lulu, who was suffering from aplastic anemia [1996]
• Punched in the face by Lucky [Aug 22, 1996]
• Fell down stairs when pushed by Lucky; hospitalized [Sept 13, 1996]
• Fell during a fight with Lucky and hit his head on a stone statue; caused severe sensitivity to light for a while [1996]
• Pushed off a mountain in Switzerland by Stefan; rescued by Luke while hanging off the edge [1997]
• Hurt his leg or his foot^[39] (he was seen on crutches) [revealed Oct 24, 1997]
• Shot in the throat with a bullet meant for Jason Morgan and suffered from Broca's aphasia, causing him to be unable to speak for a while [Dec 8, 1997]
• Suffered a stroke [Dec 19, 1997; revealed Dec 23, 1997]
• Hit by Skye's car; sustained some minor injuries [Dec 2002]
• Beat up by creditors wanting their loan repaid [Sep 2003]
• Assaulted by Zander Smith when Zander saw pictures of Nikolas and Emily making out [Sept 2003]
• Arrested for the murder of Cody McCall [Jan 7, 2004; not guilty]
• Beaten by Zander in the interrogation room at the Port Charles Police Station [Jan 2004]
• Arrested for the murder of Zander Smith [Feb 2004; not guilty]
• Suffered a head injury and amnesia following a car accident [Mar 2004]
• Shot by Emily while breaking into the Quartermaine mansion [May 2004]
• Drugged by Helena while institutionalized at Shadybrook [Aug 2004]
• Broke his arm during a run-in with Helana's goons [Dec 2005]; (Tyler, the actor who played Nikolas, broke his left arm and underwent surgery in Nov 2005)
• Fell ill during the encephalitis plague that hit Port Charles [Feb 2006]

• Held hostage at gunpoint at the Metro Court Hotel by Jerry Jacks and his team (known as the Metro Court hostage crisis) [Jan-Feb 2007]
• Hit in the face with a rifle during the hostage crisis (suffered a laceration to his cheek as a result) [Feb 2007]
• Hit in the back with a rifle and rendered unconscious during the hostage crisis [Feb 2007]
• Threatened by Jerry Jacks multiple times during the hostage crisis [Feb 2007]
• Suffered minor injuries in the Metro Court explosion (he wasn't actually in the building when it exploded but it knocked him back) [Jan 2007]
• Injected with an experimental poison by Jerry Jacks [Apr 2007]
• Attacked by Anthony Zacchara [Nov 2007]
• Beat up by Jason Morgan and tied to a chair for his own good [Nov 2007]
• Knocked unconscious by Diego Alcazar [Nov 2007]
• Diagnosed with a brain tumor that caused hallucinations, rages, and blackouts; it was removed on May 7, 2008 [Oct 2007-May 7, 2008; revealed on Dec 28, 2007] He didn't have any problems after the surgery.
• Punched and rendered temporally unconscious by Jason for his own good [Jan 2008]
• Attacked by Diego Alcazar (aka the Text Message Killer) [Mar 5, 2008]
• Thrown from his horse [May 30, 2008]
• Assaulted by Luke Spencer after he provoked him [Dec 15, 2009]
• Hit over the head by Stavros Cassadine and rendered unconscious [sometime between Jan and Apr 2013]
• Shot in the chest by a hitman under the orders of Stavros Cassadine and underwent surgery [Mar 25, 2013; revealed Apr 10, 2013]
• Injected with adrenaline by Luke Spencer [Mar 2013]
• Assaulted by Cesar Faison [Nov 2013]
• Held hostage at gunpoint by Liesl Obrecht [Apr 2014]
• Almost got shot by Liesl Obrecht in a struggle for the gun [Apr 2014]
• Slapped by Elizabeth Webber [Aug 22, 2014]

• Grabbed and manhandled by two Cassadine goons under Helena's orders (she was trying to prevent Nik from going to the party with the bomb in it) [Feb 2, 2015]
• Held at gunpoint and almost killed by Luke [Feb 5, 2015]
• Ran into a room engulfed in flames to rescue Spencer [Feb 24, 2015]
• Blackmailed by Hayden Barnes (she knew that he knew that Jake was Jason) [May-Dec 2015]
• Slapped by Elizabeth Webber [May 4, 2015]
• Attacked and threatened by Drew Cain over the unauthorized DNA tests he ran on him [Oct 19, 2015]
• Choked by Drew [Nov 6, 2015; shown on Nov 9, 2015]
• Held at gunpoint by Drew [Nov 19, 2015]
• Attacked by Drew again (suffered a bloody forehead as a result) [Nov 23, 2015]
• Attacked by Drew yet again (suffered a bloody mouth as a result) [Dec 14, 2015]
• Fell off a balcony during a fight with Drew (that he (Nikolas) started) and suffered multiple injuries including a laceration to his neck [Dec 22, 2015]
• Held hostage at gunpoint in a chapel-full of people by Landon Dixon [Feb 19, 2016; shown from Feb 23-24, 2016]
• Attacked and almost had his neck snapped by Drew (suffered bruises to his face as a result) [Apr 6, 2016]
• Threatened by Drew if he ever put his hands on Sam again [Apr 12, 2016]
• Blackmailed by Drew and Sam into selling his shares of ELQ (they threatened to send him to prison for attempted murder if he didn't sell them) [Apr 12, 2016]
• Fell or was pushed off of something at Wyndemere and looks dead [revealed May 26, 2016]
• Fell into freezing water and presumed dead [revealed May 27, 2016; Nikolas was revealed to be alive on Jun 13, 2016]
• Locked in a room (along with Ava Jerome) by Huxley Lynch [Jun 2016]
• Had his hand sliced open by Huxley [Jun 21, 2016]
• Knocked unconscious by his uncle, Valentin Cassadine, suffered a laceration to his forehead and a headache as a result [Jul 8, 2016]
• Held hostage at gunpoint in a room of people on Cassadine Island by Valentin Cassadine (aka Theo Hart) [Jul 15-19, 2016]
• Presumed dead after being shot in the chest by Valentin and falling off a balcony [Jul 19, 2016; Nikolas was revealed to be presumed dead on Jul 22, 2016; Nikolas was revealed to be alive on Oct 31, 2019]

• Blackmailed by Cassandra Pierce into helping her get out of prison [Sep 19-Nov 7, 2019; revealed Nov 6, 2019]
• Had a gun held on him by Ava Jerome [Oct 31-Nov 1, 2019]
• Assaulted twice and pinned against a wall by Jax [Nov 14, 2019]
• Held at gunpoint by Valentin [Dec 5, 2019]
• Held at gunpoint by Ava again [Dec 17-19, 2019]
• Slapped by his mother, Laura [Jan 6, 2020]
• Slapped by Elizabeth [Jan 31, 2020]
• Slapped by Britt Westbourne [Mar 23, 2020]
• Slapped by Ava [May 4, 2020]
• Hit in the back with a fire poker by Ava [Sep 15, 2020]