Victor Nikiforov/Relationships

This article covers the relationships between Victor Nikiforov.

## Family

### Yuuri Katsuki

Yuuri arouses Victor's curiosity after a video of Yuuri perfectly replicating his free skate program "Stay Close to Me" goes viral. He decides on his own to fly to Japan and coach Yuuri to victory in the coming season, in which he moves into Yu-Topia Katsuki, and spends most of his waking hours with Yuuri. Victor enjoys teasing Yuuri and is very physically affectionate with him. Though Yuuri is at first not very comfortable with the physical contact, he becomes used to Victor hanging off of him for prolonged periods of time.

Victor is inexperienced as a coach and often has difficulty learning how to properly deal with Yuuri's general emotional stress and his performance anxiety in particular. Despite this, he tries his best to support Yuuri and cheer him on. In return, Yuuri strives very hard to impress Victor.

In Episode 10, Christophe and Victor talk about the banquet after the Sochi GPF, revealing—to Yuuri's horror—that that was their actual first encounter. During that party, Yuuri had swung Victor out to dance, invited him to Hasetsu, and begged him to be his coach. Of course, the blackout-drunk Yuuri had no memory of this.

There are two significant turning points in their relationship. The first is after Yuuri spontaneously changes his free skate's last jump into a quad flip (Victor's signature move) at the Cup of China. When Yuuri dashes to the kiss and cry, Victor makes good on the first part of that moniker by knocking his protégé back onto the ice with a kiss. The second is just before the Barcelona GPF free skate, when Yuuri buys a ring for them each, as a traditional reminder of the love they eventually came to have for each other.

Yuuri later moves to Saint Petersburg, Russia, to stay with Victor.

### Makkachin

Makkachin is Victor's beloved pet poodle and constant companion. Victor is very fond of Makkachin, bringing Makkachin from Russia to Japan, and then later back to Russia. Victor's love for Makkachin is truly shown when he returns to Japan to oversee Makkachin's operation after the latter choked on some sticky buns, despite having to leave Yuuri Katsuki alone in Moscow. Victor's wanting to spend more time with Makkachin is one of the reasons Victor decided to leave competitive skating.

## Allies

### Yuri Plisetsky

Victor and Yuri shared the same coach, Yakov Feltsman. Several years beforehand, Victor had watched one of Yuri's performances. Impressed with the younger skater, Yuri and Victor made a deal where, if Yuri were to win his Junior Grand Prix Final without attempting any quads, then Victor would choreograph a program for his Senior Division debut. Victor is aware of Yuri's determination and ambition and uses it to push him harder during the short period that he coached Yuri.

Yuri initially respected Victor as a senior skater and as a living legend. Yuri's perception of Victor changes as the season progresses as he no longer looks up to him. He also sees Yuri Katsuki as more of a threat than Victor had been.

Being quite close to Victor, Yuri was accustomed to Victor's forgetfulness.

### Christophe Giacometti

Victor and Christophe have known each other for at least ten years, and have often competed against each other. Christophe sees Victor as his motivation for skating and aspires to surpass him, and is unable to understand why Victor left figure skating to coach Yuuri. However, they are shown to be good friends off the ice.

### Yakov Feltsman

Yakov is Victor's current coach. Victor refers to Yakov as Coach Yakov, even after leaving Yakov's guidance, and Yakov calls Victor by the diminutive Vitya. Yakov is often angry with Victor, as Victor tends to be disobedient to Yakov's instructions. Yakov is upset when Victor chooses to leave Russia to Japan, believing that the latter would not be a very good coach. During the Barcelona GPF free skate, Victor expresses his wish to return to competitive skating, most likely under Yakov's guidance.

### Ken Ichijouji

Victor is Ken's ice skating coach. The two get along really well and seem to have a father-son like bond.

### Yaeka Sakuragi

Yaeka has an unrequited crush on Victor, to which he finds adorable but sees her as a good friend.