Nobody could have predicted all those years ago when Grand Theft Auto first released back in 1997 that the franchise would go on to be come one of the biggest in video game history. Nearly three decades on though, and that’s where we are, and for good reason. Every since the release of Grand Theft Auto III, which arguably pioneered the open world genre as we know it, the franchise has gone from strength to strength.
Related: 5 Ways in Which Grand Theft Auto Established the Blueprint for What an Open World Game Should Be
With the success of the franchise comes an almost iconic status for some of its main characters, with them becoming figureheads in gaming, as well as memes, as per pop culture these days. The franchise has had its fair share of protagonists over the years, and with news about the next instalment leaking regarding potentially two playable characters, one male, and franchise first, one female, in Grand Theft Auto 6, we thought it would be good to take a look back and rank the rest.
12. Huang Lee (GTA: Chinatown Wars)
You’re probably thinking who? Not many played the only handheld entry in the franchise unfortunately, but with the cliché story of vengeance upon those who killed his family – spoiler, it’s predictably someone close to him -, you’ll quickly realise Huang has less personality and charm than anyone else below, including a protagonist that can’t speak!
11. Victor Vance (GTA: Vice City Stories)
Victor Vance may not have been the longest playable character on the list, quite the opposite actually, but he does at least have a more nuanced and interesting backstory given to him than most, certainly more than Huang. A life of military service was cut short due to a corrupt sergeant, which forced Victor to turn to a life of crime, all to ensure his sick brother’s medical treatment was fully paid for. Much more noble and wholesome than we’re used to in a Grand Theft Auto character, that’s for sure.
10. Luis Lopez (GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony)
One of the two playable characters from Grand Theft Auto 4’s DLC, Luis Lopez was the right hand man to the ‘Gay Tony’ mentioned in the add-ons title. Whilst a gangster/bodyguard for his boss, the dynamic between the two is more of banter-filled friends than that of employee/employer, but unfortunately that was the last we saw of the character, and fourteen years on, we doubt that’ll change.
9. Toni Cipriani (GTA: Liberty City Stories)
Considering Toni Cipriani is the main character of this game, as well as an early prominent non-playable character in Grand Theft Auto III, there’s not much divulged about the character, other than his clear devotion and loyalty to that of his mother, and his business. The character will sound familiar however, as he’s voiced by famous Hollywood actor Michael Madsen, who brings genuine humour and gravitas to the part.
8. Johnny Klebitz (GTA: The Lost and The Damned)
The outlaw biker is the second of the two protagonists of Grand Theft Auto 4’s DLC, and like his bodyguard counterpart, he’s certainly a character with nuance, and unlike his bodyguard counterpart, we get to see him again!
Part of the biker gang ‘The Lost MC’, Johnny ends up intersecting with all sorts of weird and wonderful characters during his story, some new, some established in the main game. At this point of the story he’s a recovering addict, but unfortunately when we next see him in Grand Theft Auto 5, he seems to have relapsed into a crystal meth addiction, and ends up the victim of one of the characters coming up.
Related: 5 Huge Reasons Why ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’ Will Be Announced in 2023
7. Claude Speed (GTA 3)
How is a character that doesn’t speak so relatively high on the list? Whilst it’s true that the lack of a voice can make Claude seem very bland and boring, however, it’s this blank canvas that allows players to put themselves in his shoes. Plus, the whole cold and dead-inside façade does bring with it a certain level of psychopathy. Other than his initial escape from prison in the game’s opening mission, nothing is particularly explained about who he is, his backstory or his motivations, but his silence can be played off as a submissive ‘yes sir’ nature that the mission givers demand?
6. Michael De Santa (GTA 5)
Not many characters, let alone protagonists in the Grand Theft Auto universe retire to live a life of peace and quiet after being career criminals, but this is exactly what Michael did. At least before the events of Grand Theft Auto 5 of course. Over the course of the game, everything comes unravelled for the man, with his spoiled children showing no respect, his wife flagrantly cheating and that’s without even mentioning the mess Michael finds himself in with Trevor and Franklin.
5. Tommy Vercetti (GTA: Vice City)
If this was an article ranking the various main games themselves, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City would be right up there with it’s tone, atmosphere, soundtrack and characters, but this is purely about the protagonists. Now fifth place isn’t to be sniffed at, and Tommy certainly earns that with a character heavily influenced by Scarface, among other 80s gangster flicks. A familiar tale of vengeance, betrayal and gut-churning violence later, and you’ve seen everything you need to regarding Tommy Vercetti’s character. Unlike the previous game Grand Theft Auto III’s Claude, Tommy Vercetti has a voice. Voiced by the late, great Ray Liotta, he not only has charisma, but he’s also intimidating when needed.
4. Franklin Clinton (GTA 5)
Franklin is one of three playable characters in the fifth main game, with the already mentioned Michael and the soon-to-be mentioned Trevor being the other two. Unlike the other two protagonists though, Franklin’s story could not be better when comparing where he is, to where he ends up. Nothing more than a street gangster at the start, he ends up a business entrepreneur with a family, although still involved with a life of crime every now and then if the story in GTA Online is to be considered canon.
3. Trevor Phillips (GTA 5)
In a list of Grand Theft Auto protagonists, you better believe it’s meant as a compliment when describing Trevor Phillips as the most over-the-top, screw loose, sandwich-short-of-a-picnic main character in the franchise, if not all of gaming. From his opening mission to his last, he’s nothing short of psychopathic on a terrifying level, seemingly, no, definitely enjoying his violent and criminal endeavours, as well as the fear he instils on other characters.
The playing switching aspect of the game also brings some genuinely funny moments, especially with Trevor in mind. It’s always surprising to switch to Trevor and he’s in some sort of predicament, from sleeping in gutters after a heavy night of drink and drugs, or in the middle of a fight.
2. Carl “CJ” Johnson (GTA: San Andreas)
The events of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas are perhaps the most well known and memed of the entire franchise and for good reason, but this is the game where Rockstar really decided to give their main protagonists not only a voice, but a backstory and a personality. Losing his mother to a gangshooting before the events of the game gave the character clear and obvious motivations for his actions, especially against the rival gangs involved, but it was the subsequent betrayal of those closest to him and his reaction to it that have cemented him into Grand Theft Auto folklore. There’s a reason why fans are still asking for his return now.
Related: Grand Theft Auto Series Surpasses Over 400 Million Lifetime Sales Take-Two Announces
1. Niko Bellic (GTA 4)
Depending on which side of the fence you land on, those calls from Roman to Niko would be either the best thing or the worst, but the phrase ‘Hey Niko, do you want to go bowling?’ will live on in every Grand Theft Auto fans’ memories.
Niko is one of the few characters in the franchise that even with his terrible acts of violence and his criminal history, it is impossible not to have some sort of sympathy for the man. He left Eastern Europe to escape his life of crime before arriving in Liberty City and then getting dragged right back into it by the seedy underbelly of the city. A long descent into chaos and misery later, and Niko’s story is the most tragic of everyone’s.
So there’s our Grand Theft Auto main characters ranking. Do you agree? How wrong do we have it? Let us know!
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