News

Aug 18, 2023

The Best Characters In The Grand Theft Auto Franchise

There are a plethora of great characters in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Who stands out as the best of the best? Rockstar Games has produced many classic games for over twenty-five years. Their

There are a plethora of great characters in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Who stands out as the best of the best?

Rockstar Games has produced many classic games for over twenty-five years. Their most famous franchise is Grand Theft Auto, and each game in the series arguably improves on the ones that came before it. We have gone from the overhead basic setting in the very first GTA game, with very one-note characters, to the most recent entry, Grand Theft Auto 5, loaded with three-dimensional characters that any movie franchise would be delighted to have in their ensemble casts.

RELATED: The Things GTA 6 Must Take From GTA San Andreas

The franchise has introduced us to some of the best characters in gaming history. From Tommy Vercetti in GTA: San Andreasto the playable character trio of Trevor, Michael, and Franklin in GTA 5. The franchise has also been littered with great supporting characters that assist in missions and relay important exposition to the main protagonists.

Ken features significantly in GTA: Vice City and San Andreas. He is the lawyer who helps the Forelli mafia family secure a foothold in the drug trade. It’s not until his second appearance in San Andreas that he becomes more central to the plot. San Andreas is set six years after Vice City and Ken is suffering from addiction issues, having been ditched by his longtime friend, Tommy Vercetti.

It’s been stated that the character of Rosenberg was based on Dave Kleinfeld in Carlito’s Way, who was portrayed by Sean Penn. He is an integral character in both games. Still, arguably, his most important arc is in San Andreas, when we really see the effects of his drug addiction and his increasing deep dive into criminality.

The three protagonists in GTA 5 stack up a bunch of great special abilities between them. However, none of them possess the ability of a powerful sense of smell. This is where Lemar’s dog, Chop comes into the equation. Yes, he does get distracted by the urge to hump a male dog, but he is also very useful in a few different missions in GTA 5.

The loyal rottweiler dog makes his first appearance in GTA 5, in a mission aptly titled, Chop. The sixth mission in the game involves the kidnapping of a gangster known as D. Franklin drives the van to the desired location, with Lemar and Chop riding along with him. Chop is instrumental in chasing down the target on foot towards a train yard. From this point on, Chop became a fan favorite, and a useful ally to Franklin, who basically adopts him for the remainder of the narrative.

Lester Crest is instrumental in a lot of the heists in GTA 5. He’s an old friend of Michael, and despite his physical disabilities, he compensates for this with his high-level intelligence when it comes to masterminding the heists involving Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Lester is very much a fan favorite in GTA 5, and it’s likely that he will return in GTA 6.

RELATED:Grand Theft Auto Characters Who Appear In Multiple Games

Depending on how players choose to end the game, if the chosen option is to take on the bad guys, Lester will help carry out this plan. This ending points heavily towards Lester being a returning character in GTA 6. Who else would set up the missions in the new game? Here’s a rallying cry to Rockstar games: please bring back one of our favorite supporting characters.

Tommy Vercetti was the first speaking protagonist in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, signaling a progression to three-dimensional characters in future installments.

He was voiced by the late great, Ray Liotta, and he fits in perfectly with the crime saga’s vibe, having played such iconic characters as Henry Hill in Goodfellas. Tommy is an 80s throwback, violent and determined to rise through the ranks of the mafia.

Woozie, as he is known by his friends, stands out in GTA: San Andreas, for being one of the few characters who stays loyal to CJ. This entry in the series is full of betrayals but Wu Zi Mu is cut from a different cloth.

He is a mysterious character who leads the Mountain Cloud Boys triads. His nickname is “The Lucky Mole’’ as he always wins in car races and video games, despite being blind.

CJ, as he's endearingly known to everyone around him, was a very memorable character in GTA: San Andreas. Players are motivated to root for him because of his difficult arc throughout the game. After his mother was killed, CJ is known to try and rebuild and maintain contacts in GTA: San Andreas. He is very much the voice of reason as opposed to Tommy.

His voice of reason usually equates to some memorable one-liners like “What did you expect? It’s America.” This was a topical line, inspired by America’s questionable gun laws. It seems to be the case that every time CJ threatens someone with a gun, the series gets political and shows no remorse in mocking the current state of America’s obsession with bearing arms.

Before GTA 5 came along and knocked it out of the park in terms of characters, setting and missions, Niko Bellic was by far the best character in the best game of the franchise. He was a Serbian veteran who comes to Liberty City to escape his troubled background. It seems he is motivated by more than a cash grab or an attempt at becoming a known figure in the underworld.

RELATED:Most Experimental Rockstar Games

He longed for the American dream, and it all became a bit of a disaster. If rumors are believed to be true, Niko Bellic is set to return in GTA 6. If it’s true, it’s another reason to be excited about the upcoming game. As if there weren’t already enough reasons to be excited about the new game.

GTA 5 sees the franchise use three playable characters for the first time, and the result is three protagonists that couldn’t be more different from each other. This is partly what makes GTA 5 the most expansive and impressive entry in the series. Fans feel that connection to Franklin, as he’s the first character that players follow.

However, once we are properly introduced to Michael, he is arguably the central protagonist in the plot of GTA 5. Franklin remains a joy to play with when experiencing his unique skill of driving through tight spaces and the banter between him and his friend, Lemar. It’s also interesting to see his character arc, morphing from a street-level player into a powerful head honcho as the game progresses.

There’s an argument for Trevor being number one on this list, and I’m sure a lot of fans will disagree with him being the runner-up. However, as entertaining and brilliantly insulting as he is, he doesn’t appear to have much more than a one-dimensional character. Beyond his vile quips and psychotic tendencies, he's quite a hollow character underneath it all. He doesn’t change much between when he first appears, to when the game finishes.

When it comes down to saving him or Michael in the final sequence, it's an easy decision to make. Of course, gamers could save them both, but despite having a lot of fun with this character, the overarching urge is to kill him and rid the Los Santos world of his nasty demeanor.

Michael ties all the loose ends together in GTA 5, through his links to all the principal characters and his involvement in the heists. It’s been claimed that his character is based on Neil McCauley in Heat, memorably portrayed by Robert De Niro.

Michael has an entertaining extended family in GTA 5 which makes his stakes more meaningful than the other two protagonists. A few of his missions are linked to saving his family, and they always possess that extra element of tension. He’s a badass, and players want him to succeed so that he can return to his retirement. However, retirement isn't for everyone, and some fans would love to see him pop up in GTA 6.

MORE: GTA Online: Best Story Missions, Ranked

Callum Murray is a writer based in York, England. His love of gaming and films started as a young child.His favorite game is Grand Theft Auto, and his favorite film is Scream, which is responsible for his love of horror films.