It isn’t just the huge open worlds that make Grand Theft Auto iconic, as Rockstar's satirical, foul-mouthed characters are worth the price of the game alone. Though Rockstar didn’t start putting effort into characters’ backstories until the fifth game, San Andreas, even the ones that came before it featured characters who were fascinatingly sadistic with a vibrant sense of fashion.
But with each passing generation of consoles, the storytelling has gotten better and better. And when the developer introduced special abilities for each playable character in GTA V, even the gameplay factored into who was the best character, as each of them handled differently. From drug dealing psychopaths to silent assassins to level-headed bank robbers, the Grand Theft Auto series is full of colorful characters.
Victor Vance
Not many fans will know about Victor Vance, as he was the protagonist of Vice City Stories, a game exclusive to the PlayStation Portable and then ported over to the PlayStation 2 the following year. However, Victor is possibly the most earnest playable character in the whole of the series.
The character is forced into a life of crime after being discharged from the army, and he was only there in the first place to cover his brother’s hospital bills. But even when it comes to GTA, nice guys finish last.
Claude
With Grand Theft Auto III turning 20 years old this year, it really shows in the gameplay and even the protagonist. In the game, Claude is a silent character, as he doesn’t speak once, but when the game was first released, he didn’t even have a name.
His name was only revealed when he was mentioned in San Andreas, but knowing very little about him adds an air of mystery, and with things still only now only being revealed about him, it makes him that much more interesting. And even without a voice, Claude is more interesting than the playable characters from Vice City Stories or Liberty City Stories.
Franklin
As GTA V is the first game in the series to feature multiple playable characters, Rockstar went to extreme lengths to have them feel completely different when playing as each one by giving them their own special abilities.
With Franklin being a car aficionado, his special ability is slowing down time when driving to fit through tight spaces, which is a mechanic that was lifted from Rockstar’s arcade racer Midnight Club III. And when it comes to his personality, though he’s the least interesting of the three in GTA V, he’s still a fun character and one of the reasons why fans are still playing GTA V.
Luis Lopez
One of the best things about GTA IV was just how much bonus content there was that followed the release of the game, the first of which was The Ballad of Gay Tony.
After becoming the bodyguard for the titular character, who owns a nightclub, so much is revealed about Luis’ history of crime. His appearance in the world of GTA is short but sweet, as fans would surely love to see more of him. And it wouldn’t be surprising if fans preferred Luis to Niko, the protagonist of the main game, as the bodyguard is so much more fun than the dour and monotonous Eastern European.
Johnny Klebitz
Being the second piece of downloadable content for GTA IV, The Lost and the Damned follows Johnny, a member of The Lost MC biker gang. Johnny is constantly getting mixed up with rival biker gangs and getting entangled in bizarre politics with government officials.
As all three protagonists from the GTA IV era are all so fascinating, it’d be great to see a game in the style of GTA V where Johnny, Niko, and Luis all cross paths and have to work together, all with their own special abilities.
Tommy Vercetti
As this was still before Rockstar found its rhythm in creating compelling backstories for its protagonists, Tommy Vercetti is nothing more than a criminal trying to get to the top of the ladder. In many ways, the character is like Claude from GTA III, but this time he is given a name and a voice.
It was the first proper time gamers would hear the classic satirical jokes that the series has become notorious for, which gives Vercetti the edge over Claude. And given that Vercetti is free to roam around 1980s Miami, it makes him that much better.
Michael
Though GTA V has three playable characters, Michael is essentially the main character of them all, as he ties everything together, from the other characters knowing each other to all the heists. And what makes the character even cooler is that he’s actually based on Robert De Niro’s character, Neil McCauley, from the movie Heat.
With his character model being based on various characters from heist movies, it’s only fitting that his special ability in the game is bullet-time.
Trevor
Being the third playable character in GTA V, Trevor is undoubtedly the most entertaining, and most fans of the franchise would have him at number one. The character is hilarious with his unrivaled insults, and his special ability that sends him into a blind rage is some of the most fun to be had in the 2013 game.
However, Trevor doesn’t have much of a character arc, as he’s introduced as a crystal meth lab owning, mass-murdering psychopath, and nothing’s changed by the end of the game. He’s pretty one-dimensional too, as behind that psychotic exterior, there isn’t much else there.
CJ
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was a landmark in gaming for so many reasons. Having the best map of the series, it left all the other GTA clones in the dust, and it really dug deep into creating a compelling narrative. The game follows CJ and it expertly shows his relationship with each of the gangs, as well as pitting him against Officer Tenpenny, one of the best antagonists in gaming history.
The way the character’s backstory is revealed more and more through conversations the further players get into the game is ingenious, especially in relation to his mother. And as great as GTA V is, the connection to a strong character like CJ is something that fans missed.
Niko
Grand Theft Auto IV might have its flaws, but it’s also considered by many to be the best GTA game in the entire series. It has an incredible map, which lacks in size but makes up for in attention to detail, and of course, it has Niko Bellic.
In what is a classic story about a foreigner seeking the American dream, Niko tries to escape his depressing past as a former soldier in the attempt to make an honest living, only to be pulled back into a life of crime. Niko is totally different from any other playable character, as he’s surprisingly lacking in satirical jokes and his background is extremely dark, but it’s such a fresh take on the series.