10 Main Grand Theft Auto Characters, Ranked By Likability

Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto series is known for graphic violence, biting social commentary, controversial satire, and very memorable casts of characters. At the heart of the games is a protagonist (or several, in GTA V) who carries the chaotic storyline forward and all through the large open worlds that Rockstar creates. When players take control of these protagonists, they step into the shoes of a well-developed character, with real motivations and feelings, so it sometimes feels strange to control them to unleash murder upon innocent civilians and cops.

But the development of these protagonists has made legions of fans swear loyalty to several of them, resulting in fanbases not seen in much other game series. Likability is key to relating to a character, and there are several for players to adapt to.

10 Trevor Phillips

The last of the three playable protagonists to be introduced in GTA V, Trevor is far from forgettable, making an introduction that results in him stomping a man in the head to death because Trevor slept with his girlfriend. The fact that the man killed was a fan-favorite protagonist from a past GTA title didn’t sit well with many players, and it only got worse from there with Trevor committing countless unspeakable acts of evil as the game went on. For longtime fans of the series, a psychotic wildcard character in a way fits in with all of the murderous chaos that players can cause in the games, but it certainly didn’t make Trevor all the more likable.

9 Huang Lee

Huang is the main protagonist of the handheld title Chinatown Wars, in which the character is the son of a rich Triad leader, who is used to the rich lifestyle and not having to do any dirty work. His father’s murder results in him traveling to Liberty City to deliver a family heirloom, resulting in a violent attack that leaves him looking for revenge. It’s an origin not unlike many other GTA protagonists, but what makes Huang different is the type of work he falls into, which made the game infamous for including it as a feature. Drug dealing is a major component, and Huang slings every type of real narcotic that players can think of. This doesn’t make him any less likable, but with his snobby and cocky behavior, he’s far from the good-natured characteristics that many players look for in a protagonist.

8 Claude

The protagonist of the first 3D third-person GTA and the one that launched the series into pop culture royalty, Claude is surprisingly not much of a character at all. Not once does he speak in the game, and he is essentially emotionless to everything around him, accepting dirty work and high-crime jobs without any remorse.

At the start of the game, he is left for dead by his girlfriend during a bank robbery and works his way back into the crime syndicate through shadowy connections and mob bosses. It’s not that Claude isn’t likable, he just doesn’t really have much of a personality to like. But his loyalty has made him memorable all through the years in the groundbreaking third title in the series.

7 Luis Lopez

Another resident of Liberty City that has his own story in the GTA IV expansion The Ballad Of Gay Tony, Luis is a bodyguard of the titular Tony, a glamorous nightclub owner who is known for getting himself in hot water. Luis is always there to keep a level-headed approach and steer clear of violence and has no intentions of going back to his life of crime on the streets, which resulted in a prison sentence. He’s also sharp-tongued and can sling insults with ease, so he’s an entertaining protagonist to follow as he interacts with a cast of miscreants and criminals who keep him on his toes.

6 Johnny Klebitz

As a loyal member of The Lost MC, biker Johnny Klebitz rules the streets of Liberty City with his gang in The Lost and Damned story expansion for GTA IV. He is a respectable and comfortable character and wishes well for his friends, family, and gang members. He has no issues getting violent but is usually always weary of getting to that point, and believes in second chances and settling things without bloodshed. He fights for his friends and will settle the score if necessary. These traits made it all the sadder when his fate is viciously sealed in GTA V by Trevor Phillips.

5 Tommy Vercetti

The colorfully dressed Tommy Vercetti reigns supreme in the sun-soaked streets of Vice City. A protagonist that, like Claude, launched the series into legendary status with the Vice City title for PlayStation 2. Tommy is a member of a crime family who is set up and goes out for revenge, a tale all too familiar for GTA fans.

However, Tommy does it with no fear, using his smarts, hard-hitting nature, and dedication to rise above the ranks and take the whole city under his control. He’s likable but tragic, as players root for him to reach the top, but also feel bad for the depths of violence he reaches to achieve his goal.

4 Michael De Santa

The first protagonist of the series to be a family man, who is out of shape and not with the times, Michael is the average American father who happens to be living a rich lifestyle while pining for the old days. His turbulent relationship with his toxic family causes him to make new connections on the streets, which eventually bring back the ghosts of his past, ensnaring him in a crime-soaked conspiracy that makes up the main plot of GTA V. Michael is sympathetic and caring, yet stubborn and aggravating, and players grew to root for the bumbling dad who ends up in a mess of guns, money and government goons.

3 Carl Johnson

Carl “C.J.” Johnson earns players respect mere moments into San Andreas when he is accosted and threatened by crooked cops immediately upon his return to his home state after his mother is killed. From there, players take C.J. from the gang-riddled neighborhoods of Los Santos to the casino-lined boulevards of Las Venturas as he fights for his friends, his loyalty, and his life in a series of bullet-riddled mishaps. C.J. is a hilarious, smart, no-nonsense guy and players have taken his popularity to a series height in terms of beloved characters. If only he had just followed the damn train.

2 Franklin Clinton

Franklin is yet another street-smart protagonist living in Los Santos who tries to remain loyal, yet live a straight life free of drama, mayhem, and illegal activity. He works as a car repossessor at the start of GTA V, and while the work is far from respectable, he remains loyal and dedicated. Pursued by friends and family to help them with business he doesn’t want to be involved with, he constantly finds himself wrapped up in one mess after another, resulting in him meeting Michael and Trevor and his life getting changed forever. He gives off the vibe of being a good friend and one player’s wish would just say no and go relax on a beach elsewhere instead of getting himself in more trouble than he can handle.

1 Niko Bellic

Poor Niko, all he wanted was to come to Liberty City and witness the real American dream, as promised to him by his cousin Roman, who claimed to have it all. When Niko walks off the boat and into his cousin’s car, and they land at Roman’s rundown apartment featuring none of the glitz and glamour that Roman had boasted about, it all starts to make sense for Niko. The events of GTA IV are that of a tragedy, where the lead protagonist Niko Bellic is a pawn in the overall losing game. He struggles to find himself, constantly struggles with adjusting to life in a foreign country, deals with the demons of his past, and is used by every person he meets to complete despicable jobs. His ending is a bleak one, resulting in either the loss of his lover or his cousin, the blood on his hands there to make him question if it was all worth it. He remains the most sympathetic of the GTA protagonists, and one who was sadly doomed from the start.

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