Catalina is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto III and a main character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
She is voiced by Cynthia Farrell.
History[]
Background[]
Catalina was a criminal in Red County in GTA San Andreas and the leader of the Colombian Cartel in GTA III. She is the cousin of Varrios Los Aztecas leader Cesar Vialpando. Catalina is of mixed Dominican and Colombian descent[1].
According to Catalina, she had a troubled childhood, as she was raised by her abusive step father who gave "nothing to his step daughter but stale bread". This would result into her developing hatred for men, claiming that all men are the same, having no respect for women.
Events of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
Catalina began her criminal activities some time prior to 1992, when she met Carl Johnson at the recommendation of her cousin, Cesar Vialpando, meeting at The Welcome Pump in Dillimore, with Catalina fending off two men with a knife. The two become romantically involved (although, in CJ's case, it was reluctant), with Catalina putting Carl through an extreme form of BDSM before committing a robbery. The two begin to rob various "soft targets" identified by Catalina, including a Gasso gas station in Dillimore, a bank in Palomino Creek, an Inside Track betting shop in Montgomery and a small liquor store in Blueberry. Their relationship, however, becomes strained over Carl's desire for money to try to free his brother, Sweet, who was incarcerated by the LSPD. After the two separate, she begins a relationship with Claude and "helps" him in two races involving Carl and Wu Zi Mu. Johnson, who wins both races, wins a garage in Doherty, San Fierro from Claude, who leaves with Catalina on a nine-year journey to Liberty City; Catalina, however, continues to phone Carl and tease him about her relationship with Claude. The last phone call is received immediately after End of the Line, in which Catalina can be heard having sex with Claude to tease Carl.
After the Events of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
Catalina and Claude, after leaving San Andreas, begin a nine-year journey to Liberty City, going through many American states committing bank robberies, including Texas and New Mexico.[1] The two continue on their journey to Liberty City, reaching their destination by October 2001.[1]
Events of Grand Theft Auto III[]
After arriving in Liberty City, Catalina begins discussions with and becomes the leader of the Colombian Cartel and, with some of their members (including Miguel), rob a bank in the city. After robbing the bank, she kills an unnamed accomplice and shoots Claude, leaving him for dead, and explaining that he is "small time," ending a nine-year relationship. She continues her criminal activities with the Cartel, increasing the production of SPANK and attacking the Yakuza on Staunton Island and the Leone Crime Family on Portland. During this period, Claude managed to escape from an LCPD convoy with, unintentionally, help from the Colombian Cartel (who were seeking to capture the Old Oriental Gentleman) and began working for Leone made man and nightclub/brothel owner Luigi Goterelli. After proving himself, Claude begins to work for the Family Don, Salvatore Leone, who has him follow Luigi's Sex Club 7 barman Curly Bob to Portland Harbor, where he is seen to sell Leone secrets to Catalina and Miguel. Salvatore then has Claude and 8-Ball destroy a freighter used by the Cartel to produce SPANK.
Claude later flees to Staunton Island and begins to work for Yakuza co-leader Asuka Kasen who begins to attack the Cartel following the death of her brother Kenji at the hands of a "Cartel assassin," which was really Claude working on orders from Donald Love. Love later sends Claude to collect a package from a construction site in Fort Staunton, where he once again meets Catalina and Miguel, with Catalina shooting Miguel in the back and escaping empty-handed. Asuka, desperate to exact revenge for her brother's death, begins to torture Miguel for information, with Claude then using the information to attack Cartel interests, including destroying stands selling SPANK. During his time on Staunton Island, Claude also works for the Uptown Yardies, but he is later betrayed by their leader, King Courtney, who sends him into a trap organized by Catalina. Claude manages to escape.
Catalina later returns to the construction site and kills both Asuka and Miguel, and kidnaps Maria Latore, using her as a hostage and demanding a $500,000 ransom be brought to the Cartel headquarters in Cedar Grove. Claude decides to take the ransom money to Catalina and manages to escape an ambush, set up by Catalina, who escapes in a helicopter and keeps Maria hostage. Claude follows Catalina to Cochrane Dam, where he destroys the helicopter with a Rocket Launcher, killing Catalina and severely weakening the Cartel.
Character[]
Personality[]
Catalina is described in various terms. In short, she is a psychopathic, self-centered, hotheaded, destructive, and reckless woman. The very dark, disturbing undertones of her personality suggest that she is mentally unstable. She has an extremely short temper and can very quickly become irate in a matter of seconds. She frequently insults and verbally abuses anyone she comes across, including those close to her (as seen with Carl and Claude), and has no regard for virtually anyone other than herself.
It is strongly implied in passing that she is a sadist and a cannibal; some of Catalina's psyche is brought to light during her robberies with Carl, and she often shoots at pedestrians, police, and anyone who gets in her way.
By Catalina's own admission, she is a misandrist. She considers men weaker than her, and this hatred most likely stems from her stepfather's cruel treatment of her as a child. As such, Catalina views herself as a "strong" woman and sees men as nothing more than a stepping stone to further her ambitions. This is evident by her treatment of the two protagonists Carl Johnson and Claude, whom she engaged in a romantic relationship with for, in her own words, "business" reasons. She often commands her partners to commit various crimes and robberies together with her, and would often ask if they were not "man" enough to the task when they questioned the collateral damage she caused.
In addition, Catalina also has a hypocritical approach towards her (former) romantical partner-in-crime. She is very assertive towards her then-partner Carl and would often coerce him into BDSM activities against his will. While later she would insult Carl for treating her like a "whore", due to her believing that Carl only cares about money and sex, she is not much better herself, as she is the one who ordered Carl to perform various robberies and take as much money as possible as a way to express his "love" towards her.
After Catalina ends her relationship with Carl, she is involved in a running gag in the later half of the story where she would phone Carl in an attempt to make him "jealous", as she believes Carl is still having some romantic feelings towards her. This tendency would extend to her second partner Claude as well, as during her final encounter with him, she asks if he came to rescue Maria Latore who she's held in ransom, or to take her back with him.
Outside of her issue with men, Catalina is a cunning and ambitious criminal, having made connections with the Colombian Cartel and its leader Miguel before betraying Claude at the beginning of GTA III.
Describing herself as an "ambitious girl", Catalina has no qualms in betraying her accomplices or even her own boyfriend Claude if it means it will further or protect her own interests. This is most apparent by her treatment of Miguel, who she shot and left for dead as he was forced to return Donald Love's package after being threatened by Claude, and would later on brutally murder him by impaling him with a metal rod.
At the end of the GTA III, Catalina once again betrays Claude after she took $500,000 ransom for Maria and ordered her men to kill him, mockingly stating that he hasn't learned that she's "not to be trusted". This however proved to be a mistake, as the well-prepared Claude managed to overpower Catalina's men and kill her afterwards.
Appearance[]
Catalina has different physical representations in the two games she appears in. In GTA III, she has light brown skin and hazel eyes, while in GTA San Andreas, she has medium brown skin and brown eyes.
Catalina's top and appearance is noticeably different from the original GTA III PS2 release in later GTA III releases. In the PC version, she has a lock of hair on her forehead and a ponytail. In the Xbox and 10th Anniversary version, she also wears a white tube top and purple necklace with the black leather jacket, green pants with her pink underwear sticking out behind her, black platform shoes, has a lower back tattoo and a navel piercing. Her model is also notably higher polygon, full mesh (not split) and uses a much bigger texture, unlike PS2.
In The Definitive Edition, her hair, face and clothes are based on the PC version in the introduction cutscene, while in the rest of the game, she is based on the classic PS2 model.
Influence[]
Catalina appears to be inspired by the late real-life American criminal Bonnie Elizabeth Parker as evidenced by the Red County robberies chapter in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and her backstory given in the promotional website for Grand Theft Auto III. Bonnie and her partner Clyde Chestnut Barrow would later serve as the inspiration for Lucia and Jason, the protagonistic duo of Grand Theft Auto VI.
Murders Committed[]
- Unnamed Bet shop attendant - Killed for triggering the alarm.
- Unnamed robbery accomplice – Killed in order to steal the money.
- An unknown number of civilians and law enforcement personnel.
Unconfirmed Murders[]
- Miguel – Killed for telling Cartel secrets to Asuka.
- Asuka Kasen – Killed to kidnap Maria and for disrupting Cartel activities.
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Introduction (Boss/Betrayal)
- Cutting the Grass
- Grand Theft Aero
- Kingdom Come (Note)
- Ransom (Boss/Note)
- The Exchange (Boss/Killed)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- First Date (Boss)
- Tanker Commander (Boss)
- King in Exile (Post-mission phone call)
- First Base (Boss)
- Against All Odds (Boss)
- Gone Courting (Boss)
- Local Liquor Store (Boss)
- Made in Heaven (Boss)
- Small Town Bank (Boss)
- Farewell, My Love...
- Ran Fa Li (Post-mission phone call)
- N.O.E. (Post-mission phone call)
- The Meat Business (Post-mission phone call)
- Home Coming (Post-mission phone call)
- End of the Line (Post-mission phone call)
Gallery[]
Artworks[]
In-Game[]
Trivia[]
General[]
- Catalina is one of two antagonists to be related to the tritagonist, the other being Chan Jaoming.
- Catalina, in chronological order, was the last antagonist to be killed in the 3D Universe.
- She is similar to later antagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV, Dimitri Rascalov, in that they will betray even their closest associates in order to further their own power.
- In the first cutscene of Farewell, My Love..., Catalina revealed she meant she loves Carl when she said "just business". She also said dating Claude was only business in The Exchange.
Grand Theft Auto: III[]
- She is one of only three antagonists in the Grand Theft Auto series to be introduced before the protagonist, as in the Introduction, she is shown fleeing from the bank with an unknown accomplice before Claude appears and destroys a security camera with a Shotgun. The others are Miguel from the same game, and Sonny Forelli from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
- In the opening scene of Grand Theft Auto III when Catalina appears, she does not have an accent while speaking to Claude, although for the rest of the game (as well as in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), she speaks with an accent.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- Catalina uses male pedestrian animations in most of the robbery missions, except in Small Town Bank and the interim missions where the player has to choose the robbery mission, where she uses female pedestrian animations.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Have You Seen This Woman?" - Kelly Sue DeConnick, Liberty Tree (Archived website)