A protagonist is the main character of a story, and the main playable character in the Grand Theft Auto games.
Description[]
Traditionally, a protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. Alternatively, the phrase denotes a primary advocate or proponent for a cause or movement. The main character can be a hero or a villain in a story - it is just the character with the lead role. In literature, the protagonist is characterized by his/her ability to change or evolve.
It should be pointed out that the protagonist is not always the hero of the story, as implied in the Grand Theft Auto games. Grand Theft Auto protagonists frequently commit crimes and lack other heroic traits such as morality, though they are still considered the main character in the story. Grand Theft Auto protagonists can therefore be considered antiheroes.
In total, the Grand Theft Auto series features 49 male protagonists and 7 female protagonists to date, plus a protagonistic couple (a male and a female) to be introduced in the future. The gender of the protagonist of the series' own independent multiplayer game (Grand Theft Auto Online) is chosen by the player; however, both genders are treated as canon to the storyline with unique dialogue for both genders.
Traits[]
The protagonists from Grand Theft Auto III onwards share many similar qualities. Most protagonists either have never been to the city before (such as Claude, Tommy Vercetti, Victor Vance, Niko Bellic and the GTA Online Protagonist) or are returning after a long time (such as Carl Johnson, Toni Cipriani and Huang Lee). The protagonists usually start with nothing, with minimal influence and reputation, having to do odd jobs around town for various small-timers, gaining friends and allies (like Maria Latore, Asuka Kasen, Avery Carrington, Wu Zi Mu, and Little Jacob) before moving up the social and economical ladder, although their motives for doing so vary in each game. It is also common for them to begin their story hunting for something/someone (Claude, Tommy, Mike, Niko, Huang and Trevor Philips).
The protagonists eventually start establishing a name for themselves, doing larger jobs, making bigger and more powerful friends and business partners, and cutting real deals as their prominence, respect, wealth, and reputation continue to grow, until they end the game on top of the city, or at least with some powerful business and/or friends. An abnormal protagonist would be Luis Fernando Lopez or Johnny Klebitz, as both have always lived in Liberty City and have already established a name, powerful friends, and are already high up on the social and economical ladder at the start of the game.
Protagonists (up to Grand Theft Auto V) have a consistent distaste of drugs, and while dealing and working with them, never intentionally use them. However, the three protagonists in GTA V can use drugs in their safehouses: Franklin and Michael can smoke marijuana, whereas Trevor smokes methamphetamine. In addition, transitional cutscenes may also show Trevor smoking meth on his own, or Franklin purchasing weed from a dispensary and his experience with the drug plays a role in his part of the Grass Roots mission strand. Michael also admits to Franklin, while hanging out with him, that he used cocaine during his youth. The GTA Online Protagonist is perhaps the biggest drug user out of all protagonists, as they can be made to smoke from a bong in some safehouse locations, and is shown to voluntarily smoke marijuana in the Short Trips missions. The Los Santos Drug Wars update also has a major emphasis on drugs, particularly LSD, and the protagonist experiences acid trips in several missions.
Antagonist[]
The opposite of a protagonist is an antagonist, who is the main enemy of the protagonist and works against them and their actions. Again, this can be a villain or a hero, though usually a villain.
The main antagonists of the Grand Theft Auto games are usually introduced very early in the story, usually as the protagonist's friend or acquaintance until a major, personal betrayal (like Catalina, Sonny Forelli, Big Smoke, Vinnie, Jerry Martinez, Dimitri Rascalov, Billy Grey, Wu "Kenny" Lee and Avon Hertz). These betrayals can be done by not just main antagonists, but antagonists in general. However, some antagonists break these rules, such as Frank Tenpenny, who is introduced as an enemy to the player and acts antagonistic towards the protagonist from the very beginning, and Ray Bulgarin, Devin Weston and Steve Haines, who aren't introduced until much later in the game and betray the protagonist near the end.
The antagonists are usually seen, heard, or mentioned throughout the game, moving against the protagonist's plans or goals, while the protagonist continues their quest for vengeance. Most antagonists rarely interact directly with the protagonist after their betrayal, until they are finally confronted and killed by the protagonist in a climactic mission at the end of the game. An abnormal example of antagonist is Massimo Torini, who only makes two appearances in the entire game and does not interact directly with the protagonist at all.
List of Protagonists[]
(*) - Player's choice
(**) - Hidden character & player's choice
List of Ally Groups[]
2D Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto[]
The original GTA protagonists: Bubba, Kivlov, Travis, Troy, Divine, Katie, Mikki and Ulrika.
Protagonist: GTA Protagonists
Group: Various
Group reason: They work for several gangs over the course of the game, including the Vercotti Crime Family in Liberty City and New Guernsey, Uncle Fu's Crime Syndicate and El Burro's Gang in San Andreas, and Samuel Deever's Drug Squad and the Brotherhood of Jah Army of Love in Vice City, but never commit themselves to any particular group.
Grand Theft Auto: London Expansion Packs[]
The GTA London protagonists: Rodney Morash, Charles Jones, Johnny Hawtorn, Maurice Caine, Sid Vacant, Wolfie Vilans, Winston Henry and Mick Casey.
Protagonist: GTA London Protagonists
Group: "London Mob"
Group reason: They work for an unnamed "London Mob" led by the Crisp Twins (Albert and Archie), and do favors for the Crisps' underlings, Harold Cartwright and Jack Parkinson. They also occasionally pose as spies for the British Government.
Grand Theft Auto 2[]
Claude Speed, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto 2.
Protagonist: Claude Speed
Group: None
Group reason: Claude Speed works for several gangs over the course of the game, including the Zaibatsu, the Yakuza, the Loonies, the Scientists, the Rednecks and the Russian Mafia, but does not commit himself to a particular one. After gaining respect from each gang, Claude ends up betraying all of them and killing their bosses, before leaving the Anywhere City district where they operated and doing the same in the next district he goes to.
The GTA 2 (Game Boy Color) protagonists: Calligari, Candy, Eddie, Gretchen, Paulo and Ruben.
Protagonist: GTA 2 Protagonists (Game Boy Color only)
Group: None
Group reason: The protagonists share the same story as Claude Speed from the original game. They work for several gangs over the course of the game, including the Zaibatsu, the Yakuza, the Loonies, the Scientists, the Rednecks and the Russian Mafia, but do not commit themselves to a particular one. After gaining respect from each gang, they end up betraying all of them and killing their bosses, before leaving the Anywhere City district where they operated and doing the same in the next district they go to.
3D Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
Claude, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto III.
Protagonist: Claude
Group: None
Group reason: Claude works for several gangs during the game, including the Colombian Cartel (only briefly, in the Introduction), the Leone Crime Family, the Diablos, the Yakuza, the Yardies, and the Southside Hoods, but does not commit himself to a particular group, as most of them eventually betray and attempt to kill him. After all story and phone missions are completed, the only gangs not hostile towards Claude are the Yakuza and the Southside Hoods. One interpretation is that Claude is egoistical and cares only about money, power, vengeance, and strategic objectives, instead of allegiance.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Protagonist: Tommy Vercetti
Group: Vercetti Gang
Group reason: Tommy founded the Vercetti Gang after taking over Ricardo Diaz's empire in Vice City. Tommy's gang is not named in the game, with the name "Vercetti Gang" spawning from Tommy's purchase of Kaufman Cabs and dispatcher Doris informing the cab drivers that the company is now owned by the "Vercetti Gang". Tommy also used to be a member of the Forelli Crime Family, until betraying them after forming his own crime empire, and maintains good relations with both Umberto Robina's Cuban gang and Mitch Baker's bikers.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
Carl Johnson, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Protagonist: Carl Johnson
Group: Grove Street Families
Group reason: Carl's brother, Sweet, is the gang's leader, with Carl serving as second-in-command. He is also affiliated with the San Fierro Triads and the Varrios Los Aztecas through his friendships with Wu Zi Mu and Cesar Vialpando, respectively. Carl also briefly works for the Loco Syndicate in San Fierro and the Mafia (through Ken Rosenberg and later Salvatore Leone) in Las Venturas, but eventually betrays them.
Grand Theft Auto Advance[]
Mike, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto Advance.
Protagonist: Mike
Group: None
Group reason: Mike maintains close friendships with some gangs, yet has never made a commitment to one. He initially works for the Mafia (most likely the Leone Crime Family, although it is never specified in-game), and later allies himself with Cisco, the leader of the Colombian Cartel, and Asuka Kasen, co-leader of the Yakuza. However, he was never interested in joining either gang, only working for them so that they would help him with his personal problems. Mike also briefly works for Yardies leader King Courtney, until he betrays him.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
Toni Cipriani, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
Protagonist: Toni Cipriani
Group: Leone Crime Family
Group reason: Toni's parents maintained connections with the Leone Family, with Toni himself joining the Family as an associate years before the game's events. He later becomes a made man during the storyline of the game, and is eventually promoted to Caporegime. Throughout the game, Toni assists several other gangs, such as the Yardies and the Southside Hoods, by helping them take territory from the Sindacco and Forelli Families. He also notably works for Yakuza member Toshiko Kasen, whom he helps sabotage the Yakuza. As such, Toni never truly commits himself to any other gang besides the Leone Family, and all of his actions ultimately serve the Family's interests.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
Victor Vance, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
Protagonist: Victor Vance
Group: Vance Crime Family
Group reason: After the death of Marty Jay Williams, Victor and his brother Lance took over the remains of Marty's old street gang, the Trailer Park Mafia, and started their own organization to take over Vice City's underworld and earn money for their asthmatic brother Pete. At one point, Victor is forced to work for the Mendez Cartel after they threaten his and Lance's life, though this "partnership" is short-lived as the Cartel eventually turns on the Vance brothers. Victor also forms alliances with Ricardo Diaz' gang and Umberto Robina's Cuban gang, but his ties to the former are severed at the end of the game.
HD Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
Niko Bellic, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV.
Protagonist: Niko Bellic
Group: None
Group reason: Niko works freelance, and even though he befriends several gang leaders, he does not commit himself to any particular group. The Yardies and the McReary Mob have and will always be allied with Niko due to his friendships with Little Jacob and Patrick McReary. Niko also has a sort of connection with and receives protection from the Gambetti Crime Family after he forms a bond with their leader, Jon Gravelli, shortly before his death. He can also have connections with the North Holland Hustlers, if the player chooses to kill Playboy X instead of Dwayne Forge.
Shortly after the Yugoslav Wars, due to a lack of choices for honest work, Niko ended up involved with Russian crime boss Ray Bulgarin, working for him as a people trafficker by smuggling people into Italy from Eastern Europe. This affiliation ended after one fateful run during which the ship sank, and Niko was forced to abandon it and its cargo in order to swim to safety. Bulgarin blamed Niko for this loss, and vowed to hunt him down. This would not be Niko's last time working for the Russian Mafia, as he was later employed as a hitman for the Faustin Mafiya, until Dimitri Rascalov manipulated Niko into killing Mikhail Faustin.
During his time in Liberty City, Niko also notably works for the Pegorino Crime Family, until the ending of the game, and is entrapped into carrying out several jobs for the IAA, who cut ties with him once Niko fulfills all of the agency's requests.
The Lost and Damned[]
Johnny Klebitz, the protagonist of The Lost and Damned.
Protagonist: Johnny Klebitz
Group: The Lost MC
Group reason: Johnny is the Vice President of The Lost Motorcycle Club, serving as acting president while president Billy Grey was in rehab prior to the events of the game. He becomes the official president of The Lost after Billy is arrested again, and maintains this position until his death five years later.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
Huang Lee, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
Protagonist: Huang Lee
Group: Liberty City Triads
Group reason: Huang's father was the head of a sub-sect of the Triads until he was killed for the Yu Jian Sword, which led Huang to travel to Liberty City. He remains a loyal member of the Triads throughout the entire game, potentially becoming their leader following Hsin Jaoming's arrest, though this is never confirmed. While Huang is never shown working for any other group, he can engage in small-time drug deals with members of various gangs.
The Ballad of Gay Tony[]
Luis Fernando Lopez, the protagonist of The Ballad of Gay Tony.
Protagonist: Luis Fernando Lopez
Group: None
Group reason: Luis works for Tony Prince, who is not affiliated with any specific organization. His work for Tony includes performing several jobs for Rocco Pelosi, a member of the Ancelotti Crime Family, and Ray Bulgarin, the head of the Bulgarin Crime Syndicate, but at no point does he consider joining either group. Luis used to be a member of the Northwood Dominican Drug Dealers prior to meeting Tony and, while he no longer directly works for the gang, he maintans friendships with members Armando Torres and Henrique Bardas, whom he helps with their drug deals occasionally. Also, depending on the player's actions, Luis can build up a drug empire with Armando and Henrique.
Grand Theft Auto V[]
Michael De Santa, one of the protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V.
Protagonist: Michael De Santa
Group: None
Group reason: Michael is not affiliated with any group, though he does maintain friendships with Franklin Clinton, a member of the Ghamberlain Gangster Families gang, and Trevor Philips, the head of Trevor Philips Enterprises. Prior to the events of the game, Michael was part of a bank robbery crew alongside Trevor, the fate of which drives Michael's part of the storyline.
As of 2025, Michael has founded his own film production company, De Santa, after previously working as an associate producer for Solomon Richards.
Franklin Clinton, one of the protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V.
Protagonist: Franklin Clinton
Group: Forum Gangsters/Chamberlain Gangster Families
Group reason: Franklin grew up in South Los Santos, an area controlled by the Chamberlain Gangster Families, which he joined in his youth. His best friend Lamar Davis is also a member of the Families. The two eventually started their own Families set known as the Forum Gangsters shortly before the events of the game. Franklin is also friends with Trevor Philips, the head of Trevor Philips Enterprises, but has not done any work for the organization.
As of 2021, Franklin no longer appears to be affiliated with the Families, having founded his own agency, F. Clinton and Partner, though he retains his friendships with several members of the gang, including Lamar.
Trevor Philips, one of the protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V.
Protagonist: Trevor Philips
Group: Trevor Philips Enterprises
Group reason: Trevor founded Trevor Philips Enterprises, a loosely defined organization selling drugs and weapons to other criminal entities, sometime prior to the game's events. While his company mainly operates in Blaine County, Trevor later establishes a headquarters in Los Santos after taking over the Vanilla Unicorn strip club. He works alongside Ron Jakowski, Wade Hebert, and briefly Floyd Hebert, as well as Oscar Guzman if the McKenzie Field Hangar is purchased. The organization has gone defunct by 2017. Trevor also maintains friendships with Chamberlain Gangster Families members Franklin Clinton and Lamar Davis, but his affiliation with the gang ends there.
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The GTA Online Protagonist is a player-created character, with highly customizable traits.
Protagonist: GTA Online Protagonist
Group: Motorcycle Clubs, Organizations, and Crews (Player's Choice)
Group reason: New to San Andreas, the protagonist initially works as a hired gun for various individuals and groups across Los Santos and Blaine County, including Chamberlain Gangster Families members Lamar Davis and Gerald, Madrazo Cartel leader Martin Madrazo, and Trevor Philips Enterprises. With the release of later updates like Executives and Other Criminals, Further Adventures in Finance and Felony, and Bikers, players have the option to create and manage their own Organizations and Motorcycle Clubs, or join those started by other players. They can also join Crews, which can contain up to 1,000 players.
Certain updates for the game see the player joining heist crews to perform elaborate robberies, like The Diamond Casino Heist and The Cayo Perico Heist. Others have the protagonist working for or leading various groups, such as The Contract update allowing players to become the co-CEO of F. Clinton and Partner, a celebrity solutions agency; the Los Santos Drug Wars update seeing the protagonist join up with the Fooliganz; and the San Andreas Mercenaries update having the protagonist lead a flight squadron and mercenary group called the Los Santos Angels. Certain updates, like The Doomsday Heist and The Criminal Enterprises, even see the player being recruited to work as a government agent for the IAA.
Due to the nature of Grand Theft Auto Online, it is ultimately up to the player to decide which organizations their character becomes affiliated with, but regardless of their choices, the protagonist ends up building a powerful crime empire, running numerous businesses and maintaining connections with powerful individuals all across Los Santos and Blaine County.
Grand Theft Auto VI[]
Lucia Caminos, one of the protagonists of Grand Theft Auto VI.
Protagonist: Lucia Caminos
Group: TBA
Group reason: TBA
Jason Duval, one of the protagonists of Grand Theft Auto VI.
Protagonist: Jason Duval
Group: TBA
Group reason: TBA
Trivia[]
- Katie, Divine, Mikki and Ulrika are the first female protagonists in the Grand Theft Auto series.
- The GTA Online Protagonist is the first female protagonist[1] in the HD Universe of the Grand Theft Auto series (as both genders are treated as canon storywise), and the first one overall to have some kind of personality applied to her character. She is also the fifth female protagonist to appear in the entire Grand Theft Auto series.
- Niko, Johnny, Huang, and Luis have criminal records in the LCPD database, and each have the crime "Grand Theft Auto" listed. This is an obvious reference to the series' name and a common way of playing the games.
- None of the six 3D Universe protagonists are featured on their respective games' box arts.
- Artwork of Carl Johnson was removed from the original drive-by artwork featuring the Grove Street Families members used on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' box art.
- All eight HD Universe protagonists are featured on their respective game box art.
- A graffiti tag throughout Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV suggests that all the protagonists from the 3D Universe (minus Mike) are dead, with the names "Claude", "Tommy", "Carl", "Toni" and "Vic" appearing alongside remembrance graffiti. Rockstar has stated that this is a "joke" for the players and is only supposed to confirm that the characters will not appear again.
- The protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V (Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips, Franklin Clinton) and the GTA Online Protagonist seem to have a specific color that represents them in the games. Their colors can be seen when activating their special abilities and when switching to them, as the screen will tint into their color. Their smartphone theme also indicates this, although Trevor's color theme is red rather than orange (but it can be changed).
- Michael's color is light blue.
- Trevor's color is orange.
- Franklin's color is green.
- The GTA Online Protagonist's color is dark blue, but was originally yellow, as seen in the Grand Theft Auto Online gameplay trailer.
- The mothers of three protagonists physically appear (Janet Vance, Adriana Yanira Lopez and Mrs. Philips), and the voice of Mrs. Cipriani is heard, but so far, none of the protagonists' fathers have been seen or heard in the series.
- Every protagonist of the Grand Theft Auto series seemingly has access to the fictional dimension of Hammerspace, being able to contain a large arsenal of weapons on their person and pull them from thin air when required. However, it does have limits, as they cannot carry infinite amounts of ammunition and only one copy of the same gun model can be carried (except for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, if CJ reaches the "Hitman" level).
- It should be noted that this ability is not canon or ever acknowledged in any game's story, being purely a gameplay mechanic intended to facilitate access to weapons for players.
- Some of the protagonists from the 3D Universe and the HD Universe have crossed paths:
- Claude receives missions from Toni Cipriani in Grand Theft Auto III.
- Victor Vance is killed while attempting to sell 20 kilos of cocaine to Tommy Vercetti during a botched drug deal in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
- Carl Johnson wins a race against Claude in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
- Niko Bellic, Johnny Klebitz and Luis Lopez are present during a diamond deal at The Libertonian in Grand Theft Auto IV and Episodes from Liberty City. This is the only time all three are present during the same event, but there are several other crossovers between two of the protagonists: Niko and Johnny work together during a drug deal set up by Elizabeta Torres; Johnny and his fellow Lost MC bikers ambush Luis and Tony Prince to steal the diamonds they were going to buy; Luis is held hostage during the robbery of the Bank of Liberty, where Niko was one of the robbers; and Niko and Patrick McReary trade a captive Gracie Ancelotti for the diamonds in Luis and Tony's possession.
- Johnny Klebitz is killed by Trevor Philips in Grand Theft Auto V.
- The three protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V (Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton) befriend each other and regularly work together.
- The GTA Online Protagonist works for Trevor Philips in 2013, befriends and works with Franklin Clinton in 2021, and befriends Michael De Santa after they become neighbors in 2025.
- Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval appear to have a relationship in Grand Theft Auto VI.
- Excluding multiplayer modes, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online are the only games in the series where their protagonists are not the only playable characters.
- Chop is briefly playable during two missions in Grand Theft Auto V.
- Franklin Clinton and Lamar Davis are playable during the Short Trips missions and the Double Down Adversary Mode in Grand Theft Auto Online.
See Also[]
- Other main plot characters by role:
- Deuteragonist – the second most important character of a narrative.
- Tritagonist – the third most important character of a narrative.
- Antagonist – the chief enemies of the protagonist of a narrative.
- Non-protagonistic playable characters:
- Narrative-related:
- Petrovic Mafiya Goons – Playable characters during Kenny Petrovic's storyline in Grand Theft Auto IV's multiplayer.
- Franklin Clinton and Lamar Davis – Playable characters during the Short Trips storyline in Grand Theft Auto Online.
- Other:
- Multiplayer Characters in GTA Liberty City Stories – Unlockable pedestrians and story character models as playable characters in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories' PSP exclusive multiplayer.
- Multiplayer Characters in GTA Vice City Stories – Unlockable pedestrians and story character models as playable characters in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories' PSP exclusive multiplayer.
- Multiplayer Characters in GTA IV – Player-created character for regular multiplayer modes in GTA IV.
- Director Mode Actors in GTA V – Playable characters and animals used as "actors" in the Director Mode of Grand Theft Auto V.
- Narrative-related:
References[]
- ↑ It should be noted that:
- Playable multiplayer female characters in Grand Theft Auto IV don't have the lead role in the game they are featured.
- Grand Theft Auto Online is a separate game/title/entity/trademark from Grand Theft Auto V, thus officially giving the GTA Online Protagonist the title of the first canonical female protagonist in the HD Universe.