A good protagonist in a game can be the spearhead that helps to sell it to a much wider market. There are many games where the leading character has injected a whole new dimension into the game. The Last of Us is a great example of a game with such a captivating character that it turned the concept into a critically acclaimed TV series.
There are plenty of characters who have also grabbed our attention, like James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2 and Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption, a game series that some rank even higher than Grand Theft Auto, which will be our focus today.
Although the first handful of Grand Theft Autos were rather tame from both player and critical perspectives, GTA 3 onwards has produced a collection of installments widely considered among the best games in history.
Amid the vastness of the interlocking GTA universe, our focus today is on the best GTA protagonist of them all and on making a strong case for some of the old-school ones who hold a special place in the hearts of GTA fans worldwide.
Carl Johnson – San Andreas
In 2004, Grand Theft Auto was riding the wave of the remarkable success of both GTA 3 and Vice City in the three years prior. Both games shifted tens of millions of copies, turning the developers from a small outfit into a globally recognized one within a few years.
CJ was a protagonist with ties to Liberty City, the GTA 3 destination, of course. Flying back to Los Santos, a city heavily influenced by Los Angeles, particularly the G-funk era, CJ’s journey involved navigating a world of corrupt cops across multiple islands, protecting his sister and his brother, Sweet, and bringing down those who betrayed his Grove Street Gang.
With San Fierro, the second island, based on San Francisco, and Las Venturas, the third and final island, based on Las Vegas, where you access and play a plethora of casino mini-games, ranging from slots to classic table games. In GTA V, the remarkable innovations meant that we could access and play at an online casino, but back then, before the advent of online gaming, and in the formative years of online casinos, it was a revelatory part of the story, and we got a real glimpse into CJ’s character and his background.
There was more of a connection to this character than in other games; he had a much wider network of family and friends, was far more vocal than other GTA protagonists (sorry, Claude), and had a great redemption arc. If San Andreas is your favorite chapter of the game, then CJ is likely your favorite protagonist.
Vice City’s Vercetti
Many gamers will immediately jump to Tommy Vercetti as their favorite character and protagonist. Voiced by the immortal legend Ray Liotta, Tommy turned Vice City into his own, in a game laden with 80’s references, fashion, and music, and paying homage to some of the great movies of the era like Scarface.
GTA 6 will return to Vice City, but when that will be is anyone’s guess. There have been a string of frustrating GTA 6 trailer updates, so whether we will see the game in 2026 is anyone’s guess. Tommy perfectly encapsulated that era, and for many, there’s not much debate that he is the best protagonist, combining flair, intensity, dark humour, and a relentless drive to get to the top of Vice City’s criminal hierarchy.
Claude – GTA 3
Another protagonist who makes a brief appearance in another game. For you eagle-eyed San Andreas fans, you’ll remember Claude appearing as a street racer in San Fierro, who loses his garage to CJ.
Claude is a mute in GTA 3, so we don’t hear much from him. But in terms of game ranking, many believe GTA 3 is the best of the entire bunch. The leap from GTA 2 to GTA 3 was literally like a 2D leap into a 3D, open-sourced world. So, while Claude might not offer much in terms of personality, he has a spot in the hearts and minds of old-school GTA players who remember the game from over a quarter of a century ago.
Nico In Liberty City
As a character with arguably the saddest backstory of all the protagonists, Nico Bellic moved to Liberty City in pursuit of the American Dream. Only to land and realize that the dream was not what it seemed. Some point to GTA 4 as having tonal issues due to the high-spec graphics and depiction of some of the more unsavoury elements of criminal activity,
He is an intense, war-torn character who often finds himself dealing with the seediest underbelly of Liberty City. The character is not known for his humour or his engaging personality, but many people consider GTA 4 the most underrated, and you will hear plenty of people come out to bat for Niko as their main pick for the best protagonist.
Best Of The Rest – The Verdict
The rise of online gaming communities has meant that debates like this are far more detailed and hotly contested there. We have seen how GTA communities get together online, but there’s a growing demand in all niches, whether it is casino gaming, Discord communities, social media hubs on YouTube, live streamers and interactive chats, or online players on home video consoles.
If we had to pick? It’s got to be Vercetti, hasn’t it? CJ might have a bit more personality, but Tommy V is just iconic Vice City: the shirt, the gold watch, the slicked-back hair, Diaz’s mansion. We’re sure you’ve got your own reasons; some of you might be Trevor ultras, but with this debate, it’s usually a straight shootout between CJ and Tommy V.
