When of the things Grand Theft Auto is known for is its iconic protagonists, but the franchise has starred a surprising amount of duds.
Few video game franchises have been as successful as Grand Theft Auto. From the humble beginnings of the 2D Grand Theft Auto 1 has arisen one of the world’s highest-selling video game franchises. There are plenty of reasons Grand Theft Auto has been successful, from epic open-worlds to top-notch gameplay, but one of the things Rockstar has long been known for is its storytelling.
The company has given us some of the most iconic characters in video gaming, but they haven’t all been hits. When we think of GTA protagonists, we usually think of the likes of Tommy Vercetti or Trevor Philips, but a fair few GTA protagonists have been duds. They don’t jump to mind because they’re just so forgettable. Allow us to jog your memory of these utterly unremarkable GTA protagonists.8 Claude – Grand Theft Auto 3
So Claude might seem like an odd pick to start this list with. As the protagonist of one of the most beloved games of all time, Claude is one of gaming’s most famous characters and is instantly recognizable to multiple generations of gamers. Grand Theft Auto 3 was one of the best open-world PS2 games and millions of gamers have spent dozens of hours running around Liberty City as him. Yet we know next to nothing about Claude.
He might be famous, but there’s nothing memorable about him. He has no voice and his character design is about as bland as it gets. His motivation throughout GTA 3 is a simple revenge mission, and he doesn’t interact with any other character in a meaningful way. Rockstar probably intended him to be a way for players to insert themselves into the story, in the same way old FPS protagonists were often voiceless. If Claude had been the protagonist of a lesser game, he’d be nothing more than a footnote in gaming history. Most people who played GTA 3 probably don’t even remember his name.7 Johnny Klebitz – Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned (2009)
Grand Theft Auto 4 was full of memorable characters. It had one of Rockstar’s longest development times and the studio clearly spent as much time as possible fleshing out the game’s characters. Niko Belic is one of Grand Theft Auto’s most memorable protagonists, but unfortunately, the same can’t be said for poor old Johnny Klebitz. While plenty of fans have a soft spot for Johnny, many more have forgotten him completely.
A fair part of that is down to his role as a DLC protagonist. Not everyone who played GTA 4 played its two excellent expansions, while those who did spent considerably less time with Johnny simply because the expansions were shorter than the main game. For a GTA protagonist, Johnny himself was pretty laid-back and quiet compared to other protagonists. His story was also a fair bit more depressing and subdued too. Looking back, Johnny was actually a great protagonist, but that doesn’t mean people remember him. These days, most who do just remember him getting his skull squished by Trevor in Grand Theft Auto 5.6 Victor « Vic » Vance – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006)
One of the things that makes most Grand Theft Auto protagonists so memorable is how morally reprehensible they are.
