Every GTA Protagonist: All Main Characters by Game

Every Grand Theft Auto game has its own lead character, except the first one, where you pick from a lineup. GTA V gave the series three playable protagonists, and GTA 6 has two: Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. Here is every GTA protagonist in release order, with their setting and voice actor where one is credited.

Last checked: November 9, 2026.

Every GTA protagonist at a glance

"n/a" means the role has no credited voice, either because the game is mostly text-driven or because you build the character yourself. For the release dates of each game, see our list of GTA games in order.

The early years: a criminal with no name

The 1997 original lets you choose from eight characters at the start. Your pick doesn't change the story or how the game plays. Each one works their way up through gangs across three cities.

Claude Speed is the lead in Grand Theft Auto 2, taking jobs from rival gangs around the retro-futuristic Anywhere City. He isn't the same person as the Claude in GTA III.

The 3D era (2001 to 2006)

Claude (GTA III)

Claude never speaks. GTA III doesn't even name him; his name only comes out when he makes a brief appearance in San Andreas. The story follows his revenge against his ex-girlfriend as he gets pulled into Liberty City's gang wars and corruption.

Tommy Vercetti (Vice City)

Unlike the silent Claude, Tommy talks, and actor Ray Liotta voices him. Fresh out of prison, he arrives in Vice City in 1986, gets caught in an ambushed drug deal, and builds his own criminal empire while hunting the people behind it. Vice City is based on Miami, and GTA 6 returns to it. See how GTA 6's Vice City compares with the 2002 game.

Carl "CJ" Johnson (San Andreas)

CJ, voiced by Young Maylay, comes home in 1992 after his mother is murdered. He finds his old street gang falling apart and sets out to rebuild it, running into corrupt police and rival crews along the way. San Andreas covers a whole fictional state, based on California and Nevada, instead of a single city.

Mike (GTA Advance)

The Game Boy Advance game is a top-down prequel to GTA III, set a year earlier. Mike wants revenge for the apparent death of his partner, Vinnie.

Toni Cipriani (Liberty City Stories)

Toni first appeared in GTA III. Liberty City Stories, set three years before that game, makes him the lead as he rises through the Leone crime family. Danny Mastrogiorgio took over the voice from Michael Madsen.

Victor "Vic" Vance (Vice City Stories)

Vic is a minor character in Vice City who gets his own prequel. In 1984 he's an army corporal stationed at Fort Baxter. He takes on dirty work to pay for his sick brother Pete's medicine, then builds a criminal business with his other brother, Lance. Dorian Missick voices him.

The HD era (2008 to 2013)

Niko Bellic (GTA IV)

Niko, voiced by Michael Hollick, is an Eastern European war veteran who arrives in Liberty City by cargo ship to escape his past and chase the American Dream. Hollick won a Spike Video Game Award for the role.

Johnny Klebitz (The Lost and Damned)

Johnny is the vice president of the Lost motorcycle club's Alderney chapter. His story runs alongside GTA IV and shows a shared diamond and heroin storyline from the biker side.

Luis Fernando Lopez (The Ballad of Gay Tony)

Luis, voiced by Mario D'Leon, is the bodyguard and business partner of nightclub owner Tony Prince. He spends the episode trying to keep Tony afloat through debts and drug problems.

Huang Lee (Chinatown Wars)

Huang is a young Triad member trying to get back a sword his late father gave him after it's stolen. The hunt drags him into a power struggle between Liberty City's Triad factions.

Michael, Franklin and Trevor (GTA V)

GTA V lets you switch between three leads:

• Michael De Santa (Ned Luke), a retired bank robber living under a new name.
• Franklin Clinton (Shawn Fonteno), a street gangster.
• Trevor Philips (Steven Ogg), a drug dealer and gunrunner.

They team up for heists while being squeezed by a corrupt government agency.

Your own character (GTA Online)

GTA Online has no fixed lead. You create a character and play as them alongside other players in Los Santos and Blaine County.

The new pair: Jason and Lucia (GTA 6)

GTA 6 follows a criminal couple:

• Jason Duval served in the Army and later worked for drug runners in the Leonida Keys.
• Lucia Caminos went to Leonida Penitentiary after fighting for her family. Her Rockstar bio says she wants the good life her mother has dreamed of since their days in Liberty City.

After a robbery goes wrong, the two are pulled into a conspiracy that stretches across the state of Leonida, Rockstar's fictional take on Florida. Lucia is the series' first female protagonist who isn't optional; the 1997 game only offered women as selectable characters. You can play as either of them, and Rockstar shows Jason and Lucia relying on each other through the story.

Rockstar hasn't officially named the voice actors for Jason or Lucia, so treat any names you see online as unconfirmed.

Protagonists who show up in other games

Some leads first appeared in other games, or turn up later in someone else's story:

Rockstar hasn't announced any returning protagonist for GTA 6. The Vintage Vice City Pack that comes with purchases made before November 20, 2026 is a nod to Vice City and Tommy Vercetti, not a playable cameo.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the main character in GTA 6?

GTA 6 has two main characters: Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. They're a criminal couple in Leonida, Rockstar's version of Florida, and you can play as either one.

Is there a female protagonist in GTA?

Yes. Lucia Caminos in GTA 6 is the series' first fixed female lead. The 1997 Grand Theft Auto let you choose female characters, but only as optional picks from a lineup of eight.

How many protagonists does GTA 5 have?

Three: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips. You can switch between them, and their stories meet in a series of heists.

Who voiced Tommy Vercetti?

Actor Ray Liotta voiced Tommy Vercetti in GTA: Vice City (2002). Unlike GTA III's silent Claude, Tommy has a full speaking role.

Does Claude ever talk in GTA III?

No. Claude is a silent protagonist and never speaks in any of his appearances. His name isn't even mentioned in GTA III and only comes up in San Andreas.

Are Claude in GTA 2 and Claude in GTA III the same person?

No. GTA 2's lead is Claude Speed, a different character from GTA III's silent Claude. The two games also belong to separate GTA continuities.

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