The main GTA characters depend on which game or story you mean. GTA V Story Mode has three playable protagonists: Michael, Franklin and Trevor. Other entries have different leads. The reference below covers selected single-player games and episodes; it is not an exhaustive list of every GTA game, supporting character or performer.
Table of Contents
Main playable leads by game
| Game or story | Playable lead |
|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto III | Claude |
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Tommy Vercetti |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Carl “CJ” Johnson |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | Niko Bellic |
| The Lost and Damned | Johnny Klebitz |
| The Ballad of Gay Tony | Luis Lopez |
| Grand Theft Auto V | Michael, Franklin and Trevor |
Rockstar’s GTA III anniversary archive identifies Claude. Its Trilogy overview describes Tommy Vercetti and Carl “CJ” Johnson, while the Complete Edition description identifies the three GTA IV story leads. These sources keep a character paired with the correct game rather than combining unrelated casts.
Who are the three GTA V protagonists?
They are Michael, Franklin and Trevor, as identified in Rockstar’s official GTA V preview. Lester does not replace Trevor in that trio. A character appearing in missions is not, by that fact alone, one of the game’s main playable protagonists.
GTA V Story Mode mission-icon colors
| Character | Mission-icon color |
|---|---|
| Franklin | Green |
| Michael | Blue |
| Trevor | Orange |
Rockstar’s icon guide explains that the mission icons for the character currently being played appear larger. Use this table for GTA V Story Mode rather than assuming it is a universal color key for every GTA entry.
When checking a character name, identify the game first and distinguish the fictional role from the actor or performer. This page does not offer an actor list, speculative biographies or a ranking of the best characters. For more context, compare Claude’s GTA III setting with the three GTA IV stories.
Editorial correction: The GTA V trio and other cast assignments have been corrected, and unsupported biographies have been removed.