Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular and action-filled series of all time. While it's not a perfect franchise, it is still home to an array of dark and intriguing characters with great stories to tell. Unfortunately, its protagonists have always been men, but GTA does feature a few memorable female characters, too.

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Grand Theft Auto provided fans with fantastic gameplay experiences both online and offline and some of the most hilarious death scenes in games. Thanks to its great music and graphics as well as thrilling storylines, this series is perfect for beginner and casual gamers alike. While Grand Theft Auto's female characters tend to only have minor parts in the series' fairly violent and adventure-filled worlds, they often make memorable impressions on players for better and worse.

Updated on February 14, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Grand Theft Auto has been rightfully criticized for painting its female characters in a less-than-flattering light. Rockstar seems to be aware of this reputation, actively trying to change this perception in Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 6, with the latter featuring a playable female character for the first time in the series. Despite how poorly they may be characterized, the series features its fair share of iconic female characters that many fans find to be endearing, detestable, or both.

Special Mention: Lucia (Grand Theft Auto 6)

• The first-ever female protagonist in a GTA game

Grand Theft Auto games are famously some of the most action-filled titles that feature gang warfare, and fans are already eager to get their hands on the new Grand Theft Auto 6 that's expected to be premier in 2025. Thanks to the trailer, fans already know that GTA 6 will finally be featuring its first playable female protagonist, Lucia.

Her story is rumored to be Bonnie and Clyde inspired, so it's safe to assume that Lucia will be one of the fiercest and deadliest female characters in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Fans are already excited about finally learning more about Lucia's story and going on a new adventure with this already iconic female Grand Theft Auto character. Since she hasn't made her debut yet, it's impossible to rank her. However, knowing how great Rockstar's writing is, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Lucia has the potential to become one of the greatest GTA protagonists of all time.

14 Maude Eccles

Provides Trevor With Some Bounties To Earn Money

• Grand Theft Auto 5

While Maude Eccles' character is a minor one, she's still one of the most interesting ones in Grand Theft Auto 5. She's the head of a small bounty hunter business. Maude gave out some of the most exciting missions to GTA players while operating her small business from her rundown trailer house.

While Maude might not be one of the biggest players in GTA 5, she's one of the most honorable ones. She always tries to do her best to provide justice for victims and help her bounty hunters put the bad guys away where they belong. While she's a tough character who doesn't care if the bounties are caught dead or alive, she's also hopeful and dreams of a better life.

13 Elisa "Liz" Macallen

Falls For Franklin After He Beats Up Her Possessive Boyfriend

• Grand Theft Auto 5

Grand Theft Auto 5 is full to the brim with a share of weird characters, and Liz Macallen is no exception. While picking her up in his cab, Franklin ends up complimenting her looks, prompting her jealous boyfriend to force the protagonist into a fistfight.

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Franklin wastes no time in knocking the man out, impressing Liz to no end. She then gives her number to Franklin, who can call her after this encounter to have some casual fun.

12 Mrs. Cipriani

Mother Of Leone Crime Family Member Toni Cipriani

• Grand Theft Auto 3 & Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Mrs. Cipriani became well-known because she was the mother of Toni Cipriani, but she was also a resilient and memorable woman. She always prioritized her family's safety and tried to help her son Toni, who was often faced with the hardships and dangers of Liberty City.

Though Mrs. Cipriani isn't a main character in GTA, her presence and impact on the story were great and made the game's world and stories more complex and interesting. She's mentioned in many GTA games and is also featured in Grand Theft Auto 3.

11 Paige Harris

A Competent Hacker That Players Can Employ For Their Heists

• Grand Theft Auto 5 & GTA Online

Paige Harris is one of the most intelligent women in the Grand Theft Auto series, and she excels in the realm of hacking. She was one of the most resourceful characters in GTA 5 and GTA Online, helping players during their heist missions.

Grand Theft Auto is one of the greatest action games and features plenty of memorable hackers, but Paige managed to become one of the most memorable ones thanks to her fun and sarcastic personality and her exceptional technical skills. Paige could easily crack codes and manipulate systems to aid players during their high-stakes heist missions.

10 Karen Daniels

An Undercover Government Agent Who Works For United Liberty Paper

• Grand Theft Auto 4, Grand Theft Auto 5, & GTA Online

Karen Daniels is one of the few women in GTA who appeared in multiple games, including GTA Online. Karen was an undercover agent who worked under the alias "Michelle" and was even Niko's girlfriend for a short time in Grand Theft Auto 4. While she was first working for the United Liberty Paper, she eventually started working for the International Affairs Agency as an interrogator.

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Karen is one of the few female characters in Grand Theft Auto 4, 5, and Online who has a considerably extensive background and fun personality traits and hobbies. Though she likely left a poor impression on fans of Niko Bellic, she remains one of the most important characters in his story.

9 Cloe Parker

A Celebrity In The GTA Universe

• Grand Theft Auto 4 & Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad Of Gay Tony

Grand Theft Auto 4 is one of the best games in the GTA series for those looking to meet unusual NPCs, one of which is Cloe Parker. Cloe is one of the most popular celebrities in the GTA world who appeared not only in GTA 4 but also in The Ballad of Gay Tony.

She's the troubled daughter of a multimillionaire father and has been struggling with drug addiction most of her life. Similarly to most GTA characters, Cloe has a dark backstory, and despite her fame and money, she's a lost and depressed young girl. Some of her personality traits and backstory were inspired by Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.

8 Princess Georgina

A Member Of The Royal Family

• Grand Theft Auto 5

Grand Theft Auto has its very own princess named Princess Georgina. Even though Princess Georgina is only a minor character, she quickly became one of the most easily recognizable and unforgettable women in the GTA universe.

She's one of the most depraved characters in GTA 5 and is the granddaughter of the British Queen. She's a proudly merciless person who loves to torture and humiliate people around her, especially her servants. So, while Princess Georgina is a despicable person, she's still one of the most memorable female characters in Grand Theft Auto that no player will ever forget.

7 Elizabeta Torres

A Drug Dealer In Bohan

• Grand Theft Auto 4 & Grand Theft Auto: The Lost And The Damned

Elizabeta Torres is one of the coolest and toughest female characters in both GTA 4: The Lost and Damned and Grand Theft Auto 4. She's one of the best female characters in GTA with a dark but intriguing backstory. Elizabeta is known to be one of the most ruthless and successful drug dealers in GTA.

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She uses her connections to grow her empire and is capable of easily murdering those who stand in her way or want to harm her. Despite her young age, Elizabeta became one of the strongest dealers in Bohan's underground world, and she also acted as Niko Bellic and Johnny Klebitz's boss for a time.

6 Mercedes Cortez

A Confident Woman With An Entertaining Personality

• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Mercedes Cortez is easily Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's most well-known female character thanks to her looks and personality. Out of all the women featured in the game, she got the most backstory and was part of the most storylines.

Mainly playing the part of a love interest, Mercedes still managed to stand out and is arguably one of the most iconic female characters in the entire Grand Theft Auto series. Though she spends much of the game off-screen, she often steals the show when she makes an appearance during the story.

5 Tanisha Jackson

Franklin's On And Off Girlfriend, Who Eventually Marries Him

• Grand Theft Auto 5 & Grand Theft Auto Online

While Tanisha is a minor character in GTA 5, she's also pretty memorable, managing to trigger a big emotional response from players. Along with GTA's most disliked missions, she became one of the most disliked characters in the game's history, and most players believe she's one of the most hypocritical and annoying characters in the series.

Good or bad, Tanisha still has one of the most interesting and well-thought-out personalities in the Grand Theft Auto series. Her turbulent relationship with Franklin was one of the most memorable ones. Even though most fans ended up disliking her character, it still made sense that she wanted out of the violent gang life, especially after her brother's death.

4 Mallorie Bardas

Roman Bellic's Fiancee And Wife, Depending On The Events Of GTA 4

• Grand Theft Auto 4

Roman may be a bumbling fool at times, but players can't help but love his endearing personality during the events of Grand Theft Auto 4. This goofball is engaged to Mallorie Bardas, a person whose heart is in the right place, even if she may be somewhat naive.

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After being goaded into an affair with Vlad in exchange for forgiving Roman's debts, Roman eventually forgives her, and he and his cousin, Niko, decide to teach Vlad a lesson. This causes their love to deepen and leads to a wedding that can end on a rather tragic note in one of the endings, where Roman is shot and killed right after they exchange their vows.

3 Asuka Kasen

The Leader Of The Yakuza

• Grand Theft Auto 3 & Grand Theft Auto Advance

The Grand Theft Auto franchise features some truly unforgettable criminals, and Asuka Kasen is a fine example. She's one of the most formidable female characters in GTA games who is both strong and intelligent. She was also the co-leader of Liberty City's Yakuza syndicate.

While Asuka was loyal to her family, she was ruthless when it came to her enemies. Players can meet this fearsome female GTA leader while exploring the dangerous worlds of Grand Theft Auto 3 as well as Grand Theft Auto Advance, in which Asuka was one of the main characters.

2 Maria Latore

Wife Of The Leone Crime Family's Boss, Don Salvatore Leone

• Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, & Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Fans can meet with Maria Latore while playing many of the Grand Theft Auto franchise's games, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and GTA 3. She's another resourceful mother in GTA and is the wife of Don Salvatore Leone.

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Maria had a strong relationship with Claude, and while she remained married to Leone, she was cheating on him. She had a troubled life, but she managed to build a relationship with Claude and Asuka, and the three of them remained close and helped each other overcome various challenges and eventually murder Maria's husband, Salvatore.

1 Catalina

The Antagonist Of GTA 3 & A Temporary Ally In San Andreas

• Grand Theft Auto 3 & Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Catalina is one of the coolest characters in all of Grand Theft Auto. She's not only one of the best characters in GTA, but she's also one of its toughest female antagonists ever.

Though she has a short temper and tends to lash out whenever the opportunity arises, she is an intelligent figure who knows exactly how to get what she wants when she wants it, even if it means betraying those close to her. If things had gone differently in GTA 3, she could have made for a great ally, but sadly, her desire for power and money eventually led to her end.

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