Highlights

  • Ken Rosenberg in GTA: Vice City and San Andreas deserves credit for his flawed but determined character, including his friendship with Tommy Vercetti.
  • Luis Fernando Lopez is an underrated protagonist in GTA 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony , showcasing loyalty and a down-to-earth nature.
  • Dave Norton, despite being corrupt, proves to be a valuable ally to the GTA 5 protagonists, offering vital information and acting above the law for the greater good.

Despite the Grand Theft Auto series mainly being known for violence and crime, there are some characters who manage to slip under the radar amidst the chaos, and they don’t get their time in the spotlight as much as they deserve. Some of the best characters in Grand Theft Auto are often overlooked whilst players steal cars, get paid, and kill people, leaving the brains of the operation, or the muscle, well out of the equation in terms of respect.

Related
Grand Theft Auto: 8 Things San Andreas Does Better Than Any Game In Rockstar's Franchise

GTA San Andreas is an established classic. As such, the game did plenty of things well, often to the point of outdoing other Rockstar titles.

As for the most underrated characters in Grand Theft Auto, this crew takes the cake, as they often help the player in ways that they otherwise would be lost without, yet, they are often forgotten and barely mentioned outside their mission or two. This begs the question, which of these Grand Theft Auto characters are underrated, and which deserves a chance to cameo in Grand Theft Auto 6 or beyond?

6 Ken Rosenberg (GTA: Vice City)

Ken rosenberg in a smart suit in GTA San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Platform(s)
PS2 , Xbox (Original) , PC , iOS , Android , macOS
Released
October 29, 2002
Developer(s)
Rockstar Games

Ken Rosenberg deserves credit for his role in GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas. This character is a lawyer, but he might not be the best when it's implied that he cheated through his exams. Ken isn’t just a funny character, but he is a man with flaws, and his cocaine addiction will certainly get in the way of his friendship with the iconic Tommy Vercetti.

What’s rather sad and underrated about Ken, is that his friendship with Tommy was forever damaged, even after rehab. Yet, Ken’s determination wouldn’t stop there, and he was even present for Carl Johnson’s breakthrough in GTA: San Andreas and was saved yet again by another GTA protagonist, just like in old times.

5 Luis Fernando Lopez (GTA 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony)

Featuring as the protagonist in GTA 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony, Luis had his life turned into chaos and fun when he came into contact with “Gay” Tony Prince, the mogul and eccentric nightclub entrepreneur who came to Liberty City with big dreams and even bigger plans to take over the nightclubbing scene. Luis is loyal and helps Tony with all the predicaments that came before him. Luis is down for Earth, which is a surprise for a GTA character.

Related
6 Most Experimental Rockstar Games

Although Rockstar Games has become synonymous with GTA and the Red Dead series, the studio experimented quite a bit in its early days.

Despite his great features, Luis is the most underrated GTA protagonist of the bunch, and he is rarely involved in conversations regarding the best protagonists in GTA. Players can see just how tethered and tested Tony and Luis’ friendship becomes during the game’s story, but they can also see how their loyalty will never die.

4 Dave Norton (GTA 5)

dave norton gta 5
Grand Theft Auto 5

Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Released
September 17, 2013
Developer(s)
Rockstar North

Few agents of the FIB are corrupt and still manage to do some good. David Norton may have had a promising career when he helped bring Michael into witness protection, but years in the business of agency have left Dave rather depressed and desensitized to his job and his responsibilities to the United States. Dave may admit to being corrupt, but he says that he is corrupt “in a good way”, acting above the law to be better for those that obey the law.

Despite Dave’s role as a FIB agent, he is no enemy to the GTA 5 protagonists. Dave often works alongside them, and will even give Michael some vital information in regard to his safety, even though he owes no allegiance or loyalty to the man that propelled his career through his criminal activities.

3 Patrick McReary (GTA 4)

Operating independently of the Irish Mob in Liberty City, Patrick McReary isn’t scared of anything. Whether it’s committing robberies or being a hired gun, Patrick McReary will put himself in dangerous situations, with seemingly no regard for whether he is coming out or not, like a true stubborn action hero of old. Except, Patrick McReary isn’t exactly a hero, and seems to enjoy the boasting of a criminal lifestyle.

Related
8 Open-World Games Inspired By Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is iconic for many reasons, but one of the most significant has to be how it inspired others to create the best open-world games.

Patrick was a good friend to Niko throughout GTA 4 and even introduced his new friend to his family and gang. Whilst Patrick doesn’t have much regard for his own life, he puts his friends and family at the forefront of his being. His sister, Katie, is vitally important to him, and if she dies during the Revenge ending, he will show immense guilt and heartbreak.

2 The Truth (GTA: San Andreas)

The Truth Standing in Front of a House in GTA San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Franchise
Grand Theft Auto
Platform(s)
PS2 , PS3 , Xbox (Original) , Xbox 360 , PC , macOS , iOS , Android
Released
October 26, 2004
Developer(s)
Rockstar Games

An important character in the early GTA: San Andreas, The Truth is an adoring hippie, residing in Flint County. There are a few things The Truth is known for cannabis, conspiracy theories, and a distrust of law enforcement. The Truth may have been a satirical character back in the days of GTA: San Andreas, but he’s even more real in today’s day and age, which means a newfound appreciation for his character.

To make The Truth even more deserving of appreciation, he’s one of the reasons that CJ managed to get his hands on a jetpack, so players have him to thank for the utter enjoyment of versatile flight. The Truth is also a loyal character and friend to CJ, who helps him until the very end of GTA: San Andreas.

1 Lester Crest (GTA 5)

Lester Crest in GTA heist mode

Lester Crest is the mastermind behind the heists of GTA 5 and GTA Online. In both of these games, it is thanks to Lester Crest that players can get rich quickly. Whether it’s breaking into banks or infiltrating government silos to stop nuclear war, Lester Crest is responsible, and Lester Crest deserves a lot of credit.

Although most might find Lester persistent and annoying, he more than deserves recognition as an underrated character. His obsession with conspiracy and paranoia makes him fascinating, and his knowledge of seemingly everything that gets within a whiff of him is admirable.

MORE: Grand Theft Auto: Every City In The Main Games, Ranked