Rockstar Games did a great job in selecting the characters in GTA 5. Now, this game is known for the great diversity among its characters. What makes it even more popular is the outstanding personality each character possesses.
Join us and discover all the GTA 5 characters that have made the game one of the most popular titles in GTA history.
Table of Contents
All Iconic GTA 5 Characters
In this article, we will list all the characters that have made GTA 5 very popular up to this date, from the 3 main protagonists, major characters, and supporting characters.
We know that the protagonists in GTA 5 made a huge impact on the gaming community, making it the first GTA game to feature three protagonists.
However, all GTA 5 characters have major roles in the game that also shaped the story of GTA 5 and contributed to its popularity.
That being said, we have listed below all the iconic GTA 5 characters that have made the game popular for a decade.
GTA 5 Main Protagonists
In this section, we will feature all three protagonists who made the game unique and special among all the GTA franchises.
1. Franklin Clinton (Played By: Shawn Fonteno)
Franklin’s character is defined by his desire to escape the cycle of poverty and crime that surrounds him. As part of the game’s storyline, he becomes involved in criminal activities, including heists and other illicit ventures.
He is employed as a repo man for a luxury car dealership, yet his ambition leaves him weary of the job. Soon, he encounters Michael De Santa, who mentors him.
Franklin possesses exceptional driving skills and sharp reflexes. His unique ability enables him to manipulate time while operating any road-based vehicle, facilitating swift navigation through traffic and adeptly maneuvering corners at high velocities.
2. Michael De Santa (Played By: Ned Luke)
Michael De Santa is a retired criminal attempting to live a normal life with his dysfunctional family in Los Santos.
However, he gets drawn back into a life of crime when his old partner Trevor Philips shows up unexpectedly, and he becomes involved in a series of heists and criminal activities throughout the game’s storyline.
Michael is portrayed as a complex character with a troubled past, struggling with his identity, family issues, and his desire to escape his criminal lifestyle. He is also drawn to the adrenaline and excitement of heists and illegal activities.
Michael’s special ability allows him to slow down time and shoot enemies with high precision. You can use this ability to hit the targets, especially their vital parts, such as the head.
3. Trevor Philips (Played By: Steven Ogg)
Trevor is portrayed as a violent, unpredictable, and unhinged individual. He is a former military pilot turned career criminal who operates in the state of San Andreas, particularly in the desert region of Blaine County.
He is known for his erratic behavior, crude humor, and ruthless approach to all his activities.
Additionally, Trevor is involved in various criminal enterprises, often including drug trafficking, heists, and confrontations with rival gangs and law enforcement.
His special ability, associated with pure rage, grants him extra damage against enemies while decreasing the damage he takes from them, which truly suits his personality, to be honest.
GTA 5 Major Characters
In this part, we will list all the major GTA 5 characters who have impacted all GTA gamers and fans.
1. Lamar Davis (Played By: Slink Johnson)
He is one of the major characters in the game and serves as a friend and partner to one of the protagonists, Franklin Clinton. Lamar is depicted as a street-smart and ambitious individual involved in criminal activities in Los Santos.
Lamar is one of the crowd-favorite characters in GTA 5. However, his personality might be a little too annoying to some gamers. Also, he is seen in both GTA 5 story mode and GTA Online.
2. Lester Crest (Played By: Jay Klaitz)
Lester Crest is a skilled hacker and strategist who helps the game’s protagonists, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, plan and execute elaborate heists.
He suffers from a physical disability and spends much of his time indoors, relying on his computer expertise to assist the protagonists with their criminal activities.
Lester’s character adds depth to the narrative of GTA V and contributes to the game’s exploration of themes such as crime, friendship, and betrayal.
3. Ron Jakowski (Played By: David Mogentale)
In the game, Ron is a conspiracy theorist and the loyal but paranoid friend of Trevor Philips, one of the game’s protagonists.
He was the acting CEO of Trevor Philips Enterprises when Trevor was in Los Santos. Ron is also known for his eccentric behavior and wild conspiracy theories.
4. Dave Norton (Played By: Julian Gamble)
In the game, Dave Norton is portrayed as a corrupt and manipulative federal agent who works for the FIB.
Dave Norton is first seen in contact with Michael De Santa, one of the protagonists in GTA 5. He is also the one who helped Michael change his identity in exchange for taking all the credit for a past bank robbery.
Norton is involved in various criminal activities and plots, often blurring the lines between law enforcement and criminal behavior.
5. Steve Haines (Played By: Robert Bogue)
Speaking of corrupt agents, Steve Haines is one of them. He is the boss of Agent Dave Norton, which can be seen above.
Haines often manipulates the game’s protagonists, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, into performing various criminal tasks for his own benefit.
Throughout the game, Haines is portrayed as power-hungry and willing to take extreme measures to achieve his goals.
6. Devin Weston (Played By: Jonathan Walker)
Devin Weston is one of the main antagonists in the game’s storyline. He is a wealthy and influential businessman in GTA 5, involved in various criminal activities and power struggles.
Depicted as a ruthless and cunning individual who manipulates others for his own gain, he is a vital part of the game, giving orders to manipulate all the protagonists.
7. Amanda De Santa (Played By: Vicki Van Tassel)
Amanda De Santa is Michael’s wife and the mother of Jimmy and Tracey. She initially worked as a stripper and potentially engaged in prostitution before meeting Michael Townley or Michael De Santa at a strip club owned by her mother.
Amanda and Michael’s relationship deteriorates every single day, with both barely able to stand each other. Later on, she decides to leave Michael with their kids unless Michael proves that he has changed.
8. Jimmy De Santa (Played By: Danny Tamberelli)
Jimmy De Santa is Michael’s son. He is a spoiled kid who plays video games all day and uses his dad’s money for pot or drugs.
He is first seen when he tries to sell his dad’s yacht, which makes Michael very angry as he tries to save him along with Franklin, who happens to be with Michael when Jimmy calls.
9. Tracey De Santa (Played By: Michal Sinnott)
Tracey is one of the game’s major characters and is Michael De Santa’s daughter. Jimmy and her are always in a fight despite their relationship.
Tracey is depicted as a rebellious and fame-seeking young woman who dreams of becoming a famous singer or actress.
Throughout the game, she often clashes with her family, particularly her father, over her lifestyle choices and pursuit of fame in the entertainment industry.
10. Harold “Stretch” Joseph (Played By: Hassan Johnson)
Stretch, whose full name is Harold “Stretch” Joseph, is a member of The Families gang in GTA 5. He is one of the prominent antagonists in the game, often causing trouble for the protagonist and his associates.
Stretch is portrayed as a treacherous and ruthless individual willing to betray others for his own gain. He plays a significant role in some of the game’s missions, particularly those involving Franklin Clinton and Lamar Davis.
11. Wei Cheng (Played By: George Cheung)
Wei Cheng is a significant character and antagonist within GTA 5, leading the Los Santos Triads with aspirations to extend drug operations into Blaine County.
His divergence from Trevor’s enterprise to collaborate with the O’Neil Brothers leads to conflict between him and Trevor.
He is depicted as exceedingly cruel and bloodthirsty, sparing no effort to secure the Triads’ dominance as the leading gang in Los Santos, even tracking Michael de Santa in North Yankton.
12. Wade Hebert (Played By: Matthew Maher)
He is one of Trevor Phillips’ close associates and friends in the game. Wade is depicted as a naive and simple-minded individual who often accompanies Trevor on various missions and adventures throughout the game.
He serves as comic relief in many situations due to his gullibility and lack of awareness. Throughout the game, Wade remains loyal to Trevor despite the often dangerous and chaotic situations they find themselves in.
13. Brad Snider (Played By: Ryan Woodle)
Brad Snider is a character mentioned in the storyline but has never been seen in the game for a long time.
He is one of the members of the first original heist along with Michael and Trevor Philips. Unfortunately, Brad died after the event.
His death serves Michael’s new life with the help of Dave Norton and FIB. What’s sad is Trevor knows Brad is still alive and will be left devastated once he knows what happened.
14. Martin Madrazo (Played By: Alfredo Huereca)
He is a prominent figure in the criminal underworld of Los Santos. Madrazo is depicted as a Mexican-American gangster and drug lord who controls various criminal activities in the city.
Michael becomes entangled with Madrazo after he destroys his house in an earlier mission, leading to Michael having to perform various tasks for him to repay the damages.
Madrazo is portrayed as ruthless, wealthy, and influential, using his power to manipulate others and maintain control over his criminal empire.
15. Solomon Richards (Played By: Joel Rooks)
Solomon Richards is a wealthy and eccentric movie producer who operates the film studio Richards Majestic Productions in Los Santos.
Solomon Richards is known for his over-the-top personality and involvement in missions where Michael De Santa aids him in movie-related tasks, reflecting the game’s humorous take on Hollywood.
16. Molly Schultz (Played By: Elizabeth Mason)
Molly Schultz is a major character in GTA 5. She works as Devin Weston’s loyal and caring assistant.
Molly is involved in various missions related to Devin Weston’s storyline, particularly those concerning the protagonist’s interactions with him and his business dealings.
She plays a role in facilitating communication between the player and Devin Weston, and her character is primarily seen in missions related to Weston’s storyline.
GTA 5 Supporting Characters
Lastly, we will list all the supporting characters here in this section who added more depth to the story in GTA 5.
1. Simeon Yetarian (Played By: Demosthenes Chrysan)
He is a dubious Armenian car dealer who operates a car dealership named “Premium Deluxe Motorsport” in Los Santos.
Simeon is known for his shady dealings and his tendency to manipulate people, including the game’s protagonist, Franklin Clinton, and his friend Lamar Davis.
He often assigns them tasks involving repossession of cars and other criminal activities. Simeon serves as one of the early antagonists in the game’s storyline.
2. Floyd Hebert (Played By: Jimmy Ray Bennett)
He is the boyfriend of Debra, and the cousin of Wade Hebert. Floyd works as a longshoreman at the Port of Los Santos and lives in a condo in Vespucci Beach, Los Santos.
Floyd is introduced as a timid and somewhat naive character easily dominated by others, particularly by Trevor Philips.
Trevor forcibly inserts himself into Floyd’s life and eventually moves into his apartment, using it as a base of operations for his criminal activities.
3. Andreas Sanchez (Played By: Abdel Gonzalez)
Andreas Sanchez is employed by the Federal Investigation Bureau and serves as the trusted aide to the highly decorated yet corrupt FIB agent, Steve Haines.
He frequently accompanies Haines during meetings with Michael De Santa and Dave Norton, participating in the extraction of Ferdinand Kerimov from the IAA building and the robbery of a Stockade containing government bonds.
Later, Sanchez discloses his allegiance as a double agent working for Merryweather Security, playing a significant role in the ensuing shootout at the Kortz Center. Ultimately, he meets his demise when Steve Haines fatally shoots him in the head.
4. Tao Cheng (Played By: Richard Hsu)
Tao Cheng is first seen with Trevor in Blaine County. He is the son of Wei Cheng and a part of the Los Santos Triads. He primarily communicates in Mandarin Chinese. Although he possesses basic English skills, he typically relies on his translator.
Tao typically maintains a peaceful and relaxed demeanor, though he struggles with a significant addiction to drugs and alcohol.
In moments of sobriety, he demonstrates intelligence and discernment, recognizing Trevor Philips as an unsuitable business associate.
However, he also exhibits a serious and irritable disposition, as evidenced by his attempt to kill Franklin during the Third Way and his decision to draw a gun on Avery Duggan in response to racial insults.
5. Tao Cheng’s Translator (Played By: Phil Nee)
Cheng’s Translator was also first introduced to Trevor. He is always seen beside Tao Cheng and is the one who tells Trevor what Wei Cheng wants.
Since Tao Cheng is always intoxicated, his translator is the one to be trusted when it comes to information.
6. Dr. Isiah Friedlander (Played By: Bryan Scott Johnson)
He is a psychiatrist who appears in the game as Michael De Santa’s therapist. Dr. Friedlander provides therapy sessions to Michael, offering advice and analysis of his behaviors, thoughts, and actions throughout the game.
Dr. Friedlander’s character serves as a source of humor and insight into Michael’s psyche, as well as a narrative device to explore the psychological aspects of the game’s storyline and the motivations of its characters.
7. Patricia Madrazo (Played By: Olivia Negron)
Patricia Madrazo was first seen in Martin Madrazo’s house. She is Martin’s wife and was later kidnapped by Trevor.
As you may recall, Michael owed Martin a substantial debt after destroying his house in the hills. However, Michael eventually settled the debt by paying him in cash after successfully completing a mini heist.
When Trevor kidnapped Patricia, she was held captive in his house in Blaine County, which significantly improved Trevor’s home and made it cleaner.
8. Denise Clinton (Played By: Janet Hubert)
Denise Clinton is the aunt you never want to have. Denise is Franklin Clinton’s aunt, whom he stays with in the first part of the story. She is always nosy and noisy at the same time.
Later in the story, she will be non-existent when Franklin leaves her house to live in a mansion in the hills.
You can still visit the house where she resides, but you can never go inside again, as it will be locked by the story mode.
9. Elwood O’Neil (Played By: Matt Carlson)
Elwood O’Neil serves as both a member and the head of the O’Neil Brothers, a redneck family engaged in drug production within Blaine County. They notably stand as Trevor’s primary competitor within the drug trade.
The O’Neils grew up on a ranch in Grapeseed, which they continue to inhabit and utilize as both a residence and a meth lab. After Trevor’s discovery of the O’Neils’ business involvement with the Cheng family, he proceeds to kill all of them.
However, Elwood O’Neil survived this attack along with his brothers. They set out to avenge their slain family and hunt down Trevor in Los Santos but are killed near Raton Canyon by Franklin, Michael, and Trevor.
10. Fabien LaRouche (Played By: Michael Giese)
There isn’t much to mention about Fabien LaRouche beyond his role as Amanda De Santa’s private yoga instructor. It seems he has a strong focus on sexuality, as evidenced by the suggestive nature of the yoga positions he teaches.
Michael dislikes Fabien because he sees him as snobbish, arrogant, and rude. Additionally, Michael thinks that Amanda is sleeping with him.
There is also a mini-game in which Amanda, Fabien, and Michael will participate. It is one of the missions in GTA 5 that annoys fans and gamers. In this mission, you need to hold yoga poses for an extended period of time.
11. Ferdinand Kerimov (Played By: Armin Amiri)
In GTA 5, Ferdinand Kerimov, also known as Mr. K, is a character subjected to interrogation by the FIB.
He is employed as a home theatre technician. Kerimov is suspected of being a terrorist and is caught in the bureaucratic struggle between the IAA and the FIB.
In an effort to gather intelligence on Tahir Javan, the FIB abducts and interrogates Kerimov, aware that he had arranged home theatre installations at Javan’s residence.
Trevor is assigned the duty of subjecting Mr. K to various forms of torture in order to extract further details about Javan before releasing him at the airport.
12. Jeffrey Crawford Jones (Played By: Lazlow Jones)
Lazlow Jones is a radio personality who is now working on reviving his career as he hosts “Fame or Shame,” a talent show on Weazel.
In GTA 5, Lazlow is introduced at the Maze Bank Arena conducting auditions for “Fame Or Shame,” where Tracey De Santa attempts to secure a spot with a provocative dance routine.
Trevor and Michael witness Lazlow engaging in inappropriate dancing with Tracey, resulting in them losing their temper and pushing Lazlow to the ground.
Subsequently, Lazlow calls for security and flees. Trevor and Michael pursue Lazlow, whose car ultimately runs out of battery, trapping him in the Los Santos Storm Drain.
13. Rocco Pelosi (Played By: Greg Siff)
Rocco appears in GTA V, located in Los Santos after escaping Liberty City, working as a talent agent, and staying connected to the Liberty City mob.
He tries to scam again by trying to sign actor Milton McIlroy, who stars in Solomon Richards’ new film, “Meltdown.” Solomon sends Michael De Santa to intimidate Rocco into stopping his extortion attempts.
Michael sneaks into Rocco’s building and confronts him on the helipad, hurting him badly before taking McIlroy and director Anton Beaudelaire back to the Richards Majestic Productions studio, forcing them to comply during the return flight.
GTA 5 Minor Characters
This is not similar to the supporting characters, but they are still key parts of the story of GTA 5, which is why they are categorized in the minor section.
| Characters | Characters |
|---|---|
| Aaron Ingram | Jay Norris |
| Ahron Ward | Johnny Klebitz |
| Albert Stalley | Jordan |
| Anita Mendoza | Karen Daniels |
| Anton Beaudelaire | Kyle Chavis |
| Ashley Butler | Maude Eccles |
| Ballas Drug Dealer | MC Clip |
| Casey | Natalia Zverovna |
| Chop | Ortega |
| Clay Simons | Oscar Guzman |
| D | Peter Dreyfuss |
| Debra | Tahir Javan |
| Donna | Tanisha Jackson |
| Esteban Jimenez | Terry Thorpe |
| Gianni | ULP Contact |
| Haines’ pilot | Leon |
| Hugh Harrison | Ponsonbys Manager |
| Javier Madrazo |
GTA 5 Stranger and Freaks
This section is just an extra that we think that is also significant in GTA 5’s storyline as they are met by our protagonists.
| Characters | Characters |
|---|---|
| Abigail Mathers | Marnie Allen |
| Al Di Napoli | Mary-Ann Quinn |
| Barry | Miranda Cowan |
| Beverly Felton | Mrs. Philips |
| Bigfoot | Mrs. Thornhill |
| Cletus Ewing | Nigel |
| Cris Formage | Omega |
| Dom Beasley | Poppy Mitchell |
| Jimmy Boston | Princess Georgina |
| Joe | Tanner |
| Joscha | Sasquatch Roleplayer |
| Josef | Tom |
| Josh Bernstein | Tonya Wiggins |
| Kerry McIntosh | Tyler Dixon |
| Manuel | William McTavish |
| Mark Fosterburg |
