10 Best Rockstar Games Protagonists - Ranked

Carl Johnson is a sympathetic character. Unlike most Grand Theft Auto protagonists, he doesn't revel in murder and literal auto theft. He left the hood in Los Santos to seek a better life, but is forced to return home when his mother died.

Of course, as soon as CJ returns to Los Santos, and Grove Street specifically, he is dragged right back into the escalating gang wars. CJ's friends and family are at the heart of the story and his loyalty to them sees him do some awful things. He's quite reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto V's Franklin - in regards to his personality - but a much more charismatic version.

It helps that CJ is also the most customisable GTA character of all time, with players able to change his hair, make him fat or buff, cover him in tattoos and boost his stats. This results in a character that players feel a stronger bond with, being they're actually affecting his personal growth.

CJ is one of Grand Theft Auto's most likeable individuals; an everyday man who just can't get on the right track due to where he was born. Plus, it doesn't hurt that CJ was Rockstar's first non-white protagonist, now easily being one of the most iconic of them all.