3. The Hero & The Villain
Like Roman Bellic, there's no beating Niko Bellic in the charisma stakes, even when you come armed with a trio of main characters. Niko and Roman are the defining characters of the entire series, driven by riches and power (especially in Roman's case) but also by a conviction to protect or avenge important people in their lives (as with Niko) and haunted by underlying past issues. Niko is Grand Theft Auto, and it would have taken a monumental effort to eclipse the achievements that went into making him such a memorable character. To their eternal credit, Rockstar made a valiant effort - Michael, Franklin and Trevor are each very good protagonists, though Michael would have worked better as a sole hero, Trevor is a little too pantomimey, and Franklin occasionally wanders into stereotyped territory too often. The mix is good, but because of the split focus, it's hard to imagine anyone saying any of the individual characters are better, or more engaging than Niko. Likewise, the villains in GTA V aren't as memorable as Dimitri Rascalov and even Mikhail Faustin - there is something far more personal about the villains of GTA IV than the more corporately driven antagonists in the follow-up, and getting rid of them is distinctly more pleasurable.