15 characters who let the GTA series down (and why GTA 6 should have better ones)

The GTA series has hundreds of characters whose stories are revealed in different games. While Rockstar Games tries to construct each one carefully, some have failed to win players’ hearts. Such characters are either annoying or disliked by the community for their personality and actions.

This article lists 15 characters who let the GTA series down and briefly explains why those in Grand Theft Auto 6 should be better.

Note: This article is subjective and only reflects the writer’s opinions.

15 characters in the GTA series who were disappointing

1) Devin Weston

Devin is arguably the weakest-written antagonist in the GTA series. While he is the main villain of Grand Theft Auto 5, he barely poses any threat. The character does not have any antagonizing aspects and is easily forgettable after completing the game.

2) Kate McReary

Despite being one of the main girlfriends in GTA 4, Kate never clicked with Niko. She is just there for the sake of the climax and doesn’t offer any value to the story. As a result, choosing to get her killed at the end is not a difficult choice.

3) Denise Robinson

Denise had the potential to be one of the best girlfriends in San Andreas. However, she feels like any regular NPC whom CJ meets and dates occasionally. The other girlfriends in the game have more charm than her and also offer better perks.

4) Mallorie Bardas

An image of Mallorie and Roman’s marriage (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although Mallorie married Roman in GTA 4, she was never truly loyal to him. The former was frequently in an affair with Vladimir. As a result, seeing her with Roman is not easily digestible. Moreover, he went through a lot just to be with her.

5) Sessanta

Players avoid interacting with Sessanta (Image via Rockstar Games)

Sessanta is arguably one of the most annoying and forgettable GTA characters. Grand Theft Auto Online players frequently avoid her obnoxious behavior and bossy attitude. Without her commentary, playing Auto Shop missions would have been more fun.

6) Kenny Dixon Jr.

KDJ is equally annoying as Sessanta (Image via Rockstar Games)

Sessanta and KDJ can both annoy you intensely. The character was modeled after the real-life artist and had the potential to be a memorable one. However, Rockstar decided to make him annoying and less favorable.

7) Ashley Butler

Ashley remained a low-life character in the series (Image via Rockstar Games)

While we expected Ashley’s character to improve after Grand Theft Auto 4, she remained a skunk. Despite being Johnny's love interest, she ignored him and hooked up with others. The most heartbreaking thing is that he died trying to protect her.

8) Playboy X

An official artwork of Playboy X (Image via Rockstar Games)

Niko’s interactions with Playboy X are unpleasant from the very beginning. It is obvious that the latter uses the protagonist to make his work easier. He even encourages Niko to kill his brother. Choosing to kill Playboy X is one of the best decisions you can make in Grand Theft Auto 4.

9) Luchadora

Luchadora’s character should be utilized properly (Image via Rockstar Games)

Luchadora feels like a wasted potential in GTA Online. Although a strong character, she remains a useless NPC. Rockstar should consider making her a mission provider or include her in more missions in the future.

10) Lance Vance

Lance is one of the biggest traitors in the series (Image via Rockstar Games)

Lance let us down in both GTA Vice City and Vice City Stories. We will never forget him betraying Tommy and working silently for Sonny. The biggest disappointment is that the character's arc went from being the closest friend to a sworn enemy.

11) Fabien LaRouche

Fabian is a despicable character in the series (Image via Rockstar Games)

Despite being a supporting character, Fabien disappointed us due to his affair with Amanda. He was the reason why Michael had to live alone for a while. The protagonist taking revenge on him was one of the most satisfying things in GTA 5.

12) Tanisha Jackson

An image of Tanisha in Grand Theft Auto 5 (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although Tanisha is Franklin's wife, she has let us down throughout the entire GTA 5 saga. She ignored him many times and was seeing others. Until The Contract DLC, Tanish was one of the most forgotten characters in the game.

13) Brendan Darcy

Brendan fails to do his only job without a bribe (Image via Rockstar Games)

While there are many weak characters in the series, Brendan deserves special mention. Despite being the captain of your yacht, he doesn’t move it an inch without you paying him extra money. Moreover, he also asks for cash to deliver boats and helicopters.

14) Molly Schultz

Molly tries to boss around the Grand Theft Auto 5 protagonists (Image via Rockstar Games)

Molly attempted to appear as a strong female character in GTA 5’s story mode. However, her influence is mostly derived from Devin. She cheated the protagonists on multiple occasions and eventually had to face a horrible death.

15) Manny Escuela

Manny was annoying in GTA 4 (Image via Rockstar Games)

Characters like Manny dampen the excitement of the gameplay by being annoying. He was a loudmouth who loved to poke his nose in others’ businesses. His sudden death at the hands of Elizabeta is one of the most satisfying events in the series.

Why GTA 6 should have better characters

Rockstar should try to make the characters in GTA 6 better than the ones mentioned above. While despicable characters are crucial in a storyline, they should not be killjoys. The new characters should have more depth to them so their presence in the game feels meaningful.

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About the author

Mridul completed his post-graduation in Mass Communication, Journalism, and Media Studies. His career as a journalist began at Sportskeeda, and he has been associated with the Esports & Gaming division for over 1.5 years. He has produced 1600+ articles on Grand Theft Auto, his favorite gaming franchise of all time.

Mridul writes detailed and well-researched articles, relying solely on official sources and reputable insiders for credible information. His immense love for the GTA series shines through in his work, which resonates with readers, with five of his articles having crossed the 100,000 reads mark each. Overall, his reads count stands at close to 8 million.

GTA: Vice City served as Mridul's introduction to Rockstar Games, and he has dedicatedly made his way through the publisher's catalog since then. If given a chance, he would love to drop into the world of Bully and relive his school days. However, he would like to recommend Grand Theft Auto 4 to beginners due to the depth of its narrative and in-game mechanics.

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Edited by Dinesh Renthlei