CJ Vs Tommy Vercetti: Who is the best GTA Trilogy protagonist?

The GTA series has some of the most memorable characters in video game history, and its protagonists are usually the best of the lot.

Tommy Vercetti from GTA Vice City and Carl "CJ" Johnson from GTA San Andreas are among the most-loved heroes. This article compares the two to find out who the best main character is in the GTA Trilogy.

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Comparison of two GTA Trilogy protagonists: CJ and Tommy Vercetti

Personality

In comparison to Claude in GTA 3, both Tommy and CJ have strong personalities. Rockstar abandoned the silent protagonist in favor of fully fleshed-out characters, and this trend has continued in all subsequent games.

Tommy Vercetti, voiced by Ray Liotta, appears to be the archetypal 1980s mobster. He's brazen, arrogant, and easily agitated, but he's also astute and calculated. His contradictory characteristics are what make him such a lifelike character.

If GTA Vice City had more missions and subplots centered solely on him, he'd be even more appealing. CJ, on the other hand, comes across as a lot more human due to the personal nature of the plot in GTA San Andreas.

He may not be as much of a tough guy as Tommy, but his loyalty and wit are two of his most endearing traits.

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Abilities

When it comes to abilities, Tommy is easily bested by CJ. While Tommy can't swim at all, CJ is even able to swim underwater. CJ can also work out at gyms to increase his muscle and stamina. He can learn various martial arts moves, and increase his skills for all weapons and vehicles.

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Achievements

Tommy comes to Vice City to make a deal; which ends up miserably and leaves him in a delicate situation trying to make amends. However, in his quest to get back at those who messed with him, he soon takes over the entire city.

He becomes the de facto kingpin of Vice City, and even manages to land a crushing blow on his old Mafia associates from the North.

Meanwhile, CJ starts as a nobody who merely wants to win back his brother's respect. His journey turns out to be a rollercoaster ride where he ends up becoming the most powerful man in the entire state of San Andreas.

All of his exploits are of epic proportions, whether its infiltrating a secret military facility or pulling off a heist in a Mafia-owned casino.

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So, who's the better character?

Despite the fact that Tommy's personality makes him more heroic than CJ, he is easily outclassed in every other way. CJ is a much more complex character who accomplishes far more than Tommy does and has the potential to achieve even more.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.