10 greatest thieves in video games ranked

Video games tend to include a bunch of characters in their narrative, and sometimes these characters are made to be morally ambiguous. This trait is reflected in the profession they choose to participate in, which is generally some kind of unlawful venture or the other.

One of the best examples of such characters in video games is a thief. Infamous for taking things that don’t belong to them and escaping the authorities more often than once, thieves in video games are aplenty and show up as either side characters, antagonists, or even as the primary playable character.

Over the years, various video games have depicted thieves in a rather positive light, showing them to be honorable and sometimes even with a heart of gold. However, there are certain exceptions to that rule. To clarify the matter of who’s the best of them all, in this list, we feature ten of the best thieves in video games and rank them from least to most likable.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.

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10 thieves in video games - ranked from worst to best

10) Mercer Frey - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

If you’ve played Skyrim, chances are that you’ve come across the Thieves Guild. Composed of a gang of kleptomaniacs who seek to make a name for themselves, the Thieves Guild offers the Dragonborn an opportunity to join their ranks, the leader of which is Mercer Frey.

Frey is quite the adept thief when it comes to many of the skills that are required to hold the title. He is able to unlock doors that are generally unpickable and has even managed to swindle a Daedric Prince, although the players won’t know that until they come to the end of the Thieves Guild questline.

Mercer Frey was also once a Nightingale, a follower of the Daedric Prince Nocturnal, and blessed with her boons. If players manage to sneak into his house, they can view an impressive display of many legendary items that he has stolen. However, they must be wary of the traps as Mercer is not fond of sharing.

9) Garrett - Thief series

Thief is a series of stealth video games that ran from 1998 to 2004, with a reboot released in 2014. The games saw players take on the role of Garrett, a thief with a somewhat cynical mindset who wishes nothing more than to be left to his own devices and is constantly getting wrapped up in major events.

As a young orphan on the streets, Garrett was taken in by the organization known as the Keepers. While they helped train him and hone his abilities, Garrett later saw fit to depart from their ranks and strike out on his own. Putting his stealth and subterfuge skills to use, he used them to steal from people and meet his own needs.

Do not let his cynical demeanor fool you, though, as Garrett takes pride in his work and is an honorable thief, avoiding killing people as best he can. He is also good-natured as he can be seen helping others with their needs at times, as long as there is something in it for him, of course.

8) Black Cat - Marvel’s Spider-Man

If you’ve played Marvel’s Spider-Man (and if you’re a PC player, you probably have recently), then you should be familiar with Black Cat. The silver-haired cat-burglar leaves Spider-Man little cat figurines to spot across rooftops, leading him to various locations she’s planning to steal from.

Black Cat made a much larger appearance in person during the video game’s DLC: The City That Never Sleeps. Toeing the line between hero and villain, this feline femme fatale is one of the most morally gray characters in the world of Spider-Man, with her constantly changing sides and playing with Spidey’s emotions.

Her appearance in the video game is as comic-accurate as possible, and her intentions and goals are cloudy and never straightforward. In the comics, the character is currently making a legitimate run as a hero and has partnered up with Iron Man. Whether she will appear in the sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man is still unclear.

7) Catwoman - Batman Arkham Series

After mentioning Black Cat, I am honor bound to mention the original Cat-themed kleptomaniac from comics - Catwoman. She started life as an occasional member of Batman’s rogues' gallery and has since switched over to become an extended part of the Bat Family (she is literally married to Batman).

The character’s most notable video game appearance is during Rocksteady’s Arkham series, with her first appearance in the second game, Batman: Arkham City. She was a playable character for PC players, with a short intermittent campaign that directly led to her decision to rescue Batman instead of leaving Arkham City with two briefcases full of cash.

Like Black Cat, Catwoman’s allegiances have switched many times in the past, but her and Batman’s relationship has always been teased in nearly all of their encounters. Her portrayal in the Arkham series has accordingly been very accurate, with her never being a clear antagonist but also not quite a hero.

6) Carmen Sandiego - Carmen Sandiego series

Carmen Sandiego is an edutainment franchise that originally started life as a mystery video game series. The first installment was released in 1985, called Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? The title launched the game series as well as the franchise as a whole. The games featured Carmen Sandiego as the primary antagonist.

In the game, players are tasked with tracking down various underlings of Carmen who have stolen valuable artifacts. As players catch more criminals, they rise in rank and are handed more cases until the final case gives them the opportunity to apprehend Carmen Sandiego herself.

Since her debut in the 80s, Carmen Sandiego has become a popular figure in the educational entertainment business. Her charismatic personality and elusive nature remain some of her iconic traits, along with her red attire and wide-brimmed hat. She is also the leader of the criminal organization known as V.I.L.E.

5) Sly Cooper - Sly Cooper series

Sky Cooper comes from a long line of thieves and is in the profession to honor his family’s legacy. The thieving raccoon made his debut in the video game Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus in 2002. The series has since run for 11 years, with 2013 seeing the last game released.

This lovable anthropomorphic mammal is the protagonist in the platform stealth game series, where players are required to perform heists across the world with the help of Sly’s partners Bentley and Murray. The group generally targets other thieves and criminal organizations to steal from and thwart their evil ways by bringing them down.

Describing himself as a gentleman’s thief, Sly Cooper’s sense of honor is one of the character's highlights, distinguishing him from the rest of his family's legacy. He places greater importance on friendship and camaraderie and trusts the Cooper Gang with his life.

4) Yuffie Kisagari - Final Fantasy 7

You’ll probably agree when I say it’s hard to dislike any of the main Final Fantasy 7 characters. Yuffie is no exception, even though her story is entirely optional. A tomboy by nature, Yuffie is a trained ninja who uses her stealth skills to fuel her kleptomaniac tendencies and is notable for taking items from nearly everyone she meets.

Yuffie enjoys stealing Materia from any source she can find, including the store she works at. She often lands herself in dangerous situations because of this habit, although as a capable combatant, she can handle herself in a fight. After her opponents are defeated, she even loots their bodies for goods.

This capable young girl can become part of Cloud’s party for the rest of the video game after her story is completed and is also a potential romantic interest. Players should be aware, as despite being Cloud’s girlfriend, she will not put a stop to her constant pickpocketing.

3) Michael de Santa - GTA 5

Michael de Santa (Image via Rockstar Games)

Nearly all of the protagonists from the Grand Theft Auto video game series are criminals of some kind or the other. Michael de Santa is one such protagonist from GTA 5, whose life is pretty normal at the beginning of the game. However, as in all good stories, things eventually go downhill from there.

Michael had put the life of crime behind him as he started a new life in Los Santos. However, after a misunderstanding with the Mexican Cartel, Michael has to find a way to make a quick buck, with the only viable option being a couple of heists or two.

Of all the three playable protagonists in this video game, Michael’s story is probably the saddest and also slightly pitiful. However, it also makes him one of the more relatable characters, as he has to deal with hardships, unfairness, and the consequences of his past.

2) Nathan Drake - Uncharted series

One of developer Naughty Dog’s most iconic video game series is Uncharted, and this is thanks in no small part to its protagonist, Nathan Drake. Played by legendary voice actor Nolan North, this charismatic treasure hunter and professional thief is the main reason many people play these games.

Drake is clearly inspired by Indiana Jones, the famous treasure hunter created by George Lucas. Cocky, headstrong, and a smart mouth to boot, Nathan often gets on the wrong side of bad people, but he always has his trusty friends to have his back when he needs them the most.

Nathan has had a special gift for stealing since childhood, although he owes a lot of his success to Sully, his mentor, who recognized his potential and enlisted his help on many a treasure hunt. However, the primary lesson to take away from Uncharted games and Nathan’s life is that the real treasure is the friends you make along the way.

1) Arthur Morgan - Red Dead Redemption 2

Arthur Morgan (Image via Rockstar Games)

Who can deny that Arthur Morgan is one of the finest video game characters ever? Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 was one of the best action-adventure open-world video games to be released, but its true strength comes from its story and characters.

Arthur Morgan is the protagonist the game’s story revolves around and is one of the most lovable outlaws in video game history. Arthur has played the role of a thief, robber, and straight-up bandit throughout the game’s narrative, and despite it all, he still comes out of it with a heart of gold.

The crux of this is that he never does any heinous acts unless he is required to (at least, that's how I played him). He will take loot wherever he finds it and maybe even loot corpses for some ammunition, but he does it all with such good nature that it is hard to question if it is at all morally dubious, which is in keeping with the themes of Red Dead Redemption 2.

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Edited by R. Elahi