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The Grand Theft Auto game series has many endearing characters, but the ones we remember best are some of the most broken GTA characters. By referring to them as "broken GTA characters," it's implied that they are psychologically scarred characters with tragic backstories who are either attempting to repair the damage or have been irreversibly altered by their past.
Rockstar excels in writing complex characters with detailed and believable backstories, and this is prevalent in the Grand Theft Auto series. This is especially true in the HD Universe games (Grand Theft Auto 4 and 5), which have a much darker undertone.
In this article, we've compiled a list of some of the most broken GTA characters of all time, as reflected in their actions, psychological trauma, and tragic circumstances. The list includes protagonists and side characters mostly from the HD Universe, but also from the 3D Universe games like Vice City Stories.
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Note: This article is subjective and only reflects the writer’s opinions. The entries are arranged in no particular order.
The most broken GTA characters in the series
1) Michael De Santa
Michael De Santa is one of the three playable characters in Grand Theft Auto 5, but he often feels like the overarching protagonist of the story, as everything revolves around him. While he may not seem like one of the most broken GTA characters, he has a lot of baggage that he can't seem to let go, which is why he sees a shrink.
While he does come off as selfish, Michael is the most relatable hero in the game who just seems tired and wants out of the criminal life. In fact, he did what he thought was best for his family (betraying Trevor and Brad), although he has some repressed guilt over it.
2) Ilyena Faustin
Ilyena Faustin is one of the most tragic and broken GTA characters that you meet early on in Liberty City. Her marriage to Mikhail Faustin isn't happy, as Mikhail has turned aggressive and paranoid, and is always dismissive of his wife. Ilyana reveals this wasn't always the case, with Mikhail being much kinder in his youth.
The latter's death at Niko's hands also leaves her future uncertain, and Niko feels obliged to help her out of guilt and compassion.
3) Toni Cipriani
Toni seems like your average 3D Universe protagonist when he's introduced in Liberty City Stories. However, the story slowly reveals the psyche behind the character and the things he's willing to do. It's established early on that his mother might be a narcissist or just an abusive parent, and he has a weird dynamic with her that is common in abusive relationships.
Later on, Toni Cipriani goes so far as to bomb an entire city block for money, arguably the most deranged thing any Grand Theft Auto protagonist has ever done.
4) Marnie Allen
Marnie Allen is a disease-ridden junkie whom Niko meets as one of the many random Strangers encounters in Liberty City. Her involvement in the plot only emphasizes Niko's compassionate side, as he's willing to help an incorrigible drug addict in the hopes that she'll recover and turn her life around.
Unfortunately, Rockstar had different plans for her. Despite recovering from being a drug addict in GTA 4, she is revealed to have become an Epsilon cultist in Grand Theft Auto 5. The cult takes advantage of her, apparently making her sleep with gay movie stars.
5) Johnny Klebitz
Johnny is definitely one of the most tragic and broken GTA characters that you can play. He's shown to be a recovering drug addict who is eventually betrayed by his friend and mentor Billy through the course of the story. In Grand Theft Auto 5, he is revealed to have relapsed and become a hollow shell of who he was. This transformation is almost painful to watch. Johnny is then unceremoniously killed off by one of the protagonists, Trevor Philips.
6) Ashley Butler
Johnny's ex-girlfriend in Grand Theft Auto The Lost and Damned is almost as pitiful a character as Johnny himself. She's shown to be yet another junkie who will go to any lengths to fuel her addiction and has subsequently lost her dignity. What makes her one of the most pathetically broken GTA characters is that she seems quite dependent on Johnny, with no personality or agency of her own. She is later revealed to have died of a heroin overdose.
7) Victor Vance
Victor Vance, the protagonist of Vice City Stories, is often considered one of the most tragic and broken characters in the franchise. He didn't exactly have a decent childhood, with a neglectful junkie for a mother, a sick brother he's forced to take care of, and another sociopathic brother (Lance) who only goes to create trouble for him.
The circumstances of the game only further break Victor down completely, as he's forced to put aside his morals for the sake of his family and even loses the one person he fell in love with. All this makes his death in Vice City more cathartic than painful.
8) Niko Bellic
Niko Bellic is perhaps the most traumatized Grand Theft Auto protagonist, making him worthy of being on this list. He did a lot of things in his past that he regrets, from his participation in the Yugoslav Wars to being a human trafficker in Europe. He may have even unwittingly committed some war crimes during the conflict and is racked with guilt over the things he did as a trafficker.
Niko's tale ends as tragically as Vance's, as either Roman or Kate dies in the ending. The only difference is that he survives, which leaves his story without any cathartic conclusion.
9) Floyd Hebert
The reason Floyd is one of the most broken GTA characters is his relationship with his fiancee Debra and his so-called friend Trevor. Floyd is shown to be a simpleton and due to his rather slow nature, he is exploited by these two characters. It's implied that Trevor took sexual advantage of Floyd, and in one instance when you switch to him, he can be seen spooning the latter in his bedroom.
Floyd gets taken advantage of in every way possible and eventually dies, because of Debra and Trevor.
10) Trevor Philips
As mentioned before, Trevor Philips is one of the three playable heroes in Grand Theft Auto 5. He is easily one of the most broken GTA characters in the game, and even the entire franchise. He has clear psychological problems, and almost none of his qualities are admirable. Trevor is shown to be an indecent pervert who even takes sexual advantage of people, including Floyd.
He's also shown to be a sociopath who ends up killing people for no reason, and he doesn't even hesitate to torture someone.
