5 GTA San Andreas characters that outsmart CJ

GTA San Andreas is one of the most memorable games in the Grand Theft Auto series, and players adore it for the expanded and enhanced experience it provided at the time. It is one of the most advanced games in the series, with a diverse cast of characters, locations, missions, side activities, and other features.

While protagonist Carl CJ Johnson is the most popular character in the game, Rockstar Games also introduced other characters of comparable caliber to CJ. Despite being a hero, he is frequently outmatched by other characters regarding knowledge and intelligence.

This article lists five characters from GTA San Andreas who are smarter than CJ in the game.

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

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Big Smoke, Ryder, and three other characters who were smarter than CJ in GTA San Andreas

1) Frank Tenpenny

Officer Frank Tenpenny is the main protagonist of GTA San Andreas and one of the most despised characters in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. He was a corrupt police officer at the Los Santos Police Department, primarily responsible for all of CJ's atrocities.

Throughout the game, he tracked every move of CJ and kept him under constant pressure. Even CJ's arrival from Liberty City was under his scrutiny, which is how he apprehended the protagonist right at the start of the game.

Tenpenny kept CJ in the dark for almost the entire game and had so much control over his life that he was forced to leave Los Santos briefly. Although Carl eventually grew up on Tenpenny, from the game's events, it is evident that the latter was smarter than CJ.

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2) Big Smoke

Melvin Harris, also known as Big Smoke, is the second antagonist in GTA San Andreas. He was a family friend and mentor to Carl Johnson, who betrayed him for money, power, and status. Frank Tenpenny influenced Big Smoke, who assisted the officer in dominating CJ.

Despite CJ's extreme caution in his surroundings and the activities of his neighborhood, Big Smoke was always one step ahead of him and cleared any evidence that could provide the protagonist with any clue about his mother's killers and his other quests. In short, Big Smoke used to jeopardize all of CJ's plans to keep him under the shadows forever.

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3) Ryder

While Big Smoke betrayed Carl Johnson as a mentor, Lance Wilson, also known as Ryder, betrayed the protagonist as a friend. Despite GTA San Andreas portraying Ryder as an addict who was always high on marijuana and other drugs and couldn't reason, he outwits CJ in various situations without the latter knowing.

As a result of Big Smoke's influence, he was drawn into the criminal underworld and was led to betray CJ and the Grove Street neighborhood. He eventually met the same end as other cheaters when CJ became aware of his antics and killed him during a boat chase.

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4) Catalina

Catalina is one of the most notorious characters in the GTA series, having enraged fans in not one but two games. She was CJ's girlfriend in GTA San Andreas and Claude's girlfriend in GTA 3. Catalina is known for being a loud, domineering, and deceptive character who prioritizes her benefits over everything else.

She uses her phony love to force CJ to do anything for her and always has him under her control. Even if you try to flee, she will always find a way to bring you back.

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5) Cesar Vialpando

Despite being a minor character in GTA San Andreas, Cesar Vialpando impacted the plot greatly. While CJ was blinded by Big Smoke and Ryder, Cesar was the one who discovered their infidelities first and informed the protagonist.

Additionally, Cesar assists him on several occasions throughout the game when CJ cannot think of any solutions to the problem.