5 minor GTA villains who were better than the main villains in their games

Sometimes, the GTA franchise's secondary and tertiary villains stand out more than the main villains of their respective titles.

Not all secondary villains will be classified as minor villains for the sake of this list. Although Big Smoke is a secondary villain, he's far too important to be considered minor.

It's important to note that these minor GTA villains are compared to the main villains of their respective games. Hence, a minor villain from GTA Liberty City Stories won't be compared to the main villains of GTA San Andreas.

---

Minor villains in the GTA series who were better than the main villains of their respective titles

#5 - Vladimir Glebov

Vladimir Glebov (Image via Rockstar Games)

Dimitri Rascalov is a fantastic villain, but one could argue that Vladimir Glebov is a better villain for the sole fact that he is completely and unapologetically unlikable. Very few characters within the GTA franchise are as unlikable as Vlad, which coincidentally makes him one of the best villains in the franchise. After all, players should actively root to kill the villains in a video game.

Whereas some antagonists like Big Smoke have their legions of fans, nobody wants to be in Vlad's corner. Players tend not to envy him or relate to him because he isn't a charismatic villain.

He dies very early on within the GTA 4 story, but he is connected to the more relevant antagonists of his game. It's honestly hard to find a more detestable character within the GTA series, just by the way he treats everybody around him when he's on-screen.

#4 - Armando Mendez

Armando Mendez (Image via Rockstar Games)

Jerry Martinez isn't a bad main antagonist by any stretch, but one could argue that the Mendez brothers feel like a bigger deal than him.

Armando Mendez stands out compared to his brother, Diego, because he's the talker of the two and is involved in more memorable moments.

One of those moments involves the Domestobot, a robotic servant that some players would be surprised to hear was even in a GTA game. Armando "kills" the robotic servant after Victor controls it to destroy a crucial bond he owned.

Aside from that, Armando is pretty charismatic and believes in utilitarianism, which is pretty neat given that most antagonists lack a core philosophy that players could more easily understand. Typically, it's just villains trying to maintain power for the sake of it.

#3 - Ricardo Diaz

Ricardo Diaz (Image via Rockstar Games)

Ricardo Diaz seems like the ultimate bad guy in GTA Vice City when the user first plays the game. He's violent, ruthless and runs a highly successful drug empire.

Compared to GTA Vice City's main antagonist Sonny Forelli, Ricardo Diaz is more interesting and fun to see in action.

Ultimately, he's just the tertiary antagonist of the game. His estate is taken over by Tommy Vercetti, and Lance Vance is able to get revenge for Victor's untimely death.

Ricardo Diaz's purpose in the plot is too significant to ignore. While Sonny Forelli often gives orders and tries to take money from Tommy, he is not as impactful as Ricardo Diaz in GTA Vice City.

#2 - Lance Vance

Lance Vance (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although Lance Vance is the secondary antagonist of GTA Vice City, his screentime as a villain is far more limited compared to other major antagonists. He's a prominent character throughout the events of GTA Vice City, but he only betrays Tommy Vercetti at the final mission of the game.

That said, it's a memorable betrayal that does have some elements of foreshadowing. Lance Vance's overall character arc in GTA Vice City alone is too memorable to ignore, especially since he betrays Tommy in a crucial moment.

He is also technically a very minor antagonist in some parts of GTA Vice City Stories, where he goes against Victor's wishes thanks to his drug addiction.

#1 - Vincenzo Cilli

Vincenzo Cilli (Image via Rockstar Games)

Vincenzo Cilli isn't the most memorable antagonist out there, but he shows up several times in GTA Liberty City Stories, which is more than what could be said about Massimo Torini, the game's main antagonist who never speaks directly to the main protagonist.

Interestingly enough, Vincenzo has more screentime than Massimo Torini and Paulie Sindacco combined. Hence, players are more likely to remember his antics than the two "more important" villains that exist for the sake of the plot.

If Vincenzo was in another GTA game, he likely wouldn't qualify on his own merits, but the fact that the more major antagonists are so minor by comparison makes him qualify by default.

Still, Vincenzo is an interesting antagonist who players can relate to, courtesy of his envy toward Toni for moving up the corporate ladder.

Note: This article reflects the writer’s personal views.