5 strongest GTA protagonists ranked according to their combat skills

Fans differ in their opinions on who the strongest GTA protagonists are. However, if you compare their strength by looking at their melee combat skills, ranking them becomes much easier. This is, of course, limited by the game mechanics that these protagonists appeared in, as some GTA titles had much more advanced melee combat than others.

With that in mind, we've prepared a list of the strongest GTA protagonists based on their efficiency in melee combat, which is a good judge of their physical strength, as well as their skill in facing off opponents.

Note: The article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

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Top 5 strongest GTA protagonists according to their combat prowess

5) Huang Lee

GTA Chinatown Wars is different from the rest of the series in multiple ways, and combat is one such aspect. Huang Lee might seem like a surprising addition to this list, but he's nearly unstoppable when it comes to fighting. Gunplay and melee combat both feel quite satisfying in Chinatown Wars.

Guns tend to lock on to enemies, whereas melee weapons allow you to hit multiple enemies at once. As such, it's easy to assume that Huang Lee is quite a skilled fighter and can take on multiple enemies head-on. This makes him one of the strongest protagonists in the series.

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4) Trevor

GTA 5's ragdoll physics are a bit downgraded in comparison to GTA 4, which makes melee combat much easier and less complex. This is why Trevor doesn't rank higher on the list, and there's also the fact that his special ability isn't quite realistic. The sole reason why Trevor makes it to the list of the strongest GTA protagonists is his Red Mist ability.

Abilities are a unique feature in Grand Theft Auto 5 that helps the GTA 5 protagonists during combat or driving. When Trevor activates his ability, he becomes invulnerable to all incoming damage until the ability meter runs out. He also deals a lot more damage, making him much stronger than the average NPC in the game.

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3) Victor Vance

GTA Vice City Stories has several differences compared to past 3D Universe titles, and the most obvious aspect is the gameplay. Victor Vance, the main character in the game, is one of the strongest GTA protagonists because he's ex-military, and that's how Rockstar explains the differences in combat.

Victor can grab and throw NPCs in the game, and he appears to be an expert fighter based on his stance and combat maneuvers. He can also kill anyone with his bare hands by snapping their necks and sprinting effortlessly while carrying heavy weapons.

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2) Niko Bellic

Like Victor, Niko Bellic is also ex-military, as he fought during the Balkan Wars and even experienced many war crimes. His time in the army makes him one of the strongest GTA protagonists, as he can easily overpower any NPC with his advanced combat moves.

Niko can also sprint with heavy weapons like Victor, although this is more of a quality-of-life feature in the HD Universe games. Niko can pull off some of the trickiest moves and counterattacks during melee combat in GTA 4, and he can also disarm an NPC.

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1) Carl "CJ" Johnson

CJ easily comes out on top of the list of the strongest GTA protagonists for several reasons. To begin with, you can upgrade his strength considerably if you spend some time working out in the GTA San Andreas gyms. The more muscular he is, the more damage he does in melee combat. He can also learn different combat maneuvers from these gyms, including boxing, Muay Thai, and Kung Fu.

While the combat system isn't as advanced as Vice City Stories or GTA 4, the maneuvers that CJ pulls off when trying out his martial arts skills make it hard for NPCs to counter him. When combined with a maxed-out muscle stat, he can finish off anyone in seconds.

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