Top 5 GTA characters that appear in multiple games

GTA is a touchstone in the "open-world" genre of gaming, and a lot of credit goes to its engaging plot, topped by vivid, larger-than-life characterization and enthralling locations.

Rockstar doesn't often carry over its characters across iterations, but there are some exceptions when characters appear in multiple games. This not only serves as a connection across different games in the series but also acts as a nostalgia element for players. These characters are mostly seen making a cameo appearance, except for a few times when they are offered a lead role.

Here's a list of the five best characters who have appeared more than once in the GTA series.

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5 best GTA characters that appear in multiple games

1) Claude

Claude is one of the most iconic characters in the series, and he is the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto 3, which was set in 2001. He also appeared as a minor character in San Andreas as well as in Grand Theft Auto Online as a parent character model.

Rockstar Games stated that by 2001, Claude was a drifter, probably from the west coast, new to Liberty City, with no known family history. He appears to be a calm and emotionless character and stands out in a series full of big-mouthed criminals.

Claude is a notorious murderer and takes orders from his bosses without reluctance or complaint. In GTA San Andreas, he appears in the famous mission: “Wu Zi Mu and Farewell, My Love...” Claude is a fitting reflection of the cynical world that Grand Theft Auto is.

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2) Catalina

Catalina is undoubtedly one of the most despicable characters in GTA’s 3D universe. She appears as the antagonist in this iteration, opposite Claude, and also as one of the main characters in San Andreas. Catalina is an extremely self-centered, hot-headed, destructive, and reckless woman. In her own words, she is also a misandrist.

In GTA 3, she was the love interest of Claude, whom he eventually cheated on, bringing herself into his line of target. She has appeared in a number of missions across San Andreas, where she is the leader of the Colombian Cartel. It is strongly implied that she has sadistic and cannibalistic tendencies.

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3) Fernando Martinez

Fernando Martinez has been a long-running radio host in many games in the series, working on and off for 30 years. He has appeared in almost every Grand Theft Auto game from the 3D Universe onward, except for GTA Advance, Liberty City Stories, GTA 4, and Chinatown Wars. Martinez holds the record for the second-highest number of appearances in the series.

He is a toxic, narcissistic, and chauvinistic personality who takes pride in his idea of being good at wooing women. It was eventually revealed that he was an illegal immigrant who entered the US by outrunning a speed boat, probably referencing the country's Border Patrol. He often refers to himself in the third person and holds sexist views on women.

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4) Lazlow Jones

Jeffrey Crawford "Lazlow" Jones is an American talk show host who, in real life, was involved in writing and producing Grand Theft Auto games. He also voices the character Lazlow Jones in many games in the series.

Lazlow is undoubtedly a very notable character in the series and plays a radio host with a 30-year-long career in the media. He comes across as one of the more sane, stable, and seemingly decent people in the Grand Theft Auto universe, especially on the radio.

Lazlow has appeared in almost every main game of the series, including the HD Universe and the latest Grand Theft Auto 5 iteration. In real life, he contributed to the series by providing political and cultural satire on the radio and writing dialogue for street NPCs.

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5) Salvatore Leone

Leone appears as the secondary antagonist in GTA 3 and also in San Andreas and Liberty City Stories. He is the Sicilian Don of the Leone Organization, a large Mafia family centered in Liberty City. His original name was Frankie Sorvino, presumably a reference to his voice actor, Frank Vincent. Salvatore's beta model appears on posters for the movie Badfellas in the game. This is a reference to the film Goodfellas, in which actor Frank Vincent starred.

Leone appears in a lot of missions across the series and generally assigns missions to the protagonists. He also resembles Frankie Pentangeli, a character from The Godfather Part II, especially in GTA 3. Many aspects of his character and the back story behind it are based on those of real-life John "The Teflon Don" Gotti.

GTA has been a pioneer in featuring characters inspired by notable actors from film as well as television, and this has definitely added to the glam and glory of the series. Players are excited to see which characters might return to the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6.

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