Antagonists, sometimes referred to as archenemies or villains, are the polar opposite of the protagonist, typically serving as the main threat that the hero must overcome. A story may have multiple antagonists, though there is usually only one main villain.
In the Grand Theft Auto games, the antagonist is usually a person that has betrayed or hurt the protagonist on a personal and social level or is motivated by revenge for a past action committed either intentionally or unintentionally by the protagonist, and spends the game moving against the protagonist in multiple ways. In this list the main antagonist is listed first for each game.
Description of Most Antagonists[]
In the GTA games, the main antagonist is sometimes introduced at the very beginning of the game (i.e. Catalina, Frank Tenpenny), often as an ally or friend (Sonny Forelli, Vinnie, Wu Lee). Sometimes, the antagonist is the main reason that the protagonist visits the area that the game is set in, and the reason the events of the game take place (a perfect example of this is Darko Brevic). In most GTA games, the antagonist usually fakes a friendship or business relationship with the protagonist then eventually reveals their true intentions to the protagonist and betrays them, becoming their main enemy (Lance Vance, Big Smoke, Dimitri Rascalov). This often occurs when he/she abruptly opens fire on the protagonist. The main character always hunts down and eliminates the main antagonist eventually, usually in a major battle at the end of the game.
There are both main and secondary antagonists of the game; the main antagonist is generally the one who causes the most drama to the game's story and ultimately commits the crimes that causes the most emotional anger in the protagonist. Secondary antagonists are characters who end up playing muchly the same role, but to a lesser degree. Often, the main and secondary antagonists have some sort of affiliation with each other (Sonny Forelli and Lance Vance, Frank Tenpenny and Big Smoke, Devin Weston and Steve Haines). Grand Theft Auto Online is a notable exception to this trend because it barely has any secondary antagonists (minus Cliffford). Instead, the game's antagonists have little to no affiliation with each other and act as the main antagonists of their own individual storylines where they go up against the GTA Online Protagonist. Grand Theft Auto Online is also a progressive game with a timeline matching real-world events so some of its antagonists have made their debut as far back as 2017 while others have shown up as recently as 2023.
Antagonists usually have a gang behind them for protection. The protagonist will battle the antagonist's group and either wipe it out or take it over. In all games except for Grand Theft Auto Online, the main antagonist dies (in every case but one by the protagonist's hand) and is sometimes joined by the secondary antagonist at the end of the game in a final battle, which wraps up the main storyline.
List of Prominent Antagonists[]
2D Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto[]
Samuel Deever | Samuel Deever is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto, appearing as the protagonist's boss in the fifth chapter "Bent Cop Blues" and in the introduction of the sixth chapter "Rasta Blasta". In his VCPD rap sheet, it is revealed that he is a cannibal, sexual harasser, and incestuous and has been convicted for crimes for almost a decade. By 1997, he is the leader of the Vice Squad in Vice City, and once the protagonist arrives in the city, he blackmails them into doing several jobs for him. After Deever orders the protagonist to kill a Rasta member, the latter is contacted by Brother Marcus and invited to join the Rastas; if the player declines, they are forced to join the gang anyway for protection from Deever, after they are tricked into killing his wife. Later, during a mission for Brother Marcus, the protagonist is tasked with destroying the hideout of a "Babylon high priest", which turns out to be Deever's home. The protagonist proceeds to kill Deever and destroy his house and limousine. | |
Mission appearances: Bent Cop Blues (Boss; All missions), Rasta Blasta - Introduction (Boss), Rasta Blasta - Phone 5 (Killed) | ||
Bryson | Bryson is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto, appearing in the second chapter "Mandarin Mayhem" and the third chapter "Tequila Slammer". He is a mysterious man who contacts the protagonist twice in San Andreas, and on both occassions has them pick up an item for him, which turns out to be rigged with a bomb. After forcing the protagonist to do his bidding by threatening to detonate the bomb, Bryson challenges them to kill him, which they proceed to do. | |
Mission appearances: Mandarin Mayhem - Phone 5: Mission 2 (Boss), Tequila Slammer - Phone 8: Mission 2 (Semi-Boss; Killed) | ||
"Bald Man" Sonetti | "Bald Man" Sonetti is the unseen tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto, being mentioned in the first two chapters, "Gangsta Bang" and "Heist Almighty". He is the leader of the Sonetti Crime Family in New Guernsey, and the main rival of Robert "Bubby" Seragliano from the Vercotti Crime Family in Liberty City. The protagonist spends the early part of the game working for Bubby and killing many of Sonetti's men and sabotaging his businesses, until they are warned off messing with Sonetti again by one of his men. However, the protagonist continues to do so anyway and eventually kills Sonneti by blowing up a building he was in. | |
Mission appearances: Heist Almighty - Cossie (Killed off-screen) |
Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and 1961[]
The Crisp Twins (Albert & Archie) |
The Crisp Twins are the main antagonists of Grand Theft Auto: London 1969. Regarded as the most powerful crime lords in London, they are the bosses of Harold Cartwright and Jack Parkinson, who are trying to become independent. Albert is considered the brains of the operation and gives instructions to the protagonist while Archie remains silent. The final mission of GTA London 1969 has the protagonist attempt to assassinate the Crisp Twins by blowing up their car with them in it, though this only succeeds in injuring them. The twins then announce their intentions to move away from London to make sure the protagonist "won't throw a bleeding A-Bomb next time." | |
Mission appearances (GTA London 1969): Chelsea Smile - Copper (Walkie-talkie), Chelsea Smile - Ranger (Walkie-talkie), Chelsea Smile - Ending (Bosses), Dead Certainty - Phonebox 1: Mission 2 (Bosses/Phonecall/Walkie talkie), Dead Certainty - Phonebox 3: Mission 1 (Bosses/Walkie talkie), Dead Certainty - Phonebox 3: Mission 2 (Bosses/Walkie talkie), Dead Certainty - Ending (Defeated) | ||
Hans Nemesis | "Hans Nemesis" is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and a minor unseen antagonist in Grand Theft Auto: London 1961. "Hans Nemesis" is the codename of the leader of an Austrian terrorist cell operating in London. Nothing is known about him besides that he is a genocidal megalomaniac who wants to destroy Great Britain. The protagonist foils Hans' schemes after being mistaken for secret agent Endeavour Chambers by the latter's superiors, eventually prompting Hans to confront them in a wheelchair, before taking his own life. | |
Mission appearances (GTA London 1969): Chelsea Smile - Walkie Talkie Mission, Dead Certainty - James Bomb (Suicide) |
Grand Theft Auto 2[]
Grand Theft Auto 2 does not feature any "real" antagonist or a prominent archenemy for the GTA 2 Protagonists. The game is focused on the players doing several jobs for different gang bosses around three different districts of Anywhere City to gain respect from them, while also secretly working against them. Once all jobs from each gang from a city district are completed, the protagonist themselves betray the gang leaders, tracks down and kills all of them, and later flees the city with the money they earned.
3D Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
Catalina | Catalina is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto III, and a member (later leader) of the Colombian Cartel in Liberty City. She betrays long time boyfriend Claude during a bank robbery, shooting him in the chest and leaving him for dead. Claude survives the ordeal and later begins working against the Cartel on behalf of several employers, eventually running into Catalina again, though she escapes. After this, Catalina sends several hit squads after Claude, which he eliminates, and kills Yakuza leader Asuka Kasen and her former right-hand man Miguel to stop Claude's attacks against the Cartel. She also kidnaps Maria Latore to lure Claude into a trap, resulting in a final showdown, which ends with Claude destroying the helicopter she was in with a rocket launcher. | |
Mission appearances: Introduction (betrayal), Cutting the Grass, Grand Theft Aero, The Exchange (killed) | ||
Salvatore Leone |
Salvatore Leone is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto III. The Don of the Leone Crime Family, he meets Claude through his son Joey and subordinates Luigi Goterelli and Toni Cipriani, who Claude was working for at the time, and subsequently decides to hire him for a few jobs. However, after his trophy wife Maria Latore lies to him about having an affair with Claude in an attempt to make him jealous, an increasingly paranoid Salvatore betrays Claude and attempts to kill him with a car bomb. Maria informs Claude of the trap, who escapes with her to Staunton Island, later returning to Portland to kill Salvatore as he left Luigi's Sex Club 7 to prove his loyalties to the Leone Family were over. | |
Mission appearances: Salvatore's Called a Meeting, Chaperone, Cutting the Grass, Bomb Da Base: Act I, Last Requests (betrayal), Sayonara Salvatore (killed) | ||
Miguel |
Miguel is the tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto III. He is the right-hand man of the Colombian Cartel and betrayed Claude alongside Catalina during a bank robbery in Liberty City. He continues to work alongside Catalina until he is kidnapped by Yakuza leader Asuka Kasen who, believing the Cartel killed her brother Kenji, begins to torture him. Miguel reveals a number of the Cartel's operations to Asuka, with Claude acting against them, until he and Asuka are both killed by Catalina in an attempt to stop Claude. | |
Mission appearances: Introduction (betrayal), Cutting the Grass, Grand Theft Aero, Bait, Espresso-2-Go!, S.A.M. (killed off-screen), Ransom (corpse) |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
Sonny Forelli |
Sonny Forelli is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. He is the Don of the Forelli Crime Family in Liberty City and an old friend of Tommy Vercetti, whom he betrayed in 1971 by sending him into a death trap. Tommy survived the ordeal and was sent to prison, where Sonny was able to pull some strings to have him released in 1986. Sonny then sends Tommy to oversee a drug deal with the Vance Brothers in Vice City as part of his plans to expand down south, but the deal is ambushed, resulting in the loss of both the drugs and Sonny's money. He subsequently orders Tommy to find the person behind the ambush, regularly calling him to make threats. After Tommy becomes the kingpin of Vice City, Sonny, annoyed at his independence, sends collectors to Tommy's businesses, before deciding to go to Vice City himself. After Sonny reveals his alliance with Lance Vance, who informed him of Tommy's plan to con him with counterfeit money, a shootout ensues in which both Sonny and Lance are killed by Tommy. | |
Mission appearances: In The Beginning..., An Old Friend, Keep Your Friends Close... (killed) | ||
Lance Vance |
Lance Vance is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Lance, co-leader of the Vance Crime Family, is a drug dealer who participated in a failed drug deal with the Forelli Crime Family, including Tommy Vercetti. After witnessing his brother's death, he begins to work with Tommy to track down the man responsible. The two later discover it to be the city drug baron Ricardo Diaz and, after briefly working for him, they kill him and take control of his assets. Lance, however, later begins to feel neglected by Tommy and forms an alliance with Forelli Crime Family Don Sonny Forelli, although the two are later killed by Tommy in his mansion. | |
Mission appearances: In The Beginning..., Back Alley Brawl, Guardian Angels, Phnom Penh '86, Supply & Demand, Death Row, Rub Out, Shakedown, Bar Brawl, Cop Land, Hit the Courier, Keep Your Friends Close... (betrayal/killed) | ||
Ricardo Diaz |
Ricardo Diaz is the tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Diaz, the leader of Diaz' Gang and the drug baron of Vice City, uses his connections with Gonzalez to ambush the drug deal between the Forelli Crime Family and the Vance Crime Family. Later, on the recommendation of friend Juan Cortez, he hires Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance, unaware they are the victims of the ambushed drug deal. The two work for Diaz to learn how to run his criminal empire, before killing him in his mansion. | |
Mission appearances: The Party, Guardian Angels, The Chase, Phnom Penh '86, The Fastest Boat, Supply & Demand, Rub Out (killed) |
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
Frank Tenpenny |
Frank Tenpenny is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He is the leader of the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (C.R.A.S.H.) division of the Los Santos Police Department alongside Eddie Pulaski and Jimmy Hernandez. He believes in setting the gangs of Los Santos against each other and helps the Ballas and Grove Street Families member Big Smoke in his attempts to kill Sweet. Tenpenny also blackmails Sweet's brother Carl into doing several jobs meant to prevent C.R.A.S.H.'s corruption from going public, by thereatening to harm his family and frame him for the murder of Officer Ralph Pendelbury (which Tenpenny ordered himself). Eventually, Tenpenny's crimes get exposed after Hernandez goes rogue and he is arrested, though he is acquitted in his trial, resulting in violent riots across Los Santos. Carl encounters Tenpenny one last time when the latter comes to Big Smoke's crack palace, and later chases him around Los Santos, resulting in Tenpenny dying after he crashes his firetruck. | |
Mission appearances: In the Beginning, Running Dog, Wrong Side of the Tracks, Catalyst, Burning Desire, Gray Imports, The Green Sabre, Body Harvest,555 We Tip (voice), Snail Trail, Misappropriation, High Noon, End of the Line (death) | ||
Big Smoke |
Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Smoke is a childhood friend of Carl Johnson and a high-ranking member of the Grove Street Families who, prior to the events of the game, secretly betrayed the gang and allied himself with the Ballas and C.R.A.S.H., helping them with their plans to kill Sweet and profit off the drug trade. After Carl's return to Los Santos, Smoke works with him for his own benefit, until Carl eventually discovers his betrayal. However, Carl is stopped from interfering with his plans by C.R.A.S.H., and Smoke ends up building a drug empire in Los Santos, allying himself with more gangs like the Vagos, the Russian Mafia and San Fierro Rifa. Carl, upon his return to Los Santos, takes control of the Families again with Sweet and later confronts Smoke, killing him in his crack palace. | |
Mission appearances: Big Smoke, Sweet & Kendl, Tagging Up Turf, Cleaning the Hood, Drive-Thru, Nines and AK's, Drive-By, OG Loc, Running Dog, Wrong Side of the Tracks, Just Business, Reuniting the Families, The Green Sabre (betrayal), End of the Line (killed) | ||
Ryder |
Lance "Ryder" Wilson is the tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Similarly to Big Smoke, he is a childhood friend of Carl Johnson and a high-ranking member of the Grove Street Families who secretly betrayed the gang and allied himself with the Ballas and C.R.A.S.H. to profit off the drug trade. After Carl's return to Los Santos, Ryder works with him to strengthen the Families in order to maintain appearances, until Carl eventually discovers his and Smoke's betrayal. However, Carl is stopped from interfering with their plans by C.R.A.S.H., and the two end up building a drug empire in Los Santos. Later, while meeting with the Loco Syndicate, their main drug suppliers, in San Fierro, Ryder is confronted by Carl and attempts to escape by boat, though he is killed shortly after. | |
Mission appearances: Sweet & Kendl, Ryder, Cleaning the Hood, Drive-Thru, Nines and AK's, Drive-By, Home Invasion, Catalyst, Robbing Uncle Sam, House Party, Reuniting the Families, The Green Sabre (betrayal), Photo Opportunity, Pier 69 (killed) | ||
Eddie Pulaski |
Eddie Pulaski is the quaternary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He is a member of the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (C.R.A.S.H.) division of the Los Santos Police Department and the most loyal supporter of the division's leader Frank Tenpenny. He and Tenpenny help the Ballas and Grove Street Families member Big Smoke in his attempts to kill Sweet, and blackmail Sweet's brother Carl into doing several jobs meant to prevent C.R.A.S.H.'s corruption from going public. Later, after their partner Jimmy Hernandez goes rogue and notifies internal affairs of their crimes, Tenpenny orders Pulaski to dispose of both him and Carl. Pulaski forces Carl to dig his own grave until Hernandez, believed to be dead after being hit in the head with a shovel, awakens and attacks Pulaski, who fatally shoots him. Pulaski then attempts to flee, but Carl chases him down and kills him. | |
Mission appearances: In the Beginning, Running Dog, Wrong Side of the Tracks, Catalyst, Burning Desire, Gray Imports, The Green Sabre, Snail Trail, Misappropriation, High Noon (killed) |
Grand Theft Auto Advance[]
Vinnie |
Vinnie is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto Advance and an old friend and partner-in-crime of Mike, acting as his mentor. Vinnie convinces Mike to pull off a few more jobs with him (primarily for the Mafia) before they leave Liberty City behind and retire with their ill-gotten gains. Unfortunately, their plan comes to a halt when Vinnie is killed in a 'mysterious explosion' which also destroys all of their money. Mike then works for various criminals throughout the city to discover the identity of Vinnie's killer but later discovers that Vinnie faked his own death in order to escape with all their money, claiming that he was getting too old and realizing Mike's loyalty to him. Mike, angry at Vinnie's betrayal and the murders of friends Jonnie and Cisco at his hands, kills him, though not before Vinnie warns him that all of the city's small-time criminals will target him for his money. | |
Mission appearances: Jump Start, Dirty Laundry, Hot Wheels, Ill-Gotten, Payback, Fake IDs, Getaway, Truth Revealed (betrayal/killed) | ||
King Courtney |
King Courtney is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto Advance. He is the leader of the Uptown Yardies and one of Mike's employers, hiring him for a few jobs after the latter accuses him of ordering the death of his friend Jonnie. King Courtney convinces Mike that they are after the same person, since Jonnie owed him money, and proposes an alliance to track down Jonnie's killer. Eventually, he tells Mike that the culprit was Cisco, the leader of the Colombian Cartel, but when Mike confronts Cisco, he learns that King Courtney lied to him, so he cuts ties with him. After Mike acquires Vinnie's fortune upon killing him, King Courtney tries to have him murdered, wishing to take the money for himself, but Mike confronts him at his compound, taking out his guards and almost killing him. However, Mike is forced to spare King Courtney due to the LCPD's arrival and later flees the city. | |
Mission appearances: Race to Run, Latin Coffee, The Big Score, Fine Dining (betrayal), Assault Joint (Defeated) |
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
Massimo Torini |
Massimo Torini is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. The underboss of the Sicilian Mafia in the "Old Country" led by Uncle Leone, Massimo flies to Liberty City to 'bring peace' between the Leone, Forelli and Sindacco families. Torini, however, is sent with secret instructions to form alliances with the Liberty City Triads and the Diablos, helping them to take over territory in Portland, in order to weaken the criminal underworld in the city before men from the "Old Country" arrived to take control. Whilst the Sindaccos are pushed out completely and the Forellis are severely weakened, the Leones remain thanks to the work of Toni Cipriani, who later helps Salvatore Leone chase and kill Torini in order to rescue Mayor Miles O'Donovan, whom Torini had kidnapped to prevent him from dropping the charges against Salvatore following his release from prison. | |
Mission appearances: Calm Before the Storm, The Sicilian Gambit (killed) | ||
Paulie Sindacco |
Paul "Paulie" Sindacco is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and the Don of the Sindacco Crime Family in Liberty City. He is a relative (possibly father) of the late Sindacco member, Johnny Sindacco, whose family capitalised on Sonny Forelli's death to gain a foothold in Liberty City's underworld. His nickname "The Invisible Don" stems from the fact that people from outside the family rarely see him due to his being on the move between Liberty City and Las Venturas on a day-to-day basis. Using money from their casinos in Las Venturas to fund their expansion in Liberty City, the Sindaccos fight the Leone and Forelli families on both Portland and Staunton Island, managing to conquer some of their turf. However, one of Paulie's own men, Joseph Daniel O'Toole, works with Toni Cipriani to sabotage his operations, and Paulie himself is killed when Toni shoots him down in his boat as he attempted to flee the city, dealing a major blow to the Sindaccos which forces them to leave Liberty City for good. | |
Mission appearances: Taking the Peace, Dead Reckoning (killed) | ||
Vincenzo Cilli |
Vincenzo Cilli is the tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. He is a member of the Leone Crime Family and an old associate of Toni Cipriani who, during Toni's absence from Liberty City, was promoted to the rank of caporegime. Salvatore Leone assigns Toni to Vincenzo's crew once he returns to the city, but Vincezo gives him only menial tasks. Eventually, Vincenzo becomes jealous of Toni's growing closeness with Salvatore and attempts to set him up, sending him to drive a Banshee full of drugs away from a police ambush. Toni escapes and destroys the car in retaliation, ending his association with Vincenzo. Some time later, Vincenzo calls Toni and pretends to want to make amends for Salvatore's sake, asking him to meet him in the hull of a freighter docked in Atlantic Quays. When Toni arrives, Vincenzo and his men ambush him, but Toni ends up killing all of them. | |
Mission appearances: Home Sweet Home, Slacker, Dealing Revenge(voice), Snuff, Smash and Grab, Hot Wheels (betrayal), The Portland Chainsaw Masquerade (killed) |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
Jerry Martinez |
Jerry Martinez is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. A corrupt army sergeant, he maintains connections with various criminals in Vice City and is heavily involved in the drug trade. He convinces Victor Vance to also become involved in the criminal lifestyle, but eventually betrays and frames him for concealing drugs and bringing a prostitute to Fort Baxter, resulting in Victor's discharge from the army. Martinez then continues to taunt Victor and even attempts to have him killed. Victor conspires with his brother Lance to steal Martinez' drug shipment as payback, which later turns out to belong to Armando and Diego Mendez, resulting in Martinez entering police protection. Martinez decides to strike back and kidnaps Louise Cassidy-Williams, Victor's love interest, savagely beating her. He also convinces the Mendez Brothers to turn on Victor and Lance, resulting in Louise's death. Martinez is ultimately killed by Victor during a shootout atop the Mendez Compound, along with Diego Mendez. | |
Mission appearances: Soldier, Cleaning House, Conduct Unbecoming, Truck Stop, Marked Men (betrayal), From Zero to Hero (unseen), Brawn of the Dead (voice), The Mugshot Longshot, Last Stand (killed) | ||
Armando Mendez | Armando Mendez is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. One of the co-leaders of the Mendez Cartel, along with his brother Diego, Armando is a drug baron of Vice City and first meets Victor and Lance Vance when the Vance brothers attempt to make peace by stating they had no involvement in the theft of one of their drug shipments. The Mendez brothers buy their lie, but threaten to kill the Vance brothers unless they work for them, which they agree to do. However, after Jerry Martinez exposes the Vance brothers' lie, Armando and Diego turn on them and make an attempt on their lives, which they survive. Victor retaliates by using a Domestobot to destroy the Mendez brothers' bearer bonds, and later kills Armando after he kidnapped and fatally wounded his love interest Louise Cassidy-Williams. | |
Mission appearances: The Mugshot Longshot, Hostile Takeover, Unfriendly Competition, High Wire, Burning Bridges (betrayal), Domo Arigato Domestoboto, Light My Pyre (killed) | ||
Diego Mendez | Diego Mendez is the tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. One of the co-leaders of the Mendez Cartel, along with his brother Armando, Diego is a drug baron of Vice City and first meets Victor and Lance Vance when the Vance brothers attempt to make peace by stating they had no involvement in the theft of one of their drug shipments. The Mendez brothers buy their lie, but threaten to kill the Vance brothers unless they work for them, which they agree to do. However, after Jerry Martinez exposes the Vance brothers' lie, Armando and Diego turn on them and make an attempt on their lives, which they survive. After Victor murders Armando, Diego retreats to the Mendez Compound in Downtown Vice City, where he is ultimately killed by Victor in a shootout along with Jerry Martinez, wiping out the Mendez Cartel for good. | |
Mission appearances: The Mugshot Longshot, Unfriendly Competition, Burning Bridges (betrayal), Last Stand (killed) | ||
Marty Jay Williams |
Marty Jay Williams is the quaternary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He is the leader of the Trailer Park Mafia, a small-time gang in Vice City running brothels and protection rackets, and the husband of Louise Cassidy-Williams. Marty is introduced to to Victor Vance through his brother-in-law Phil Cassidy, and hires him to help expand and diversify his criminal empire. Marty, however, constantly shows contempt for his wife and his daughter Mary-Beth, with Louise eventually leaving him and moving in with her sister Mary-Jo. Louise later returns to their trailer to get more of her belongings but is kidnapped by her husband, who planned on using her as a prostitute at one of his brothels. Victor, however, rescues Louise and kills Marty, later taking over the Trailer Park Mafia to form the Vance Crime Family. | |
Mission appearances: Shakedown, Fear the Repo, Waking Up the Neighbors, O, Brothel, Where Art Thou?, Got Protection?, D.I.V.O.R.C.E. (betrayal/killed) |
HD Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
Dimitri Rascalov |
Dimitri Rascalov is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV. He is a cunning and manipulative criminal mastermind, using the people around him to get what he wants and discarding them once they outlive their usefulness. Dimitri is first introduced as the right-hand man and best friend of Mikhail Faustin, the head of the Faustin Mafiya, and works alongside Niko Bellic during the latter's employment by Faustin. However, once Niko accidentally starts a war with the Petrovic Mafiya, Dimitri convinces him to kill Faustin to 'make amends', before betraying and trying to kill him. Dimitri then continues to taunt and threaten Niko, even kidnapping his cousin Roman at one point, while Niko in turn sabotages some of Dimitri's own plans. At the end of the game, Dimitri offers to work with Niko and Jimmy Pegorino to profit off a major heroin deal. If Niko accepts the deal, Dimitri again betrays him and sends a hitman after him, who accidentally kills Roman, leading to Niko hunting down and murdering Dimitri. If Niko refuses the deal, he kills Dimitri and all his men aboard the Platypus cargo ship where they were loading the heroin, though this comes with consequences of its own. | |
Mission appearances: Crime and Punishment, Do You Have Protection?, Final Destination, Rigged to Blow, The Master and the Molotov, Russian Revolution (betrayal), If the Price is Right (voice, Deal), A Revenger's Tragedy (killed, Deal), A Dish Served Cold (killed, Revenge) | ||
Jimmy Pegorino |
Jimmy Pegorino, the Don of the Pegorino Family, is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV. After meeting Niko Bellic at the recommendation of his subordinate Phil Bell, he hires him to help him make a name for himself so that he would be allowed on the Commission. However, the other Mafia families regard Pegorino as a joke, and Pegorino grows more frustrated and paranoid over time, ordering Niko to kill two of his own men he suspected of being rats: Anthony Corrado and Ray Boccino. Later, Pegorino asks Niko to partake in a profitable heroin deal alongside his enemy, Dimitri Rascalov, believing it will help him secure the power he wants. If Niko accepts the deal, Pegorino accomplishes his dream of becoming one of the ruling crime bosses of Liberty City, though only for a short time, as he is later betrayed and killed by Dimitri. If Niko refuses the deal and kills Dimitri, Pegorino tries to take revenge on Niko, but accidentally kills his love interest Kate McReary instead, leading to Niko hunting down and murdering Pegorino. | |
Mission appearances: Pegorino's Pride, Payback, Flatline, Pest Control, One Last Thing, Mr. & Mrs. Bellic (betrayal, Revenge), A Revenger's Tragedy (killed, Deal), Out of Commission (killed, Revenge) | ||
Mikhail Faustin |
Mikhail Faustin is the tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV. He is a Russian criminal and the head of the Faustin Mafiya, who moved to Liberty City with his wife Ilyena, daughter Anna and best friend Dimitri Rascalov during the mid 1990s after using a loophole in the immigration treaty to gain US residency. Though Faustin was once much more cool-headed according to Ilyena and Dimitri, substance abuse has drastically altered his personality. He has become very abusive of his wife and harsh on his daughter and often suffers from violent outbursts. Faustin first meets Niko Bellic when he and Roman are abducted by Andrei following Niko's murder of Faustin's subordinate, Vlad Glebov. Not too bothered by Vlad's death, Faustin releases the pair and hires Niko as his personal hitman. After Faustin sends Niko to kill Lenny Petrovic, the son of mob boss Kenny Petrovic whom he suspected of being a rat, Dimitri betrays his old friend and convinces Niko to eliminate Faustin, allegedly so that he would be spared from Petrovic's wrath. Before his death, Faustin warns Niko that he too will be betrayed by Dimitri, which rings true not long after. | |
Mission appearances: Crime and Punishment, Do You Have Protection?, Final Destination, No Love Lost, Rigged to Blow, The Master and the Molotov (killed) | ||
Vladimir Glebov |
Vladimir "Vlad" Glebov is the quaternary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV. He is a Russian loan shark and member of the Faustin Family operating in Hove Beach. After Niko Bellic moves to Liberty City, Vlad notices his ability to fight and forces him to work for him to pay off his cousin's debts to Vlad. Niko and Roman later discover that Vlad had sex with Mallorie Bardas, Roman's girlfriend, and chase him, with Niko killing Vlad and dumping his body into the river. Although Vlad warns Niko that his bosses will make him pay for killing him, Mikhail Faustin later hires Niko and admits that Vlad was an idiot, showing no remorse for his death. | |
Mission appearances: It's Your Call, Easy Fare, Bull in a China Shop, Hung Out to Dry, Clean Getaway, Ivan the Not So Terrible, Uncle Vlad (killed) | ||
Ray Bulgarin |
Ray Bulgarin is one of two overarching antagonists of Grand Theft Auto IV. He is a Russian crime boss and the leader of the Bulgarin Crime Syndicate, as well as the former employer of Niko Bellic, whom he hired to smuggle people across the Mediterranean Sea, until Niko went into hiding after a botched job. Bulgarin blamed Niko for the loss and vowed to hunt him down. In 2008, he comes to Liberty City to expand his empire and meets up with his old friend Dimitri Rascalov, who sells out Niko to him, though Niko manages to escape the ambush. Later, Bulgarin meets Luis Lopez and Tony Prince at Maisonette 9 and hires the former to help with a few jobs. However, he turns on the pair once he learns of their involvement with a shipment of diamonds that were stolen from him, and attempts to kill them both. After failing several times, he attempts to flee the city, but Luis sabotages his heroin distribution operation and then boards his private jet, killing Bulgarin. | |
Mission appearances: Russian Revolution, Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend | ||
Darko Brevic |
Darko Brevic is one of the two overarching antagonists of Grand Theft Auto IV. Originally from Yugoslavia, he was a friend and comrade of Niko Bellic during the Yugoslav Wars. During the war, however, he sold out the unit to their enemies for $1,000 to help feed his heroin addiction, before later fleeing to Bucharest, Romania. Niko, after moving to Liberty City to find Florian Cravic, who he initially believed to be the traitor, discovers that Darko was to blame. Niko soon receives help from the United Liberty Paper and the Gambetti Family in tracking down Darko, who kidnap him and bring him to Liberty City. After confronting Darko, Niko has the option of sparing him, with Niko realizing that he feels better for letting Darko live with the consequences of his actions, or feeling 'empty' after killing a thankful Darko. | |
Mission appearances: That Special Someone (can be killed) |
The Lost and Damned[]
Billy Grey |
William "Billy" Grey is the main antagonist of The Lost and Damned. Billy is the president of the Alderney chapter of The Lost MC and an old friend of Johnny Klebitz, though their relationship soured after Johnny's girlfriend cheated on him with Billy. At the start of the game, Billy is in court-ordered rehab following his arrest for drug distribution, leaving Johnny as the acting president of The Lost, who manages make peace with the gang's long-time rivals, the Angels of Death. After Billy is released, he wastes no time in re-igniting the war with the Angels and dealing drugs again, much to Johnny's annoyance. After Billy steals some heroin from the Angels, Johnny and Jim Fitzgerald advise him to return it to its rightful owners, the Triads, only for Billy to try to set them both up and have them be killed by the Triads. Johnny and Jim survive the ambush, and Billy is arrested again after the Triads turn on him, though he later makes plans to turn state's evidence against The Lost and enter witness protection, leading to the gang breaking into the Alderney State Correctional Facility and Johnny silencing Billy. | |
Mission appearances: Clean and Serene, Angels in America, It's War, Action/Reaction, This Shit's Cursed (betrayal/arrested), Get Lost (Killed) | ||
Ray Boccino |
Ray Boccino is the secondary antagonist of The Lost and Damned. He is a caporegime in the Pegorino Family and an old business associate of The Lost MC. When the civil war among the members of The Lost starts, Boccino, eager to resume business, betrays Brian Jeremy's hideout to Johnny Klebitz and his allies to that they could kill Brian and end the war. Afterwards, using his connections to Johnny's girfriend Ashley Butler, Boccino convinces Johnny to help him steal $2 million worth of smuggled diamonds, and later sell them to the Jewish Mob, offerign to split the profit 50/50. However, the deal is ambushed, and in the confusion, Johnny decides to betray Boccino and keep the money for himself. In retaliation, Boccino has Jim Fitzgerald kidnapped, although Johnny later rescues him, before Jim is killed by Niko Bellic on Boccino's orders. Johnny planned on killing Boccino as revenge but was advised not to by Thomas Stubbs III as he and the Pegorino Family are under surveillance. Boccino is later killed by Niko. | |
Mission appearances: Action/Reaction, Bad Standing, Diamonds in the Rough, Collector's Item (voice), Was It Worth It? (betrayal) | ||
Brian Jeremy |
Brian Jeremy is the tertiary antagonist of The Lost and Damned. He is a high-ranking member of the Alderney chapter of The Lost MC and the most loyal supporter of the club's president Billy Grey. He and Billy work together to escalate violence against The Lost's rivals, the Angels of Death, and later attempt to set up Johnny Klebitz and Jim Fitzgerald and have them be killed by the Triads. However, Billy is arrested after the Triads turn on him, which Brian blames Johnny for, later starting his own splinter faction with other members of The Lost loyal to Billy and waging war against Johnny's faction. Brian soon informs Ray Boccino of his location, believing Boccino will side with him, but he instead betrays his location to Johnny's faction, leading to Johnny attacking Brian's hideout and confronting him. If Brian is spared, he later meets Johnny again on the streets of Liberty City, where Johnny kills him, after Brian led him into an ambush. | |
Mission appearances: Clean and Serene, Angels in America, It's War, Action/Reaction, Buyer's Market, This Shit's Cursed (betrayal), End of Chapter, Bad Standing (Can be killed), Random Encounter (Killed, if spared) |
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
Wu "Kenny" Lee |
Wu "Kenny" Lee is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. He is the leader of the Lee Family (a sub-sect of the Liberty City Triads) and one of the possible candidates for the spot of Hsin Jaoming's successor. However, Kenny is disgraced after his nephew Huang Lee is ambushed upon arriving in Liberty City and loses the Yu Jian Sword, which Kenny had intended to give to Hsin, forcing him and Huang to work together to keep their business afloat and earn Hsin's favor. After Huang uncovers evidence that rival Triad lieutenants Zhou Ming and Chan Jaoming (Hsin's son) are FIB informants, he and Kenny present it to Hsin, who steps down as Triad leader and names Kenny his successor. After Huang kills Zhou and Chan, he learns that the evidence he recovered was fake, and that Kenny is the true informant and the secret leader of the Wonsu Nodong, but more importantly for Huang, the man who killed his father to obtain Yu Jian. Huang ultimately kills Kenny during a showdown in Hsin's penthouse, avenging his father. | |
Mission appearances: Yu Jian, Pursuit Farce, Under the Gun, Payback, The Wheelman, Tricks of the Triad, Natural Burn Killer, Recruitment Drive, Carpe 'Dime', Store Wars, Copter Carnage, Kenny Strikes Back, Missed the Boat?, By Myriads of Swords, Rat Race, Salt in the Wound (betrayal/killed) | ||
Zhou Ming |
Zhou Ming is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. He is the leader of the Ming Family (a sub-sect of the Liberty City Triads) and one of the possible candidates for the spot of Hsin Jaoming's successor. After Huang Lee does some work for Zhou's rivals for the position, Wu "Kenny" Lee and Chan Jaoming, Zhou contacts him via e-mail and invites him to work for him, having him perform several jobs that have the goal of earning Hsin's favor. Later, Huang obtains evidence that Zhou and Chan are FIB informants, which he presents to Hsin. Hsin steps down as Triad leader and names Kenny his successor, who then orders Huang to kill Zhou and Chan for their betrayal. However, as it is revealed later, the 'evidence' Huang retrieved was actually a fake, and the real traitor was Kenny. | |
Mission appearances: Stealing the Show, Flatliner, Bomb Disposal, Driven to Destruction, Cash & Burn, Dragon Haul Z, The Fandom Menace, So Near, Yet Sonar, Hit from the Tong (false betrayal/killed) | ||
Chan Jaoming |
Chan Jaoming is the tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. He is the son of elderly Liberty City Triads leader Hsin Jaoming and the underboss of his father's sub-sect of the Triads, the Jaoming Family. Chan is competing against Wu "Kenny" Lee and Zhou Ming for the spot of Hsin's successor, and although he seems the most likely candidate to win, everyone, even his own father, considers him 'too stupid' to lead. Chan meets Huang Lee during the latter's work for Kenny, and hires him to help with a few jobs that have the goal of earning Hsin's favor. Later, Huang obtains evidence that Chan and Zhou are FIB informants, which he presents to Hsin. Hsin steps down as Triad leader and names Kenny his successor, who then orders Huang to kill Chan and Zhou for their betrayal. However, as it is revealed later, the 'evidence' Huang retrieved was actually a fake, and the real traitor was Kenny. | |
Mission appearances: Pimp His Ride, Whack the Racers, Jackin' Chan, Raw Deal, Sa-Boat-Age, Counterfeit Gangster, Slaying With Fire, Clear the Pier (false betrayal/killed) | ||
Rudy D'Avanzo |
Rudy D'Avanzo is the quaternary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. He is a member of the Mafia in Liberty City with a strong hatred for the Triads, after they supposedly killed his father in a fish factroy explosion. Rudy contacts Huang Lee during the latter's search for the FIB informant, and lies to him that the rat is Jimmy Capra, a member of the Messina Family, before proposing an alliance to expose Capra as the informant and then kill him. However, Huang's attacks against Capra ruin the Triads' relations with the Messina Family, at which point Hsin Jaoming exposes Rudy's deception to Huang, leading to Huang killing Rudy in revenge. | |
Mission appearances: Grave Situation, Steal the Wheels, The World's a Stooge, Oversights, A Rude Awakening (betrayal/killed) |
The Ballad of Gay Tony[]
Ray Bulgarin |
Ray Bulgarin is one of the two overarching antagonists of Grand Theft Auto IV and the main antagonist of The Ballad of Gay Tony. He is a Russian crime boss and the leader of the Bulgarin Crime Syndicate, as well as the former employer of Niko Bellic, whom he hired to smuggle people across the Mediterranean Sea, until Niko went into hiding after a botched job. Bulgarin blamed Niko for the loss and vowed to hunt him down. In 2008, he comes to Liberty City to expand his empire and meets up with his old friend Dimitri Rascalov, who sells out Niko to him, though Niko manages to escape the ambush. Later, Bulgarin meets Luis Lopez and Tony Prince at Maisonette 9 and hires the former to help with a few jobs. However, he turns on the pair once he learns of their involvement with a shipment of diamonds that were stolen from him, and attempts to kill them both. After failing several times, he attempts to flee the city, but Luis sabotages his heroin distribution operation and then boards his private jet, killing Bulgarin. | |
Mission appearances: Boulevard Baby, Going Deep, Dropping In, In the Crosshairs (betrayal), Ladies Half Price (voice), Departure Time (Killed) | ||
Rocco Pelosi |
Rocco Pelosi is the secondary antagonist of The Ballad of Gay Tony. He is a made man in the Ancelotti Crime Family and a distant relative of Giovanni Ancelotti, to whom Tony Prince is heavily indebted. Rocco and his uncle act as debt collectors, regularly paying visits to and harassing Tony. To cover part of Tony's debt, Luis Lopez agrees to perform a few jobs for Rocco, quickly taking a dislike to him. Eventually, Rocco and his uncle approach Luis and advise him to kill Tony, after Giovanni Ancelotti and Ray Bulgarin come to an agreement that one of them must die for the problems they caused. Luis ultimately refuses to betray Tony, instead shooting Rocco's uncle, while Rocco himself is spared due to his made man status and to avoid further aggravating Ancelotti. After the events of the game, Rocco leaves Liberty City and becomes a corrupt talent agent in Los Santos, returning as a minor antagonist in Grand Theft Auto V, where he is ultimately killed by Michael De Santa. | |
Mission appearances : I Luv LC, Practice Swing, Boulevard Baby, Frosting on the Cake, Party's Over | ||
Timur |
Timur is the tertiary antagonist of The Ballad of Gay Tony. He is a member of the Bulgarin Crime Syndicate and Ray Bulgarin's right-hand man and best friend who accompanies Luis Lopez on his jobs during the latter's work for Bulgarin. After Luis is betrayed by Bulgarin and decides to retaliate, he heads to Funland where Bulgarin's men, Timur included, were supervising a heroin shipment. Once the heroin is destroyed, Timur arrives with backup and confronts Luis, informing him of Bulgarin's intentions to leave Liberty City. Timur then attempts to stop Luis, but he and his men are all killed by him. | |
Mission appearances : Boulevard Baby, Going Deep, Dropping In, Departure Time (Killed) | ||
Uncle Vince |
Vincenzo, better known as "Uncle" Vince, is the quaternary antagonist of The Ballad of Gay Tony. He is the uncle of Rocco Pelosi and, just like him, a member of the Ancelotti Crime Family, acting as a debt collector. Vince and Rocco frequently pay visits to Tony Prince and Luis Lopez to collect the former's debts to Don Giovanni Ancelotti, and take every opportunity to harass them. After Luis and Tony end up targeted by Ray Bulgarin, Vince and Rocco meet with Luis and advise him to kill Tony so that he will earn Bulgarin's favor and be spared. Although he initially accepts, Luis later has "second thoughts" during a meeting with Tony, Rocco, and Vince at Maisonette 9, and kills Vince instead. | |
Mission appearances : I Luv LC, Boulevard Baby, Party's Over (Killed) |
Grand Theft Auto V[]
Devin Weston |
Devin Weston is the main antagonist of Grand Theft Auto V. He is a wealthy investor described by Lester Crest as a 'pseudo-liberal', and a majority shareholder in Merryweather Security. Devin is one of the most powerful and richest men in Los Santos, with connections to everyone from FIB agent Steve Haines to Solomon Richards. He hires Trevor Philips, Franklin Clinton, and Lamar Davis to steal several vehicles for him before refusing to pay them, and uses Michael De Santa in his plan to redevelop the land occupied by the Richards Majestic Productions studio into condominiums. After Michael foils his plan and accidentally causes the death of his lawyer, Devin sends his men to kill Michael's family; however, Michael manages to stop them. Devin later orders Franklin to murder Michael, but Trevor kidnaps him and puts him in the trunk of one of Devin’s cars, before the three protagonists push the car off a cliff, killing him. |
Mission appearances: By the Book, Blitz Play, I Fought the Law..., Eye in the Sky, Deep Inside, Legal Trouble, Meltdown (betrayal), The Third Way (Killed, Option C) | |
Steve Haines |
Steven "Steve" Haines is the secondary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto V. He is a decorated but highly corrupt FIB agent and the host of popular reality show The Underbelly Of Paradise. Using his knowledge of Michael De Santa's past, which he gained from his subordinate agent Dave Norton, Steve blackmails Michael, Trevor Philips, and Franklin Clinton into carrying out several missions against the IAA, before eventually betraying and trying to kill Michael when the agency begins to suspect him. However, this fails as the meeting between Michael and himself is ambushed by the IAA, Merryweather, and a rival FIB team. Steve survives the ordeal and later orders Franklin to kill Trevor, who saved Michael, but Trevor assassinates Steve at a ferris wheel on the Del Perro Pier. |
Mission appearances: Three's Company, By the Book, Blitz Play, Paleto Score Setup, Monkey Business, Cleaning out the Bureau, The Wrap Up (betrayal), Lamar Down, The Third Way (Killed, Option C) | |
Stretch |
Harold "Stretch" Joseph is the tertiary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto V. He is an old friend and associate of Lamar Davis and Franklin Clinton (although the latter developed an antagonistic relationship with him over time) and a senior member of the Chamberlain Gangsters Families, who secretly defected to the Ballas while in prison. In an effort to prove himself to his new gang, Stretch sets up several traps for Lamar, who is repeatedly saved by Franklin. At the end of the game, while meeting with some Ballas to formulate his next plan to kill Lamar, Stretch is murdered by Michael De Santa. |
Mission appearances: The Long Stretch, Lamar Down (betrayal/unseen), The Third Way (Killed, Option C) | |
Wei Cheng |
Wei Cheng is the quaternary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto V. He is the leader of the Los Santos Triads who seeks to expand his drug dealing business into Blaine County, which leads him to consider Trevor Philips as a potential business partner. However, he turns down the partnership in favor of the O'Neil brothers due to Trevor's reckless behavior, leading Trevor to kill the O'Neils. Cheng vows revenge and later sends his men to capture Trevor, but they capture Michael De Santa instead, trying to use him to lure Trevor to them, which fails as Michael is saved by Franklin Clinton. At the end of the game, Cheng is killed by Franklin as he was leaving the Pacific Bluffs Country Club. |
Mission appearances: Bury the Hatchet (phone call), Fresh Meat, The Third Way (Killed, Option C) | |
Molly Schultz |
Molly Schultz is the quinary antagonist of Grand Theft Auto V. She is Devin Weston's lawyer and the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Devin Weston Holdings that also harbors unreciprocated feelings for her boss. She is often the one to handle contacts between Devin and the protagonists. When Devin later asks Molly to take and story a copy of Meltdown, the movie Michael De Santa and Solomon Richards are making, as part of his plan to shut down the studio, Michael begins pursuing Molly in order to recover the movie. Molly, mistakenly believing Michael wants to kill her, panics and crashes her car at Los Santos International Airport, where she is accidentally sucked into a jet engine, killing her. |
Mission appearances: I Fought the Law..., Eye in the Sky, Deep Inside (phone call), Pack Man, Legal Trouble (death) |
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Avon Hertz |
Avon Hertz is the main antagonist of The Doomsday Heist update for Grand Theft Auto Online. He is a billionaire and genius tech mogul formerly affiliated with the IAA, and the creator of of the Cliffford AI neural network. In 2017, Avon hires the GTA Online Protagonist and Lester Crest to perform some extremely dangerous missions that he believes will be beneficial to saving the United States from a devastating conflict. However, after gaining access to San Andreas's defense systems, Avon and Cliffford betray their new associates and reveal their true intentions to trigger a nuclear armageddon. The protagonist subsequently works with Lester, the IAA, and Bogdan to foil Avon and Cliffford's plan, and are ultimately successful, infiltrating a secret facility inside Mount Chiliad they were using and eliminating Cliffford. Avon attempts to escape via Thruster, but the protagonist chases him down and kills him. |
Mission appearances: Setup: Dead Courier, Setup: Signal Intercepts, Setup: Server Farm, The Data Breaches, Setup: Avenger, Setup: Rescue ULP, Setup: Salvage Hard Drives, Setup: Submarine Recon, The Bogdan Problem (Betrayal), The Doomsday Scenario (Killed) | |
Cliffford |
Cliffford is the secondary antagonist of The Doomsday Heist update for Grand Theft Auto Online. "He" is an AI neural network created by Avon Hertz, whom he regards as his "daddy". While initially appearing as friendly and helpful to the GTA Online Protagonist, Lester Crest, and the IAA, whom he assists in their mission to save the United States from certain doom, he is eventually revealed to be just as diabolical and genocidal as his creator, after he and Avon betray the group upon gaining access to San Andreas's defense systems and are revealed to seek the extinction of the human race. However, their plan is foiled by the protagonist and their allies, who breach their secret facility inside Mount Chiliad and destroy all of Cliffford's mobile cloud servers, seemingly erasing him from existence.
Cliffford later returns in The Criminal Enterprises where, five years after his apparent demise, it is revealed that the FIB acquired some backup drives of his AI and sold them to the Duggan Crime Family, who used them for their own ends. After recovering all the drives, the protagonist, on the IAA's behalf, returns to the abandoned Mount Chiliad facility to erase all remaining traces of Cliffford's code, though not before they are ordered to make a single copy which is then seized by the IAA. |
Mission appearances: Setup: Dead Courier, Setup: Signal Intercepts, Setup: Rescue ULP, The Bogdan Problem (Betrayal), The Doomsday Scenario (Offline/Lost in Cyberspace), ULP - Cleanup (Mentioned/Seized by the IAA) | |
Avery Duggan |
Avery Duggan is the main antagonist of The Diamond Casino & Resort update for Grand Theft Auto Online. He is the leader of the Duggan Crime Family, CEO of The Los Santos State Gas Company, and a wealthy businessman who has multiple investments all across the world and a reputation for being extremely ruthless in order to get what he wants. In 2019, Avery and his associates begin causing trouble for the newly opened Diamond Casino & Resort in Los Santos, seeking a hostile takeover. The GTA Online Protagonist is hired by the casino staff to help deal with Avery, but after some failed peace negotiations, the protagonist is forced to defend the casino from Avery's men. Later, Avery's nephew Thornton, who seeks a peaceful end to the conflict and to buy the casino himself, betrays his whereabouts, leading to the protagonist storming Avery's ranch and shooting down his escape helicopter, killing him. |
Mission appearances: Casino - Strong Arm Tactics, Casino - Cashing Out (Killed) | |
Thornton Duggan |
Thornton Duggan is the main antagonist of The Diamond Casino Heist update for Grand Theft Auto Online. He is the nephew of Avery Duggan, older brother of Mason Duggan, the second/current owner of the Diamond Casino & Resort, and the second/current leader of the Duggan Crime Family. In 2019, he supports his uncle in his efforts to forcefully take over the Diamond Casino, but eventually grows tired of the increasing violence and betrays Avery, hiring the GTA Online Protagonist to kill his uncle so that he would inherit his fortune and be able to buy the casino from Tao Cheng. The plan is successful, but Tao's sister Georgina, seeking revenge against Thornton for tricking her brother, later hires the protagonist and Lester Crest to rob the casino as payback. After careful planning, the casino is robbed multiple times, humiliating Thornton and costing him millions due to his insurance premiums. |
Mission appearances: Casino - Strong Arm Tactics, Casino - Bad Beat, Casino - Cashing Out, Casino Heist - Aggressive (Unseen), Casino Heist - The Big Con (Unseen), Casino Heist - Silent & Sneaky (Unseen) | |
The Boss of the Kkangpae |
The Boss of the Kkangpae is the main antagonist of Los Santos Summer Special update for Grand Theft Auto Online. In 2020, he and his gang enter a feud with the GTA Online Protagonist after the destruction of several of his boats at the latter's hands. Following several back-and-forth attacks between the two sides, the protagonist is able to kill the gang leader after storming his yacht and shooting down his escape helicopter, ending the conflict. |
Mission appearances: A Superyacht Life - D-Day (Killed) | |
Juan Strickler (El Rubio) |
Juan Strickler, better known as "El Rubio", is the main antagonist of The Cayo Perico Heist update for Grand Theft Auto Online. He is a notorious narcotrafficker operating out of his own private island, Cayo Perico, in the Caribbean, and a business associate of the Madrazo Cartel. In 2020, after Strickler obtains incriminating files against his family which he threatens to use to blackmail them, Miguel Madrazo hires the GTA Online Protagonist to infiltrate Cayo Perico and retrieve them. The heist is ultimately carried out successfully, after which Miguel destroys the files and suggests that the protagonist take advantage of the weaknesses in Strickler's security system to rob him again whenever they want. The protagonist proceeds to do so numerous times, eventually sending Strickler into a near constant state of drug-fueled anxiety, rage, depression, and paranoia. |
Mission appearances: Heist Prep: Gather Intel, The Cayo Perico Heist | |
Jonathan Henderson (Johnny Guns) |
Jonathan Henderson, better known as "Johnny Guns", is the main antagonist of The Contract update for Grand Theft Auto Online. He is an executive and producer for WesLos Records who has been at odds with Dr. Dre since the 1990s. In late 2020, Guns secretly stole Dre's phone containing numerous unreleased musical tracks, making three copies of it which he subsequently sold to the highest bidder. In 2021, Dre reaches out to Franklin Clinton and the GTA Online Protagonist and hires them to find the thief and retrieve his phone. The protagonist is able to recover all three copies of the phone, though they are too late to prevent some of the tracks from being leaked, before their associate Imani identifies Guns as the culprit. After saving Dre from hitmen hired by Guns to kill him, the protagonist tracks down Guns and eventually subdues him at Los Santos International Airport before deliving him to Dre, who proceeds to savagely beat him with a golf club. |
Mission appearances: Don't Fuck With Dre (Defeated) | |
Mason Duggan |
Mason Duggan is the main antagonist of The Criminal Enterprises update for Grand Theft Auto Online. He is the younger brother of Thornton Duggan, nephew of Avery Duggan, the second CEO of The Los Santos State Gas Company, and a high-ranking member of the Duggan Crime Family. In 2022, he secretly purchases confiscated computer assets from corrupt FIB agents, including backup drives for the Cliffford AI, which he uses to manipulate gasoline prices in San Andreas for higher profits. The GTA Online Protagonist investigates the sudden increase of gas prices on the IAA's behalf and eventually discovers Mason's involvement, while also learning about his next deal with the FIB at the Mile High Club. The protagonist proceeds to ambush the deal, chasing Mason as he attempts to escape via helicopter and eventually gunning him down, recovering the last of the Cliffford tech. |
Mission appearances: ULP - Operation Paper Trail (Killed) | |
Isiah Friedlander |
Dr. Isiah Friedlander is the main antagonist of the second part of the Los Santos Drug Wars update for Grand Theft Auto Online. Friedlander is a renowned therapist best known for his successful TV and radio show and his 2013 bestseller book about his relationship with a retired bank robber codenamed "Marky De Santos". By 2023, he has also founded a psychedelic assisted therapy business, FriedMind Pharmaceutical Corporation. In early 2023, Friedlander has his hired goons steal blacklisted precursor chemicals from the Freakshop and kidnap Labrat so that he could create a new psychedelic drug for his business and earn Friedlander a fortune. The GTA Online Protagonist and Luchadora rescue Labrat and later attempt to kill Friedlander at the Parsons Rehabilitation Center, but the latter escapes after testing his new drug on the protagonist. Friedlander then plans to flee to South America with the stolen chemicals, but his plane is boarded by the protagonist and Luchadora, who take control of it and recover the chemicals while Friedlander parachutes to safety, |
Mission appearances: Last Dose 3 - Friedmind, Last Dose 4 - Checking In, Last Dose 5 - BDKD |
Trivia[]
- Out of the entire Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto Online holds the record for the game with the highest number of prominent antagonists. As of 2023, there are nine in total.
- Second place goes to Grand Theft Auto IV, with a total of six prominent antagonists.
- Ray Boccino, Rocco Pelosi and Ray Bulgarin are antagonists that are killed by another protagonist:
- Ray Boccino was the rival of Johnny Klebitz and was killed by Niko Bellic.
- Rocco Pelosi was the rival of Luis Lopez and was killed by Michael De Santa.
- Ray Bulgarin began as the rival of Niko Bellic and was killed by Luis Lopez, after the latter was also betrayed.
- On a lesser scale, Salvatore Leone wanted to kill Carl Johnson for betraying him and was killed by Claude, who he betrayed years following Carl’s betrayal.
- Lance Vance and Salvatore Leone are also deuteragonists in other games.
- Furthermore, Lance Vance is also the tritagonist in the same game where he is an antagonist.
- In Grand Theft Auto IV, The Lost and Damned, Grand Theft Auto V, and Grand Theft Auto Online, the protagonist can betray a major antagonist, instead of the other way around (as Niko Bellic can betray Jimmy Pegorino in the Revenge ending, Johnny Klebitz betrayed Ray Boccino, Franklin Clinton betrayed Devin Weston and Steve Haines, and the GTA Online Protagonist betrayed Thornton Duggan).
- Ray Boccino was betrayed not only by Johnny, but also by Niko and Pegorino, as Pegorino ordered his death and Niko killed him. This makes Ray Boccino the only antagonist that is betrayed by more than one protagonist.
- Tommy Vercetti is considered to have betrayed Ricardo Diaz and the Forelli Crime Family, his former bosses. In Diaz's case, Tommy planned to kill him and take over his criminal empire from the beginning, similarly to how Carl Johnson inflitrated the Loco Syndicate and killed its members due to their affiliation with Big Smoke and Ryder. However, Tommy's case is more unique as he has betrayed the major antagonists in his storyline. Tommy had his own reasons for betraying Diaz and double crossed the Forellis due to his suspicion of betrayal by his former boss and Forelli Don, Sonny. That makes Tommy's antagonistic relationships more unique as he was wronged by his antagonists and also turned on them before they officially did.
- "Bald Man" Sonetti has the lowest number of appearances out of all prominent antagonists as he is never seen in person once in Grand Theft Auto and is killed off-screen.
- Thornton Duggan also doesn't appear in any missions in GTA Online: The Diamond Casino Heist. However, he does appear in three missions in The Diamond Casino & Resort, even if he doesn't play the role of an antagonist there.
- Darko Brevic, the Kkangpae Boss, Johnny Guns, and Mason Duggan are all tied for the second-lowest number of appearances, each appearing in only one mission.
- Wu "Kenny" Lee has the highest number of appearances out of all antagonists, appearing in sixteen missions in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
- If counting all appearances, not just those from the game in which they serve as an antagonist, then Lance Vance has the most appearances, having been featured in thirty-four missions across Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Vice City Stories.
- Several antagonists are related to each other.
- The Crisp Twins are brothers.
- Armando and Diego Mendez are brothers.
- Rocco Pelosi is Uncle Vince's nephew.
- Avon Hertz created Cliffford, who considers him to be his "father".
- Thornton and Mason Duggan are brothers, and both are Avery Duggan's nephews.
- There are several antagonists who, after their betrayal, never appear again until they are killed: Big Smoke, Vincenzo Cilli, Diego Mendez, Dimitri Rascalov, Billy Grey, Ray Bulgarin, Avon Hertz, and Cliffford.
- There are several antagonists that betray the protagonist in the same mission that they are killed: Lance Vance, Vinnie, Marty Jay Williams, Wu "Kenny" Lee, and Rudy D'Avanzo.
- In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto Online, most of the main antagonists do not initially antagonize the protagonist, but rather their bosses.
- Massimo Torini and Paulie Sindacco to Salvatore Leone.
- Avery Duggan to the Cheng Family.
- Juan Strickler to the Madrazo Family.
- Johnny Guns to Dr. Dre.