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However, occasionally, a character will crop up in a few different games in the series. They rarely have a big part to play in every title they’re in, but they serve as nice little nods to previous adventures. Plus, they act as reminders that some games take place in the same universe. The following characters are some of the more prominent examples.

Updated December 12, 2021 by Jason Wojnar: Plenty of Grand Theft Auto fans are playing through the old PS2 trilogy once again thanks to the re-release for modern consoles. Unfortunately, the package came with tons of technical issues that the developers are currently hard at work fixing through patches. The trilogy’s quality still shines through even with these rough spots. To celebrate the re-release, this list has been revisited with more characters from the old trilogy who showed up in at least two of the three games.

13 Maria (GTA 3, San Andreas)

Maria is a big supporting character in Grand Theft Auto 3. She is the reason the game’s protagonist has to flee Portland. By the end of the game, she is safe and the two walk into the sunset, though some theorize the main character kills her as the credits roll.

She has a small role in San Andreas which shows how she and Salvatore Leone meet. She works in a Las Venturas casino and the mob boss charms her and ends up bringing her back to Liberty City.

12 Donald Love (GTA 3, Vice City)

Players take missions from Donald Love near the end of Grand Theft Auto 3. The game ends with the businessman mysteriously disappearing. To this day, his whereabouts are unknown. He shows up in one scene in Vice City, where players learn where the character developed his business acumen.

Avery Carrington mentored Donald Love, as seen in Vice City. Love even directly quotes his teacher during Grand Theft Auto 3. In the third numbered entry, he is played by Kyle MacLachlan, famous for films like Blue Velvet and the television show Twin Peaks.

11 Phil Cassidy (GTA 3, Vice Cty)

In Grand Theft Auto 3, one mission tasks the protagonist with protecting an army surplus store from an attack by Colombian Cartel gangsters. The store belongs to a guy named Phil, a man with the use of only one arm.

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He shows up again in Vice City where he is a more fleshed-out character. He has more of a personality and players learn how he lost his arm. Players use him in a bank robbery for the Malibu Club asset and then can buy weapons from his place. Phil was memorably voiced by Gary Busey in Vice City.

10 Ken Rosenberg (Vice City, San Andreas)

While not every aspect of Vice City holds up today, the characters are still pretty good. And one of the better ones is Ken Rosenberg, who sticks by Tommy Vercetti’s side from the opening drug deal. He regularly gives him missions and generally helps out in building Tommy’s empire.

Rosenberg turns back up in San Andreas, although his life isn’t in great shape as he’s made some powerful enemies. Luckily for him, he’s introduced to another capable protagonist in CJ, who lends a hand.

9 Johnny Klebitz (GTA 4, GTA 5)

The public opinion on Johnny Klebitz is mixed as not many would consider him among either the best or worst characters in the series’ HD universe. However, he has a substantial part to play in GTA 4, especially during the Lost and Damned expansion, where he serves as the main character.

During the DLC, Johnny tries to keep his motorcycle gang running despite the actions of its crazed leader Billy Grey. The biker meets an even more insane individual in GTA 5, as partway through the game, he confronts Trevor about sleeping with his girlfriend. The discussion ends with Johnny getting his head beaten into the ground.

8 Kent Paul (Vice City, San Andreas)

The cocky British man Kent Paul is one of Tommy Vercetti’s most important allies during Vice City. His great intel and strong contacts make him very useful to Tommy despite being insufferable at times. Paul also manages the rock group, Love Fist.

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In San Andreas, Kent becomes an acquaintance of CJ as the protagonist helps him out with a few things. Paul doesn’t seem to do much in return; he just hangs around occasionally.

7 Toni Cipriani (GTA 3, Liberty City Stories)

Toni Cipriani first appears in GTA 3 as a high-ranking member of Salvatore Leone’s organization. The mobster uses Claude to help take down the Triads in various missions. His role increase in Liberty City Stories as he becomes a protagonist – albeit not one of the series best ones.

In the game, Toni is returning to organized crime after laying low for murder, and his goal is to work his way back up the ranks of the Leone Family. It all takes place three years before GTA 3.

6 Karen Daniels (GTA 4, GTA 5, GTA Online)

Early in GTA 4, Niko meets a nice girl called Michelle and starts dating her. However, it’s later revealed that her real name is Karen, and she’s an undercover government agent. She uses Niko to get her hands on Elizabeta’s cocaine and then takes her ex to the United Liberty Paper to do their bidding.

While those actions are bad enough, Karen is even meaner in her brief appearance in GTA 5 as she brutally interrogates an innocent man. She also shows her face in one of GTA Online’s less lucrative heists.

5 Patrick McReary (GTA 4, GTA 5, GTA Online)

Niko gets betrayed a lot during his adventures in Liberty City, but someone who always remains loyal is Patrick McReary. The two criminals team up on a litany of jobs together, which involve stealing, killing, and even some kidnapping.

Patrick’s stealing talents come in handy again during GTA Online and GTA 5 when he helps the protagonists with some heists. Although, to assist the likes of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, Patrick first needs to be found in a piece of easily missable side content.

4 Salvatore Leone (GTA 3, San Andreas, Liberty City Stories)

Throughout San Andreas, Liberty City Stories, and GTA 3, Salvatore Leone serves as the Don of the Leone family. He regularly gives out missions to each game’s protagonist, and most involve weakening rival organizations to keep the Leones on top.

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Yet, Salvatore is not the best at maintaining his relationships with his allies as both GTA 3’s Claude and San Andreas’s CJ eventually fall out with the man.

3 Catalina (GTA 3, San Andreas)

It doesn’t take Catalina long to make herself one of the worst characters of the 3D era. In the opening scene of GTA 3, she betrays her boyfriend and partner in crime, Claude. Then for the rest of the game, the protagonist intends to hunt her down.

Multiple in-universe years earlier, Catalina is in a turbulent relationship with San Andreas’ CJ as the two go on a crime spree together. She eventually dumps him too.

2 Lazlow Jones (Various)

Since GTA 3, Lazlow’s has been in every main game of the series. Most of the time, his voice can only be heard via radio as he is a media personality.

Lazlow debuts in the flesh during GTA 5, where his treatment of Tracey De Santa puts him on both her father Michael’s and Trevor’s radar. And as he isn’t one of the better characters in the game, it’s fun to see the two criminals put the guy in his place.

1 Claude (GTA 3, San Andreas)

Despite never saying a word, Claude is one of the series’ most iconic characters. In GTA 3, he’s the protagonist who spends the entire game trying to get revenge on his backstabbing ex-girlfriend, Catalina.

Before their violent breakup, Claude serves as her new man during San Andreas. The then-happy couple competes against her ex CJ in a race. Seeing the two significant characters’ face-off is cool, even with the unlikable Catalina there.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition was released on November 11, 2021 and is currently available on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.

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