Summary
Since it was first founded in 1998,Rockstar Gameshas given us some of the most iconic playable characters in gaming. While their first characters were little more than voiceless avatars, over the years, Rockstar has learned to flesh out their protagonists. These days,Rockstar’s best playable charactersare well-written and multilayered, with distinct personalities and goals.
That being said, being well-written doesn’t mean being likable or sane. Rockstar’s games tend to focus on the darker side of society, and their protagonists are usually criminals and outlaws. This means, rather than the traditional selfless video game hero,Rockstar’s characters tend to be selfish sociopathswho will do whatever it takes to get what they want.
Niko Bellicis one of Rockstar’s most interesting characters. He grew up in Yugoslavia and fought in the Yugoslav Wars before turning to a life of crime. One ofGrand Theft Auto’smost intelligent characters, he decided to leave Eastern Europe behind to chase the American Dream he’d heard so much about in his youth.
Niko is fiercely loyal to his family and close friends, loving his cousin, Roman, like a brother. Whatever trouble Roman gets into, Niko is always there to help him out of it. That sounds pretty selfless, but Niko is a criminal, and will selfishly kill and hurt others to get what he wants. That might mean ruining someone’s day by stealing their car, or it might mean ruining someone’s life by killing someone they love. ThroughoutGrand Theft Auto 4,Niko veers between doing things that seem selfless, and doing jobs that are inherently selfish.
It’s difficult to gauge how selfishArthurtruly is, because it depends so much on the decisions the player makes throughoutRed Dead Redemption 2.He can either be a selfish thug who only cares about himself and betrays those close to him, or an honorable outlaw, always helping those in need. Or somewhere in between.
That means Arthur could be right at the top of this list or near the bottom. Either way, Arthur is at least a little selfish. Like Niko, he’s a criminal, which means, however honorable the player plays he, at some point Arthur is going to ruin an innocent person’s day for profit. When Arthur and the gang became outlaws, they decided to put their own interests above those of others, an undeniably selfish decision.
Formerly Selfish
Red Dead Redemption
America, 1911. The Wild West is dying. When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is forced to pick up his guns again and hunt down the gang of criminals he once called friends. Experience an epic fight for survival across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico, as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time.Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age.
In his own game, the originalRed Dead Redemption,John Marstonseems anything but selfish. He’s on a mission to save his family, but throughout the game he risks his life to help others repeatedly. He’s not even really a criminal anymore, having set up a little farm to live on. He even lets the incredibly annoying Uncle live with them.
Throw in his heroic sacrifice at the end of the original game, and it’s easy to see why so many fans consider John to bethe best character in theRed Dead Redemptionfranchise.But John wasn’t always a hero. The sequel makes it clear that Arthur distrusts John because he used to be a selfish brat. At one point, he abandons his wife and newborn child, and John spends most ofRed Dead Redemption 2regaining everyone’s trust. In other words, John used to be selfish, but grew out of it.
Seeing asClaudenever speaks, and rarely shows a single trace of emotion, it’s pretty difficult to deduce much about his personality. One thing we can say for sure, however, is that he’s pretty selfish.
Claude’s quest for vengeance against Catalina makes him one ofRockstar’s most dangerous characters. Claude will work for and betray anyone as long as it gets him closer to his goal of killing his former lover. He doesn’t care who gets in his way or how many innocents get caught up in the crossfire. Claude’s a criminal through and through, and his mission in life is a purely selfish one. The only reason he isn’t higher here is his lack of characterization means there’s a lot we don’t know about him.
Trevoris pretty much the definition of achaotic evil character inGTA. He’ll murder someone for looking at him the wrong way, and won’t think twice about brutally torturing someone just for fun. His sociopathic tendencies and total lack of concern for others make him selfish, as does his treatment of characters like Ron and poor, poor Wade.
Yet Trevor isn’t that clear-cut. He can also be insanely loyal and repeatedly helps out both Michael and Franklin throughoutGrand Theft Auto 5. He also spends a lot of time and resources looking for his and Michael’s old accomplice, Brad. This selflessness towards his friends lands Trevor a middling spot on the list.
3Franklin Clinton - Grand Theft Auto 5
Overly Ambitious
Fans seem to either love or hateFranklin, and it’s easy to see why. Franklin is largely defined by his selfish ambition. He is the kind of character who is never happy with what he has and always wants more. This is a character trait that tends to push those around him away, like Lamar, his aunt Denise, and his ex-girlfriend Tanisha. Throughout the game, he’s accused by those closest to him of “leaving his homies behind.”
However, he can’t be called Rockstar’s most selfish character. In “Lamar Down”, he risks his life to save his best friend and helps out both Michael and Trevor repeatedly throughout the game. Depending on the ending the player chooses, Franklin is either incredibly selfish and responsible for some ofGrand Theft Auto’sworst character deaths, or selflessly risks his life to save both Michael and Trevor.
Tommydoesn’t care what it takes to get to the top. On his way to becoming Vice City’s drug kingpin, he lies to, steals from, and kills whoever it takes to get ahead, including some of his allies. He shows little regard for others and feels no shame in pushing a drug that ruins people’s lives.
Over time, Tommy’s few positive characteristics, like his loyalty to Lance, also begin to diminish. This can be seen in his treatment of his lawyer, Rosenberg. Rosenberg helps Tommy build his empire, but in the end, Tommy has his former friend disbarred and cuts ties with him, even after the lawyer gets clean. By the time he’s reached the top, Tommy only really cares about himself and is solely focused on becoming richer and more powerful.
1Michael De Santa - Grand Theft Auto 5
Betrayed Trevor And Brad
In the opening mission ofGrand Theft Auto 5,Michaelnot only betrays Trevor and Brad, he gets Brad killed. He then goes into witness protection, where he spends his days as a retiree, living in a mansion and acting as a FIB informant. It’s also made clear that he repeatedly cheated on his wife and is a pretty lousy father.
To sum up, Michael is thoroughly selfish. As revealed during his conversations with his psychiatrist, he only thinks about himself and is completely self-obsessed. While he does occasionally help out those close to him, it’s almost always begrudgingly. He might be one ofthe best characters in theGrand Theft Autofranchise,but he’s selfish on pretty much every level, a trait he managed to pass on to his children.
