From Tommy Vercetti to Lamar Davis, the Grand Theft Auto series has introduced an array of iconic characters in the decades that it’s been around. While most are one-offs, it’s common for characters from different GTA games to be referenced or even appear in other ones.
With the much-anticipated entry, GTA 6, on the horizon, I’ve been thinking a lot about the game, including what characters we might see again during our time in Vice City. So, in this article, I want to take a look at a list of prospects and the likelihood of them actually showing up.
THE THREE UNIVERSES OF GRAND THEFT AUTO
Something important to note is that the GTA series is split up into three separate timelines: the 2D universe, the 3D universe, and the HD universe.
The early top-down games such as GTA 2 and London take place in the 2D universe, whereas games like GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas all exist within the 3D universe. So far, the games in the HD universe are GTA 4, Episodes from Liberty City (GTA 4 DLC), Chinatown Wars, 5, and Online. I also think it’s pretty safe to say that GTA 6 will be part of this timeline as well. So, with that, the only characters we could possibly see appear in GTA 6 are characters from the timeline that the series is currently in.
PROCESS OF ELIMINATION
GTA 5 saw the return of many characters from GTA 4, such as Johnny Klebitz, Ashley Butler, Packie McReary, and Karen Daniels. Not even to mention all of the characters who have appeared through GTA Online updates over the years, with the most recent being the gold-obsessed Yusuf Amir in the Chop Shop update.
It’s hard to say whether GTA 6 will be on the same level in terms of how many familiar characters it includes. At least as far as the single-player is concerned. However, if GTA 5 was able to pull so many characters from GTA 4 alone, then imagine just how many characters they could bring back from all of the previous games in the HD Universe.
While major characters in both GTA 4 and 5 showing up in GTA 6 isn’t far-fetched, it’s probably not likely considering Rockstar would ideally want more room to include characters that are exclusively in 4, 5, or Chinatown Wars. Are you with me so far?
So, based on that, I’ve carved out a list of characters that I don’t believe we’ll see in the next GTA:
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- Ashley Butler
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- Packie McReary
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- Karen Daniels
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- Agent ULP
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- Brucie Kibbutz
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- Tony Prince
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- Yusuf Amir
There are plenty more characters, but those are the ones that I find the least likely to happen. So, who are our prospects?
NIKO BELLIC
I would call this one a long shot, but considering how little we know about GTA 6, seeing my boy Niko again isn’t completely off the table. It would be interesting to see how Niko is fairing considering next to nothing is known about his whereabouts after the events of GTA 4. All we have to go off of is the obligatory reference to him in GTA 5 when Lester says to Michael, “There was an eastern European guy making moves in Liberty City, but… nah, he went quiet.” So, it can be inferred that Niko has retired from a life of crime and is doing well for himself. If this is the case, then it would also make sense for him to move to another city to start a new life.
Also, taking into consideration Niko’s supposed retirement, it wouldn’t make sense for him to play a major role in a crime story, so we can probably expect whatever role he has to be small. Unless they go the Michael Corleone from Godfather Part III route, which I doubt and also wouldn’t want to see. Niko Bellic is a pretty legendary character in the eyes of many, and including him in any capacity could be a major risk, so I can only hope that any appearance he makes in GTA 6 does his character justice.
LUIS LOPEZ
The setting of GTA 6 certainly aids in why I think Luis could pop up in the game. In The Ballad of Gay Tony, not only is Luis Tony Prince’s personal bodyguard, but he’s also a bouncer at Tony’s nightclub, Maisonette 9. Considering Vice City is based on Miami, a city known for its nightclub scene, it would make sense for us to find Luis working at, or even owning one of the nightclubs we’ll surely be able to visit in the game.
Unlike Niko, I could definitely see Luis playing a bigger role than just a one-off cameo. Maybe not necessarily a major player in the story, but possibly a recurring mission-giver. Either way, I think Luis Lopez is a very cool character, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again in GTA 6.
ROMAN BELLIC
SPOILER WARNING: This section contains spoilers for the ending of GTA 4
Roman ‘Let’s Go Bowling’ Bellic is a personal favorite of mine. There’s always something about him that amuses me whenever he’s onscreen. Whether he’s cracking jokes or freaking out about something, he’s one of the most entertaining side characters in GTA, and that’s saying a lot because there is no shortage of those.
Not only would it be nice to see him again, but Roman’s appearance in GTA 6 would finally clear up which of GTA 4‘s endings is canon. An important choice you make as Niko results in the death of either Niko’s love interest, Kate McReary, or Roman himself. While the ending in which Roman survives is hinted at being canon, we don’t know for certain. But Roman at least making some sort of cameo in GTA 6 would be all the confirmation we need.
TREVOR PHILLIPS
Trevor Phillips is a character that people either love or hate. Both are valid, but, much like Roman, I personally find Trevor to be pretty entertaining. I’m the rare type of GTA player who doesn’t like to go around shooting and blowing up everything in sight because of the dissonance it creates between the narrative and gameplay. However, I feel like Trevor is the embodiment of that pivotal aspect of GTA, plus, he’s like Florida Man incarnate, so his character would fit right in.
Over the years, it seems as though Trevor’s actor Steven Ogg has tried to distance himself a bit from what is undeniably his most popular role, so Trevor Philips popping up would also be largely dependent on whether Ogg was willing to reprise his role. But even still, it would be cool for Trevor to at least make a physical appearance on the news or something like that, if nothing else.
LAZLOW JONES
Lazlow Jones is a special case for the GTA franchise, as he has technically been in almost every entry since GTA 3. He’s a radio show host in most titles, though, with GTA 5 being the first game in which we actually see him in the flesh. So Lazlow being in GTA 6 is a given, right? Well, not exactly.
Lazlow Jones is voiced by and modeled after real actor, writer, producer, and radio personality Jeffrey Crawford Jones, who worked with Rockstar Games for nearly two decades before leaving the company back in April 2020. So much like Trevor, Lazlow’s return is determined by Jones’ willingness to work with the studio again, whether it be for just his voice like the old days or another physical appearance.
CONCLUSION
Those are just a few of the characters that I would love to see again in the next Grand Theft Auto. With how many characters GTA‘s HD universe has spawned, realistically, the possibilities are almost endless, but I just have fun speculating about these things. I could be right on the money with some of these predictions, or I could be dead wrong. We’ll just have to wait and see when we finally get our hands on the game, which will hopefully be sometime next year.
