Grand Theft Auto III follows Claude, a silent criminal whose hunt for Catalina carries him through Liberty City's competing gangs, crooked officials, and wealthy power brokers. The cast also maps the campaign's progression, from the Leone family's work in Portland to Yakuza contacts and Colombian Cartel conflict on later islands.
Some supporting characters are named only briefly in missions. Their entries list confirmed roles and affiliations without inventing a biography for every name.
Role
Protagonist
Claude is the silent playable character. After escaping a prison convoy with 8-Ball, he works across Liberty City's criminal factions while pursuing the woman who betrayed him.
Claude
Claude is the silent playable protagonist of Grand Theft Auto III. Betrayed by Catalina during the bank heist in Give Me Liberty, he escapes police custody with 8-Ball and rises through Liberty City's criminal underworld across Portland, Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale.
- Affiliation
- Independent
- Status
- playable
- Location
- Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Give Me Liberty
Role
Antagonists
Catalina is Claude's former partner and the campaign's central antagonist, linking the opening betrayal to the Colombian Cartel conflict that follows.
Catalina
- Affiliation
- Colombian Cartel
- Status
- antagonist
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Give Me Liberty
- Performer
- Cynthia Farrell
Role
Main Characters
Major employers, allies, rivals, and faction leaders shape Claude's route through the Leone family, Yakuza, LCPD corruption, the Colombian Cartel, and Liberty City's business elite.
Miguel
- Affiliation
- Colombian Cartel
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Kingdom Come
- Performer
- Al Espinosa
8-Ball
- Affiliation
- Bomb Shop / Leone Family associate
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Give Me Liberty
- Performer
- Guru
Luigi Goterelli
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Luigi's Girls
- Performer
- Joe Pantoliano
Joey Leone
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Drive Misty For Me
- Performer
- Michael Rapaport
Toni Cipriani
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Taking Out The Laundromat
- Performer
- Michael Madsen
Salvatore Leone
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Chaperone
- Performer
- Frank Vincent
Maria Latore
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Chaperone
- Performer
- Debi Mazar
Asuka Kasen
- Affiliation
- Yakuza
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Sayonara Salvatore
- Performer
- Lianna Pai
Kenji Kasen
- Affiliation
- Yakuza
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Under Surveillance
- Performer
- Les J.N. Mau
Ray Machowski
Ray Machowski is a corrupt Liberty City Police officer in Grand Theft Auto III tied to the LCPD and the Yakuza on Staunton Island. Voiced by Robert Loggia, he first appears in Payday For Ray and runs police evidence and assassination jobs from the Staunton Island police toilet.
- Affiliation
- Liberty City Police Department
- Status
- law_enforcement
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Payday For Ray
- Performer
- Robert Loggia
Donald Love
- Affiliation
- Love Media
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Liberator
- Performer
- Kyle MacLachlan
Role
Minor Characters
Payphone contacts, mission targets, relatives, gang associates, cameo figures, and credited development-era characters appear here. Not every person in this group is encountered during the finished campaign.
Oriental Gentleman
- Affiliation
- Uptown Yardies / Triads front
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Liberator
Mickey Hamfists
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- The Fuzz Ball
Misty
- Affiliation
- Independent
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Luigi's Girls
- Performer
- Kim Gurney
Mike Forelli
- Affiliation
- Forelli Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Mike Lips Last Lunch
Lee Chong
- Affiliation
- Triads
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Farewell 'Chunky' Lee Chong
Marty Chonks
- Affiliation
- Chonks Enterprise
- Location
- Liberty City
- First Appearance
- The Crook
- Performer
- Chris Phillips
Mrs. Chonks
- Affiliation
- Chonks Enterprise
- Location
- Liberty City
- First Appearance
- The Wife
Carlos (GTA III)
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- The Exchange
El Burro (GTA III)
- Affiliation
- Diablos
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- El Burro Phone Jobs
- Performer
- Chris Phillips
Mrs. Cipriani
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Noodles' Cash
- Performer
- Sondra James
Chico (GTA III)
- Affiliation
- Forelli Crime Family
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Chaperone
- Performer
- Hunter Platin
Curly Bob
- Affiliation
- Leone Crime Family / Cartel informant
- Location
- Portland, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Cutting The Grass
- Performer
- Hunter Platin
Tanner
- Affiliation
- Liberty City Police Department (undercover)
- Status
- law_enforcement
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Uzi Money
Kanbu
- Affiliation
- Yakuza
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Kanbu Bust-out
Leon McAffrey
- Affiliation
- Liberty City Police Department (corrupt)
- Status
- law_enforcement
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Silence The Sneak
Phil Cassidy
- Affiliation
- Independent arms dealer
- Location
- Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Arms Shortage
- Performer
- Hunter Platin
King Courtney
- Affiliation
- Uptown Yardies
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Bling-Bling Scramble
- Performer
- Walter Mudu
D-Ice
- Affiliation
- Southside Hoods
- Location
- Staunton Island, Liberty City
- First Appearance
- Uzi Money
- Performer
- Walter Mudu
Sam Houser
- Affiliation
- Rockstar Games (cameo)
- Location
- Liberty City
- Performer
- Himself
Darkel
Darkel is cut content in Grand Theft Auto III and is not encountered in the finished campaign. Early scripts linked the character to Independent (cut content) in Liberty City before the mission strand was removed.
- Affiliation
- Independent (cut content)
- Location
- Liberty City
- Performer
- Bill Fiore
Curtly
Curtly is cut content in Grand Theft Auto III and is not encountered in the finished campaign. Early scripts linked the character to Independent (cut content) in Liberty City before the mission strand was removed.
- Affiliation
- Independent (cut content)
- Location
- Liberty City
- Performer
- Curtis L. McClarin
Claude and the opening betrayal
Claude is the playable protagonist. Catalina betrays him during a bank robbery, but an attack on his prison convoy gives him the chance to escape with explosives expert 8-Ball. That connection introduces Claude to the Leone family and begins a chain of jobs that steadily opens Liberty City. Claude never speaks, so his relationships are defined by who hires him, who helps him, and who decides he has become inconvenient.
Catalina remains the central antagonist as she builds power with the Colombian Cartel. Miguel is her close associate, while the Cartel's SPANK trade and territorial reach place it in direct conflict with several of Claude's employers. Their pursuit forms the long thread connecting the opening robbery to the campaign's later confrontations.
Portland and the Leone family
The early mission path moves through a clear Mafia hierarchy. Luigi Goterelli gives Claude work around the Red Light District, Joey Leone uses him against local rivals, and Toni Cipriani draws him deeper into Leone business. Salvatore Leone sits above them as the family's Don. Maria Latore, Salvatore's wife, becomes important when Claude's relationship with the family changes.
Several supporting figures sit around this Portland network. Misty connects early jobs for Luigi and Joey, Mickey Hamfists acts as Leone muscle, and Mrs. Cipriani appears through Toni's family life. Other Portland figures, including Lee Chong, Curly Bob, Mike Forelli, Marty Chonks, Mrs. Chonks, and Carlos, are tied to particular missions or side stories rather than Claude's full arc.
Staunton Island and shifting employers
Asuka Kasen helps Claude reach Staunton Island and brings him into contact with the Yakuza. Her brother Kenji runs a casino and supplies another mission strand. Ray Machowski, a corrupt and increasingly nervous LCPD officer, passes Claude sensitive work from Belleville Park, while media owner and property developer Donald Love uses violence and gang conflict to serve his business interests.
These relationships are transactional. A character grouped with the main cast is not necessarily an ally, and a mission-giver's attitude can change without changing their role label. Players avoiding spoilers should treat the overviews as story references and wait until they have finished a person's mission strand before reading further.
Payphone contacts, targets, and unusual appearances
El Burro, King Courtney, and D-Ice provide optional work by payphone in different parts of Liberty City. Phil Cassidy, Kanbu, Leon McAffrey, the Oriental Gentleman, Chico, Tanner, and other minor figures appear as allies, targets, rescue subjects, or brief participants in individual missions. Sam Houser appears as an Ammu-Nation clerk rather than a conventional story character.
Darkel and Curtly require special context. Both are credited development-era characters, but neither functions as an active character in the finished campaign. Darkel was planned as a mission contact before being removed, while Curtly's intended role is unknown. Their presence should not be read as an unlock condition or a missed encounter.
FAQ
Who is the main character in GTA III?
Claude is the protagonist and the character controlled by the player. He escapes custody with 8-Ball after Catalina betrays him, then takes jobs from several Liberty City factions while pursuing revenge.
Why does Claude not talk in GTA III?
Claude is intentionally silent and has no spoken dialogue. He occasionally makes brief sounds, but the game presents his motives through actions, mission relationships, and his pursuit of Catalina.
Who is the main antagonist in GTA III?
Catalina is the central antagonist. She betrays Claude during the opening robbery, later works with Miguel, and becomes a leading figure in the Colombian Cartel's SPANK operation.
Which factions does Claude work with?
Claude begins with Leone family contacts in Portland, later takes work connected to the Yakuza and Ray Machowski, and also serves independent employers such as Donald Love. He accepts jobs across faction lines, so employment does not always mean loyalty.
Are Darkel and Curtly active characters in GTA III?
No. They are credited characters left from development, but neither appears as an active character in the finished campaign. Darkel was once planned as a mission contact; Curtly's intended role is not known.
Who gives the optional payphone missions in GTA III?
Marty Chonks, El Burro, King Courtney, and D-Ice are associated with optional phone-based work. Their jobs sit outside the main employer chain but still expand Claude's dealings across Liberty City.