SMARTEST Things Every GTA Protagonist Has Done (Ranked)
Video Overview & Insights
In this video, I rank every GTA protagonist in a tier list based on their smartest moves throughout the series.
Franklin getting back with Tanisha pretty much drops Franklin off the chart all together. Worst decision Rock Star made. Yes, let's turn Franklin into Super Simp.
Intro - 00:00
Claude - 00:44
And then there's your gta online character, straight psychopath
Tommy Vercetti - 02:48
CJ - 05:26
This gets a dislike purely for the way you beg for subs
Niko Bellic - 12:16
Johnny Klebitz - 17:34
Sad we can't flag videos that categorise characters in a way that does not match the clips shown and it just highlights either personal preference ("my list/category" is correct since it implies it's not a fact) or simple to rage bait, like how the tumbnail vs the real one are different but are there just to get attention. Man youtube really knew that no numbers for the dislike it's worth for them since if you cut out clear indications, then well, people will stop pressing the thumb down. Aka even if you use something to show the numbers, most people did not even vote in the 1st place since no visible contribution
Luis Lopez - 20:45
Huang Lee - 24:11
A lot of your examples weren't remotely smart at all
Michael - 25:28
Franklin - 28:20
Let me get this straight, Trevor was middle aged, living in a trailer in a small desert town, broke, his assistants were morons, he was constantly strung out on meth, and exchanging correspondence with the FIB thinking it was Brad, and he was a genius? Trevor has street smarts and we can quibble whether he was smart or very smart but a genius he was not.
Trevor - 30:37
Toni Cipriani - 38:57
Trevor is such a genius I think he wears the mask of insanity simply to have his enemies and potential enemies constantly underestimate him. It's a sound tactical method in psyops in the real world, come across as an idiot or crazy or simple minded so everyone in the room doesn't know you're the most dangerous person in the room.
Vic Vance - 40:33
Shoutout @farzamplays for the inspiration!
Niko and CJ are in the wrong spots.
Credits:
GTA Chinatown Wars & GTA LCS - https://www.youtube.com/@stefanisfan
The true mastermind protagonist is Lazlow. One of the very few people able to travel between universes.
GTA VCS - https://www.youtube.com/@Willzyyy
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_IOnZBYdtI97UDnudcpqDQ?sub_confirmation=1
38:52 you forgot he stole a nuclear warhead by himself. Lester wasn’t involved.
Follow me on Twitter: https://x.com/MrLoreGTA
Dude Trevor plotted against the government and stole a super china bomb genius plus some
More User Perspectives
Jizzy b... charlie Murphy
@jharvey433cj not a genius
@gw7477Michael the manipulator 😂😂
@drigon1630I hate these ai slop channels
@xivo9943Cj walking solo into a millitary base because of a random hippy and with basically no prep is smart?
Tommy is objectively a much smarter character relying less on plot armor.
CJ mostly just does random gang shit, Tommy dismantled and took over a cartel.
CJ’s a genius huh? CJ is a survivor, he travels a long way but he’s seldom making the decisions. Not sure if I agree with a lot of these
@dantrag0064Diaz didn’t organise the ambush t the start, it was sunny forelli
@dantrag0064Some ratings weren't accurate I'd rate tommy genius and CJ brilliant
@Neoz12zThat time when Trevor said exact price of gold worth was because Lester told them before the heist, so that doesn't count. But overall I agree that this guy is genius. Maybe also worth mentioning that unlike other GTA V protagonists he actually had his own "industries" and was able to gain income besides working with the other guys. Guy was a psycho but had some qualities of a business man.
@kayer5you forgot tomy's takeover mail, film production, decision to connecting with Colonel Juan Cortez to grow multiple links and balanced support between Haitian and Cuban gangs to create his power over rivalry.
in other hand CJ had multiple betray form his allay, his girlfriend and also the agent fooled his death and uses him for his advantage, also the cops uses him like a slave.
i don't think CJ is smarter then or powerful then tommy it just the over all story and graphics and game play is better of san Andres then vice city due to after released game.
whenever i hear a name franklin first word that comes to my mind is "employee of the month"
@suburrrbanWhat the hell all the things cj does especially killing the jizzy and t bone mendes was the mastermind of ceasar
@GENESGETrevor states in the series A set up missions that he wanted to be in the air force. Now, if the GTA air force is anything like the real one he's a really smart guy since as far as we know the only reason he got the boot was due to him being unstable.
@petermantis-611CJ is kinda smart but calling him genius is funny
@soulfardin29406:50 He really jumped straight through the story with no customizations xD
I think that's the clothes and hair he has at the start of the game.
checking the brick is just dealing experience...
Trevors probably scammed TONS of people...
there was a lady bothering me once while i was out having a coffee... i wasnt carrying but she came back to ask me another 2 times... by the 3rd time i started digging into the wall by the table...
she came back later to complain but she shoulda listened when i told her i didnt have any on me 😂
Trevor is the only video game character you can smell through the monitor...
@GrimmFilmEntniko was the only genius right next to trevor maybe.. imagine the way he handled himself. no drugs. no alcohol when its offered. he does have a violent side.. but he kept himself in check rather than losing it like every other one.
@ErenSagin34:15 Trevor then cut the wires to Michael's car and that's why the car doesn't start
@thisguyisntfine1511Luis is definitely the most relatable
@younggun05trevor really was the smartest out of all these protagonists. he only became the trevor we know today because he was always alone for years and had no one
@AngxlorealNico should be up 1 tier, CJ down one tier, rest of the list kinda accurate
@danteeldante1383Of course this is a fucking AI channel. Of fuckin course.
@orokanamameFranklin is sharp as hell. He identifies a quote as coming from Matthew in the bible after they tear Madrazo's property down and then knows exactly what to say to calm Madrazo down.
@adrianaslund8605All Trevor so called smart moves wasn't that smart yea he from that life of selling drugs of course he knows the dry wall trick that dont make him super smart and it took him 10 years to learn the truth and took him almost to the end of the game to learn the truth even tho there was glues all over he slow not smart this dude putting the worse gta character as a genius is is crazy and trevor shouldn't put his self in the spot of selling to a undercover to start with there a reason you only deal with trusted sources so no he shouldn't of been in the spot to start with so i disagree trevor isn't a genius especially when you think about that long dumb hesit you do all the set up for and then the hesit and you don't even get paid for as it could of got them all killed i dont call that a genius i call that dumb
@jeffallen7860On paper, CJ is still the overall strongest POV character. Leaves the others WAY in the dust behind him when it comes to street smarts, calculated, honest to himself most of the times and a quick whit when it comes wto understanding things quickly others grew up in and then becoming better at handling things in record time, like when he went into mafia business and with no sweat whatsoever played double agent, fooled everyone and took entire families assets over with impunity. I say the only one who matches him is Niko Bellic when it comes to RIFLE use, guy was SPEZNAZ, CJ is just a hoodlum with good aim... And the martial arts aspect, I doubt anyone would win against CJ besides Niko (Systema/Silat). CJ knows Boxing, Wrestling and Kung Fu. How tf are those Haymakers the V POVs do gonna compete? Thats why to this day, I call BS on Trevor taking out Niko. Niko would NEVER not see first glance the maniac Trevor is, hew wouldnt trust him, he wouldnt walk into any ambushes, and in Neutral, Trevor has 0 chance against an armed Niko. Its like Rambo 5 vs John Wick 1. Not the same league.
@horsthooden4600You kinda just want to give him a big hug. "Not in the showers!" Bro! 😂
@suyashdixit5915I knew my 🥷 CJ was a Genius … I remember Ryda telling him he was too!!😂
@itzk33zyThe music, it's so nostalgic.😌 25:28
@ALONECJFOOLGTA4LIFE for me GTA4 is literally the best one that will stay in my heart for ever
@TAW4SHII dunno, I think cj making the plans for the casino heist was the smartest thing he did
@reiryghts639you should make one with rating their whole lore and story instaed of only smarthest thing
@Darkblood-i4k- "I'll rank them only by their smartest move and not overall intellelct"
- proceeds to do the exact opposite
great video anyways
5:35 "Now I know you're blind, man - but you gotta see this." 😂
@ragaming72Bruh CJ is not as smart as tommy, tommy was alone
@MereoleonaVermillion_69How did we not cover the fact that Trevor literally hijacked a military cargo plane with a crop duster?
Another thing, what about the GTA Online protagonist?
They went from no money AT ALL to literally killing off an AI superpower.
CJ also stole a fighter from a aircraft carrier, planned a casino heist and took out Big Smoke and the CRASH team. He's genius for sure.
@TheHarrie93CJ is an idiot. He never understands anyone, needs constant explaining and gets duped a lot!
@mrzoonix6368