With Grand Theft Auto 6 on the horizon, players have ample time to replay their favorite games in the franchise. And with that comes a focus on the details, whether players feel like completing side missions or getting to know the protagonists more by following their stories a little more closely. While each protagonist stands out in terms of appearance, one thing players wouldn’t necessarily notice is their height. But these playable characters have different heights in-game, which can say a lot about their character – particularly when matched with their build.
But one thing Grand Theft Auto fans may notice is that the height of its protagonists differs significantly between cutscenes and gameplay. And as Rockstar has never officially released information about this aspect of their characters, it’s difficult to accurately pinpoint the heights of Grand Theft Auto’s protagonists. However, even though there’s no definitive measurement for the sizes of these characters, there’s been plenty of theorizing within the community.
7 Franklin Clinton
The youngest of the three playable protagonists in Grand Theft Auto 5, 25-year-old Franklin Clinton is part of the Los Santos street gang The Families with his best friend, Lamar Davis. Michael recruited Franklin after a chance meeting when he was tasked with repossessing Michael’s son Jimmy’s car. They soon become close associates and friends, with Michael and Trevor acting as mentors.
When standing next to Michael and Trevor, Franklin is the shortest of the three. He is around 6’0” (183cm), but Reddit user @SuperUnknown111 has listed Franklin as being an inch taller when compared to Lamar, who towers above him at 6’7” (200cm).
6 Toni Cipriani
A member of the Leone Crime Family, Toni Cipriani first appeared in Grand Theft Auto 3 when hiring Claude on behalf of the Leone Family to fight against the Liberty City Triads. In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Toni became the protagonist and players were introduced to his life before the events in Grand Theft Auto 3. Set in 1998, Toni returns from living outside the United States after he murdered a made man under the orders of his boss, Salvatore Leone.
It’s hard to pinpoint Toni’s actual height. But Reddit user @Mudmen66 suggests that he’s around 6’2” (188cm) in Liberty City Stories, but mentions that he looks a lot shorter than Claude in GTA 3.
5 Carl Johnson
As the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Carl “CJ” Johnson is part of the Grove Street Families, led by his brother Sean Johnson. Having left Los Santos and moved to Liberty City after the death of his younger brother Brian, Carl moves back to San Andreas after his mother is murdered.
Carl’s height is very debatable. It’s believed that he’s 6’1” (185cm), but Reddit users on r/GTA can’t seem to agree on Carl’s exact height. This appears to be down to the character looking taller in cutscenes but shorter in actual gameplay, so his height could be anywhere between 5’7” (170cm) to 6’1”. Carl also has a unique position as a protagonist in that players can customize his size, as he’s the only character in the franchise whose build can be altered.
4 Trevor Philips
As the most unpredictable and ruthless protagonist in the franchise, former bank robber Trevor Philips continues to live a life of crime by running drugs and guns through his own company, Trevor Philips Enterprises. Trevor believed for years that his former partner in crime and friend Michael was dead following a botched job, but he finds that he’s alive and well and living in Los Santos.
Trevor seems to be 6’1” (185cm), but at times, he looks a little taller and around the same height as Michael, according to Reddit user @ImmaCoolGuy. This is in comparison to Trevor standing next to Johnny in cutscenes.
3 Michael De Santa
Former bank robber Michael De Santa faked his own death to retire from his life of crime to protect his family in Grand Theft Auto 5. And while Michael is found to be living a comfortably lavish life in Los Santos, he is inevitably roped back into his former profession when he’s forced to pay back Mexican cartel leader Martin Madrazo after destroying the house of his mistress with his new partner, Franklin.
Michael is the tallest of the three playable characters, standing at 6’2” (180cm). But he could be a couple of inches shorter than that, according to Reddit user @ImmaCoolGuy who compared him to the average height of a high school quarterback, which Michael was back in the day.
2 Tommy Vercetti
After spending fifteen years in prison, Tommy Vercetti is tasked by the Forelli Crime Family with overseeing a drug deal involving the Vance brothers in Vice City. Unsurprisingly, the deal goes bust, and the group is ambushed. As Tommy searches for the lost drugs, money, and those responsible, he starts to build a criminal empire within the city and becomes a prominent name – one that becomes notorious and feared by rival criminal gangs working in the area.
As one of the most recognizable protagonists in the franchise, it’s not surprising that Tommy Vercetti seems to be tied with Claude at 6’3” (190cm). But then again, that’s debatable as some fans on GTAForums think he’s an inch shorter at 6’2” (188cm).
1 Claude
In Grand Theft Auto 3, Claude is led on a path of revenge after his girlfriend Catalina betrays him during a bank robbery. Catalina shoots Claude and leaves with the money, and he’s subsequently found and arrested by the Liberty City Police Department. Claude is sentenced to ten years behind bars, only to escape after being transported to prison. Once out and back on the streets of Liberty City, he makes it his mission to hunt down Catalina, interacting with criminals who eventually become his enemies as well.
Claude is a man of few words, and that, coupled with his height of 6’3” (190cm), makes him a very intimidating character to come across. Despite being the tallest protagonist in the franchise, Reddit user @Mudmen66 suggests that he could easily be 6’5” (195cm), highlighting that Claude is often slouching or in a relaxed pose, so players never see his full height.
(Source: Character Profile Wiki)