Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Characters List & Guide

GTA San Andreas Characters Guide & Voice Actors

On this page you can find the full list of Characters in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, including all Main Characters, Antagonists, Friends, and all GTA San Andreas Characters.

Clicking on a Character brings you to their detailed profile, with character information, bios, appearances, voice actors and more. We also have a list of the Gangs & Factions in the game.

GTA San Andreas Main Protagonist

The protagonist and playable character of GTA San Andreas is CJ, Carl Johnson.

Carl Johnson

Voice Actor: Young Maylay
Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson is the protagonist and playable character of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Carl is the second-in-command of the street gang Grove Street Families, based in Los Santos. He leaves Los Santos for Liberty City after his brother dies in 1987. Carl returns back home in 1992 after his mother, Beverly Johnson, is killed in a drive-by shooting. Upon returning home, he is apprehended by C.R.A.S.H members Frank Tenpenny, Eddie Pulaski and Jimmy Hernandez. The trio bribe Carl into doing some work for them or they will frame him for the murder of police officer Ralph Pendelbury. Carl also learns that in his absence, the Grove Street Families have lost a lot of their power. Alongside his brother Sweet, they vow to bring power back to the gang. This leads Carl on a journey across San Andreas, trying not to leave too much destruction behind.

Major Characters

The major characters in the storyline of GTA San Andreas. This includes CJ's friends, the main antagonists and other important mission characters.

Sweet Johnson

Voice Actor: Faizon Love
Sweet is the older brother of Carl and the leader of the Grove Street Families. Sweet was originally supposed to die in a drive-by shooting arranged by the Ballas, which missed and killed their mother Beverly instead, prompting Carl’s return home. In Carl’s absence, Sweet’s hold over the gang has started to decline due to rival gangs manufacturing and selling drugs. He first doesn’t trust Carl on his return but grows to believe they want the same thing, to help the Grove Street Families.

Big Smoke

Voice Actor: Clifton Powell
Big Smoke is a high-ranking and much-loved member of the Grove Street Families but ends up betraying them. He becomes a powerful figure in the criminal underworld of Los Santos after joining the Ballas, disbanding the Grove Street Families and making deals with the Los Santos Vagos and Russian Mafia.

Ryder

Voice Actor: MC Eiht
Ryder is a high-ranking member of the Grove Street Families. Himself and Carl go on various robbery tasks throughout the events of the game, mostly for weapons. Ryder later betrays Grove Street in favour of the corrupt C.R.A.S.H, the Ballas and the Los Santos Vagos.

Frank Tenpenny

Voice Actor: Samuel L. Jackson
Tenpenny is an officer of Los Santos Police Department (LSPD) and also a member of C.R.A.S.H (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums), a corrupt unit. Tenpenny used his power over Carl by bribing him into doing work for him or he’ll risk being arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. Over the course of the game, Tenpenny tasks Carl with missions such as killing FBI witnesses to C.R.A.S.H crimes, obtaining a FBI dossier and planting tainted evidence.

Eddie Pulaski

Voice Actor: Chris Penn
Eddie Pulaski is a police officer at the Los Santos Police Department and also part of the corrupt C.R.A.S.H alongside Frank Tenpenny. Alongside Tenpenny and Jimmy Hernandez, Pulaski is a constant thorn in Carl’s side, tasking him with dubious missions.

Cesar Vialpando

Voice Actor: Clifton Collins Jr.
Cesar is the partner of Carl’s sister Kendl and also the leader of El Corona based gang Varrios Los Aztecas. Cesar and Carl become very close allies throughout the game. He first meets Carl at a lowrider competition and they form a strong friendship. Cesar helps Carl get revenge on those who have crossed them when they are exiled to San Fierro.

Catalina

Voice Actor: Cynthia Farrell
Catalina is Cesar's cousin and teamed up with Carl to complete various different criminal tasks. Catalina and Carl become romantically involved, albeit more on Catalina’s side than Carl. After Catalina and Carl part ways, she still calls him every so often to taunt him about her new relationship with Claude.

The Truth

Voice Actor: Peter Fonda
The Truth is an elderly hippie who lives out in the middle of nowhere in Flint County. He becomes friends with Carl while he is exiled to the Badlands. Carl helps The Truth destroy his farm’s crops after the police find out it's a cannabis farm. The Truth later needs Carl's help in obtaining a jetpack from Area 69 in Las Venturas.

Mike Toreno

Voice Actor: James Woods
Toreno is an undercover agent who works for an unknown government agency. Toreno becomes an ally of Carl’s after he becomes involved in the drugs trade. Toreno and Carl have a few run-ins but despite this, Carl still carries out a few government-related tasks. Toreno is also a member of the Loco Syndicate, a business venture between several criminals, dealing with drugs.

Wu Zi Mu

Voice Actor: James Yaegashi
Wu Zi Mu, or Woozie, is the blind leader of the Mountain Cloud Boys who are part of the San Fierro Triads. Woozie becomes close friends with Carl when Carl helps him plan a robbery at rival casino Caligula’s Place. Woozie also owns the Four Dragons Casino in Las Venturas and a betting shop in Chinatown, San Fierro.

Supporting Characters

Other supporting characters who play a prominent role in the story of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Minor Characters

Other minor characters that make an appearance in GTA San Andreas, including CJ's girlfriends.

Other Mentioned Characters

Berkley Zero's rival whose business is disrupted by Carl.
Beverly Johnson Mother of Carl and his siblings, killed by Ballas members.
Bobby Mentioned as a newly open homosexual linked to the Sindacco Family.
Big Devil Grove Street Families member who died before 1992.
Brian Johnson Carl's younger brother, who died in 1987, missed by the family.
Herbie The Truth's astro-goat, mentioned during a mission.
General Mills An army general overseeing the Black Project.
LB A friend of Ryder who aids in a weapons heist.
Little Devil Another Grove Street member, also deceased before 1992.
Mickey A Sindacco Crime Family member killed for an investment scheme.
Ralph Pendelbury A police officer who was murdered by in C.R.A.S.H. to silence him.
Scott Wilson A deceased resident of Palomino Creek, buried in the local graveyard.
Tony A Grove Street Families member mentioned as deceased.
Tommy Vercetti Protagonist of GTA Vice City, mentioned by Ken Rosenberg.
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