Carl Johnson (Grand Theft Auto)

Unlike the principal characters of previous Grand Theft Auto games, Carl's appearance is highly customisable,[2] as the player can purchase hair cuts, tattoos and clothing for him. Certain clothes, tattoos and hairstyles improve Carl's standing with his fellow gang members as well as his sex appeal to his selective girlfriends. As Carl rides bikes, drives cars and motorcycles, and flies aircraft, his skill will improve in each. The same is true for the weapons that he uses. The player can also choose to exercise, which improves skills such as Carl's muscle and stamina. Visiting fast food restaurants and regularly eating their large meals will increase Carl's size over time, eventually leading to him becoming overweight. Carl can lose this weight by frequently exercising.

Carl was born as the youngest son of the Johnson family in 1968, in his family home, located on Grove Street, in the Ganton neighborhood of Los Santos. He had a mother, Beverly, an older brother, Sean (nicknamed "Sweet"), and an unnamed father, whom he barely remembers; as he states at one point, "[He] never really had a father." Later, Carl became the middle child of the family after the birth of his younger sister, Kendl, and brother, Brian. At a young age, Carl, Sweet, and Brian befriended Melvin Harris (nicknamed "Big Smoke") and Lance Wilson (nicknamed "Ryder"), and all five eventually joined the Grove Street Families. While Sweet became the gang's leader, Carl, Big Smoke, and Ryder all became high-ranking lieutenants, with Carl himself as the underboss.

In 1987, most of Los Santos' gangs started doing drugs, allowing them to expand. However, due to Sweet morally despising drugs and refusing to become involved in the business, despite Big Smoke advising him otherwise, the Families started to lose their influence, to the point they were almost completely wiped out - an opportunity which their sworn rivals, the Ballas, planned to take advantage of. At the same time, Carl began to distance himself from his friends and family after Brian's death; even though the exact circumstances of the murder are never revealed, Sweet accuses Carl of having had the chance to save Brian, but choosing to do nothing. Soon afterwards, Carl decided to leave his gang life behind by moving to Liberty City, where he began working with Joey Leone in the car theft business.[6]

The game's main storyline begins with Carl's return to Los Santos following the death of his mother in a drive-by shooting in 1992.[7] Upon his arrival, Carl is confronted by Officers Frank Tenpenny, Edward "Eddie" Pulaski and Jimmy Hernandez, three highly corrupt members of the city's community policing unit, C.R.A.S.H.. Tenpenny and his associates warn Carl early on that they intend to frame him for the murder of police officer Ralph Pendlebury, whom C.R.A.S.H. killed to prevent him from exposing their illegal activities. They also force Carl to work for them in exchange for his safety and the safety of his family and friends.

After his confrontation with C.R.A.S.H, Carl returns to Grove Street where he is reunited with Sweet, Kendl, Big Smoke and Ryder. Carl learns that the Grove Street Families have lost much of their power and influence to their rival gangs, in particular, the Ballas, during his absence. Shortly after his return, Carl aids his allies in re-establishing the Grove Street Families' dominance by expelling crack dealers, acquiring weapons, and regaining lost gang territory. Carl also aids his friend Jeffrey "OG Loc" Cross in jump starting his rapping career, destroying the career of successful rapper Madd Dogg in the process, and is later introduced to Kendl's boyfriend Cesar Vialpando, the leader of the Varrio Los Aztecas street gang, whom Sweet despises, but Carl befriends him nontheless, upon discovering he genuinely cares for his sister.

However, the Grove Street Families' resurgence is short lived as Carl discovers that Smoke and Ryder have betrayed the gang by forming alliances with C.R.A.S.H. and the Ballas and arranged the attack that killed his mother, which was actually meant for Sweet, in an attempt to wipe out the Families. Sweet is ambushed by a group of Ballas on that same day and is wounded in the subsequent gunfight. Carl arrives on the scene and saves his brother's life but both are arrested by the police. Sweet is tried, convicted of several felonies and sentenced to life in prison whilst Carl is taken by C.R.A.S.H. and left in the countryside. In the aftermath of these events, the Grove Street Families lose their power and influence once more and subsequently relinquish all of their territory to their rival gangs, who begin flooding Los Santos with drugs, under Big Smoke, Ryder and C.R.A.S.H.'s supervision.

During his time in the countryside, Carl is introduced to hippie weed manufacturer "The Truth", he aids Cesar's cousin Catalina in performing a number of robberies, being dumped by her after a racing competition, and he takes part in two illegal street races where he meets and befriends a blind Chinese-American Triad leader, Wu Zi Mu/"Woozie". After his brief stay in the countryside, Carl and his associates head north for San Fierro, where they establish a vehicle chop shop and dealership. Carl also works for the local Triads, strengthening his ties with Woozie and his superior Ran Fa Li in the process, and infiltrates and destroys San Andreas' largest drug cartel, the Loco Syndicate, which were supplying the Ballas with drugs. With some help from Cesar and the Triads, Carl also exacts revenge on Ryder by killing him during a meeting with the Loco Syndicate, alongside two of the syndicate's leaders, Jizzy B. and T-Bone Mendez.

Following the destruction of the Loco Syndicate, Carl is contacted by its main leader, Mike Toreno, now revealed to be an undercover government agent. Carl begins working for Toreno in exchange for Sweet's release from prison and subsequently ventures into the desert and Las Venturas. During this time, Carl acquires a pilot's license, a jetpack from the Area 69 military base for The Truth, and later, in Las Venturas, saves Madd Dogg's life by intervening in his attempted suicide. He also helps Woozie, who is facing trouble in openning a casino due to the Mafia, plan a robbery of the rival Caligula's Casino, run by the mob, and rescues music producer Kent Paul and singer Maccer from the desert as a favour for The Truth. Carl then earns the mob's trust by working for Ken Rosenberg, the manager of Caligula's and an old friend of Paul's, and for mob boss Salvatore Leone, before helping Rosenberg, Paul and Maccer escape from Salvatore's clutches and carrying out the heist alongside the Triads. Following the successful robbery of Caligula's, Woozie opens the Four Dragons Casino and invites Carl to become its co-owner. At the same time, Carl is betrayed by C.R.A.S.H. and almost killed by Pulaski. After Hernandez, who turned on his partners, dies while distracting Pulaski, Carl chases him when he attempt to flee, and ultimately murders him. At the conclusion of these events, Carl and his associates begin preparing for their return to Los Santos, when Madd Dogg approaches Carl to become his manager.

Upon his return to Los Santos, Carl regains control of Madd Dogg's mansion, which he sold to the Vagos gang, later rebuilding his career with Rosenberg, Paul and Maccer's help, whom he recruits to work for Madd Dogg, and reclaiming his stolen rhyme book from OG Loc. Around the same time, Carl also completes one last job for Toreno, who keeps his word and has Sweet released from prison. Although delighted to have his brother back, Sweet refuses to leave their gang life behind and talks Carl into re-establishing the Grove Street Families once more. Together, they take back Grove Street and begin slowly rebuilding their gang by removing drug dealers and drug addicts from the streets. Meanwhile, Tenpenny is tried for his crimes but all charges are dropped due to a lack of evidence, resulting in a city-wide riot. In all the chaos, Carl aids Cesar in re-establishing his gang, the Varrio Los Aztecas, before confronting and ultimately killing Big Smoke at his crack palace penthouse. Afterwards, Carl pursues Tenpenny in a thrilling car chase which ultimately ends with Tenpenny crashing in front of the Johnson House. Carl prepares to shoot Tenpenny, but Sweet stops him as Tenpenny is already dying from his injuries and shooting him would leave evidence behind. With Tenpenny now dead, any loose ends in Carl's life are resolved and the city returns to its normal state.

At the conclusion of the game, Madd Dogg visits the Johnson house and announces that he has received a gold record for his new album. Everyone inside discusses how they must now shift their focus to maintaining the gang and their business ventures and otherwise keep a low profile. Carl then gets up and leaves the house. Kendl then asks where he's going, and he replies, "Fittin' to hit the block, see what's happening," as the game's main storyline ends.