Carl Johnson (Grand Theft Auto)

Carl "CJ" Johnson is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, published by Rockstar Games in 2004. Carl is the underboss of the Grove Street Families, a street gang based in the fictional Los Santos, San Andreas, which is led by his older brother Sean "Sweet" Johnson. While playing San Andreas, the player controls the movements and actions of CJ as he proceeds through the storyline and finishes missions. Throughout the game, he slowly rises in prominence and becomes a shareholder in various successful businesses, including a chop shop, car dealership, and casino, as he completes increasingly difficult tasks.

Carl Johnson
Grand Theft Auto character
Carl Johnson's official artwork
First appearance	Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
Last appearance	The Introduction (2004)
Created by	Rockstar North
Voiced by	Young Maylay
Motion capture	Young Maylay
In-universe information
Nickname	CJ
Gender	Male
Occupation	Gangster Car robber (formerly) Chop shop, car dealership, Zero RC, and the Four Dragons Casino co-owner Madd Dogg's manager
Affiliation	Grove Street Families Varrios Los Aztecas San Fierro Triads Loco Syndicate (formerly) Leone Crime Family (formerly)
Family	Sean "Sweet" Johnson (brother) Kendl Johnson (sister) Brian Johnson (brother) Beverly Johnson (mother) Cesar Vialpando (brother-in-law)
Significant other	Catalina (ex-girlfriend)
Origin	Los Santos, San Andreas, United States
Nationality	American

Character design

Carl's physical appearance is modeled after Los Angeles-based rapper and actor Young Maylay, who also provided the character's voice and motion-capture work. When asked about the character model for Carl, Young Maylay stated that the development team took "very professional" photographs of him to model Carl.[1]

Customisation

Unlike the principal characters of previous Grand Theft Auto games, Carl's appearance is highly customisable,[2] as the player can purchase a wide variety of different 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.

The game implements a tracking system for various skills and abilities, each of which gradually improves as it is used or practiced and slowly diminishes as it is neglected. As Carl rides bikes, drives cars and motorcycles, and flies aircraft, his skill improves in each. The same is true for the weapons that he uses. The player can choose to exercise, which improves skills such as stamina (which allows Carl to sprint for longer durations) and muscle (which visibly increases Carl's muscle tone). 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 again by frequently exercising.

Biography

Background

Carl was born to Beverly Johnson and an unnamed father in 1968, in his family home, located on Grove Street in the Ganton neighborhood of Los Santos. As a child, he got along well with his mother and older brother Sean (nicknamed "Sweet"), though not with his 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 sister Kendl, and the middle son after the birth of his younger brother Brian. At a young age, Carl, Sweet, and Brian befriended Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris and Lance "Ryder" Wilson, and all five eventually joined the Grove Street Families. While Sweet became the gang's leader, Carl, Big Smoke, and Ryder 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 that 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; 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.[3]

Return to San Andreas

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.[4] Upon his arrival, Carl is confronted by LSPD 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. had 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 rival gangs, particularly the Ballas, during his absence. Shortly after his return, Carl aids his allies in re-establishing the Grove Street Families' dominance by expelling crack cocaine dealers, acquiring weapons, and regaining lost gang territory. Carl aids his friend Jeffrey "OG Loc" Cross in jump starting his rapping career, in the process destroying the career of successful rapper Madd Dogg, 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, upon discovering that Cesar 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 forced by C.R.A.S.H. to move to the countryside outside Los Santos. 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.

Exile and new alliances

During his time in the countryside, Carl is introduced to hippie weed manufacturer "The Truth", aids Cesar's cousin Catalina in performing a number of robberies, being dumped by her after a racing competition, and takes part in two illegal street races where he meets and befriends a blind Chinese-American Triad leader, Wu Zi "Woozie" Mu. 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 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 had been supplying the Ballas with drugs. With some help from Cesar and the Triads, Carl 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, 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 helps Woozie, who is facing trouble in opening 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 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 attempts to flee, and ultimately murders him. At the conclusion of these events, Carl and his associates begin preparing for their return to Los Santos. Madd Dogg approaches Carl to become his manager.

Return to Los Santos

Upon his return to Los Santos, Carl regains control of Madd Dogg's mansion, which he had 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 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 the midst of 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 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 dead, all 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 shift their focus to maintaining the gang and their business ventures and otherwise keep a low profile.

Influences and analysis

Young Maylay stated that he was influenced by his own life when portraying Carl. "[The development team] wanted authentic L.A., that's where I'm from and they knew that, so that's what I gave 'em," he added. "I put Maylay on CJ. I make him as much me as I can, without too much changing of the script."[5]

Reception

The character of Carl Johnson received critical acclaim after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and has been included in many lists of the best characters in video games. Jesse Schedeen of IGN included CJ in his list of Grand Theft Auto Favorite Badasses, stating, "Of all the protagonists in all the GTA games, few are as compelling or flat out badass as Carl "CJ" Johnson," and also went on to praise the character customisation and available assets.[6] Crave Online's Paul Tamburro placed Carl eighth in his Top 10 Most Memorable GTA Characters, stating that "it was refreshing to take control of a character who was considerate about when and when not to commit wanton mass-slaughtering."[7] Matthew Cooper of Sabotage Times placed the character in his list of the top 10 characters in the Grand Theft Auto series, stating that Carl Johnson "was the first to appear with a conscience, the first that didn't seem to enjoy killing copious numbers of people."[8]

GameDaily listed Carl among their list of the best black characters in video games, refusing the idea that he reinforces negative stereotypes since he is "more ghetto-born James Bond than straight-up gangsta".[9] Similarly, Larry Hester of Complex Gaming placed Carl second on his list of the 10 Best Black Characters in Video Games, naming him the "gangbanger with a good heart."[10] In 2012, GamesRadar placed Carl 77th on their list of the 100 Best Heroes in Video Games, saying that "few [Grand Theft Auto] heroes have been as charismatic as him, and few likely will in the future."[11] UGO Networks have placed Carl as the second character who most deserves his own live-action film.[12]

In 2008, The Age ranked Carl as the 33rd greatest Xbox character of all time, noting him as "the most humble" of Grand Theft Auto anti-heroes, and as "one of the first strong African-American lead characters in any major videogame."[13] Although Carl ultimately did not make the cut, Game Informer staff considered his inclusion in their "30 characters that defined a decade" collection, with Matt Helgeson saying, "He could have easily been another gangster stereotype, but by the end of San Andreas we see CJ as a flawed, but ultimately good man who did the best he could in the worst of circumstances."[14] In 2011, readers of Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition voted Carl "CJ" Johnson as the 22nd top video game character of all time.[15]

References

1. "Young MayLay Speaks (07/06/05)". Planet Grand Theft Auto. GameSpy. 6 July 2005. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
2. "Grand Theft Auto: Favorite Badasses". IGN. April 28, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
3. Rockstar North (26 October 2004). Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, OS X, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Fire OS). Rockstar Games. Level/area: "The Introduction".
4. McLaughlin, Rus; Thomas, Lucas M. (May 6, 2013). "IGN Presents The History of Grand Theft Auto". IGN. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
5. "PlayStation: The Official Magazine" (85). United States: Future plc. October 2004. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
6. Schedeen, Jesse (April 28, 2008). "Grand Theft Auto: Favorite Badasses". IGN. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
7. Tamburro, Paul (November 2, 2012). "Top 10 Most Memorable GTA Characters". PlayStation Beyond. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
8. Cooper, Matthew (June 13, 2012). "GTA V - Top 10 Greatest Characters In Grand Theft Auto History". Sabotage Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
9. Swiderski, Adam. "Gaming's Greatest Black Characters". GameDaily. Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
10. Hester, Larry (June 26, 2012). "2. Carl "CJ" Johnson — The 10 Best Black Characters In Video Games". Complex. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
11. Staff (November 9, 2012). "100 best heroes in video games". GamesRadar. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
12. Meli, Marissa (July 19, 2011). "Video Game Characters Who Need Their Own Movies". UGO Entertainment. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 7, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
13. "The Top 50 Xbox Characters of All Time". The Age. September 30, 2008. Archived from the original on November 15, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
14. Bertz, Matt (November 19, 2010). "The Snubbed List". Game Informer. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
15. Marchiafava, Jeff (February 16, 2011). "Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time". Game Informer. Retrieved February 2, 2018.