Every Grand Theft Auto boasts several memorable missions. Some stand out for their explosive action, while others earn a way into our hearts for their sense of humor. Distilling this vast pool of moments wasn’t easy. This list tries to capture the best of both styles of missions.

After you’ve read through our lists, please discuss your favorite GTA missions in the comments section. 

10. I’ll Take Her – Grand Theft Auto IV 

In order to kidnap the daughter of mob kingpin Giovanni Ancelotti, Niko pretends to be interested in purchasing her sports car. When the two hit the road and he reveals his plan, Gracie Ancelotti flips out and tries to wrestle control of the vehicle away from Niko. Getting her to the safehouse isn’t easy when she’s sending the car into opposing traffic.

9. Saint Mark’s Bistro – San Andreas

With three west coast cities to explore, we never imagined a return trip to Liberty City would be in the cards for CJ. But when Salvatore Leone asks him to whack Marco Forelli, suddenly we found ourselves walking and shooting down memory lane.

8. Publicity Tour – Vice City

When Tommy Vercetti befriends the beloved butt-rock band Love Fist, he has no idea that these decadent Scotsmen are going to be trouble. When an obsessed fan rigs the Love Fist limo to blow up if Tommy takes his foot off the pedal, he must walk the drunk band members through the disarming of a bomb while speeding through traffic.

7. The Holland Play – Grand Theft Auto IV 

For the first time in the history of the series, in “The Holland Play” you were faced with determining which of two characters lives or dies. Do you side with Playboy X and off his recently paroled former friend, or do you sympathize with Dwayne Forge and knock that playboy from his lofty perch?

6. Get Lost – The Lost & Damned 

Most people try to break out of prison. But when the former leader of The Lost MC Billy Grey starts talking to the feds, Johnny Klebitz decides his best play is to take a page out of the Jacques Mesrine playbook and break into the prison with guns blazing.

5. Copland – Vice City 

When a bomb fails to go off in the mall and police begin investigating, Tommy and Vance have to get creative. They get some cops’ attention, steal their outfits after luring them into a garage, and then infiltrate the mall to rig the bomb to blow. Your reward? Being forced to survive a five-star wanted level during the escape.

4. Dropping In – The Ballad of Gay Tony

When the owner of the Liberty City Rampage won’t sell the hockey team to Ray Bulgarin, it’s up to Luis Lopez to put the team up for purchase by other means. Never one to eschew style, Luis hops in chopper, parachutes down to the top of the skyscraper housing the Rampage headquarters, and shoots the owner out of a 20-story window. For his getaway, Luis jumps out of the window and parachutes down to a flatbed truck cruising down the road. 

3. Keep Your Friends Close – Vice City

Anyone who watched Scarface hoped to play through a memorable scene like this in a video game. When Lance double-crosses Tommy Vercetti and takes the side of Liberty City mafioso Sonny Forelli, he grabs an M60 and starts smoking everyone inside his opulent mansion. Say hello to his little friend.

2. End of the Line – San Andreas 

The iconic final mission of San Andreas sees CJ seek his revenge against his former friend Big Smoke and the corrupt LSPD officer Frank Tenpenny. With the Los Santos riots raging, CJ is able to commandeer a SWAT tank that he uses to crash into Big Smoke’s crack fortress. After he smokes his old friend, he tracks Tenpenny down in a thrilling fire truck chase. 

1. Three Leaf Clover – Grand Theft Auto IV 

The mission that everyone who played Grand Theft Auto IV raved about, this complex bank robbery serves as the inspiration for the concentrated focus on heists in GTA V. Along with the dysfunctional McReary family, Niko breaks into Bank of Liberty. But when the LCPD surround the bank, the crew must shoot its way through Chinatown and disappear into the Liberty City subway tunnels.

Special thanks to Thegreatestgtafanboy, GTASeriesVideos, Wilzyyy, and Lucas Magnani for posting these videos on YouTube.

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