The 8 Best Characters In The Mafia Series

Summary

• Characters in the Mafia series are complex, not outright evil, adding depth to the narrative and making them captivating and entertaining.
• From wise old men like Leo Galante to comical relief like Paulie Lombardo, each character brings something unique and fascinating to the games.
• Lincoln Clay's dark arc, Vito Scaletta's humor, and Tommy Angelo's struggle with morality make for compelling character development in the series.

The Mafia series contains some of the best open-world crime games ever. Each instalment offers exciting missions, fun gunplay, and a compelling main narrative. Yet, those narratives woulstatic.aayyy.com/topic/dn/'t be nearly as interesting if it weren't for the characters in them. There are so many great ones in these games, from protagonists to antagonists to supporting players.

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Because this is a series about the mob, there aren't many true morally good human beings in these titles. Most of them fight, kill, and steal things regularly. That said, they aren't all outright evil, as most of the characters are more complex than that. That is what makes some of them so compelling. The following ones are either captivating, entertaining, or both.

In this list, the entries about characters from the original game are based on the versions from the Definitive Edition.

8 John Donovan

Mafia 3

John Donovan was Lincoln Clay's buddy in Vietnam, and the two reunited in Mafia 3. Donovan is essentially the brains behind the protagonist's revenge plot. He's very good at that, as he is quite intelligent. He's also very quick-witted and charming, which results in plenty of entertaining conversations with the man.

Also, his role in Lincoln's arc is interesting. He is the living embodiment of the devil on Clay's shoulder and the one who helps push him down a darker path—and he doesn't even seem to do it intentionally.

7 Leo Galante

Mafia 2 And Mafia 3

The Mafia games are filled with wise old men who rarely get physically involved in gang warfare. Instead, they give orders and advice to younger men. This is the case with Leo Galante, a high-ranking member of the Vinci Crime Family.

He's a smooth talker and initially seems nicer than most of the high-ranking mobsters in the games. Yet, he still isn't a perfect human being, even by the standards of Mafia characters. The fact you never know if you can fully trust him is what makes him fascinating.

6 Paulie Lombardo

Mafia

Paulie is a character that is more than he initially seems. For much of the game, he joins Tommy on a slew of exciting missions while serving mainly as the game's comic relief. It's a role he plays well, as he delivers a bunch of funny one-liners.

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However, later in the story, you get to know him on a deeper level. You find out how much the criminal life is grinding him down and how he has dreams beyond being a mobster. He even seems a bit depressed about the whole thing. It adds so much depth to the character.

5 Father James

Mafia 3

There aren't many characters like Father James in the Mafia series. He was a World War 2 medic who became a man of God. At no point does he join the mob or become a criminal. Instead, he tries to be Lincoln Clay's moral compass throughout Mafia 3.

Most of his scenes are monologues to the camera, where he usually talks about Lincoln. In these moments, he is extremely captivating, and it's easy to hang off his every word. It's what makes him such a great character despite not being heavily involved in the narrative of the game.

4 Lincoln Clay

Mafia 3

Lincoln is different from the other Mafia protagonists. His growth in the criminal world isn't initially due to ambition but more to his desire to eliminate Sal Marcano. He is like a man possessed as he tries to avenge his adoptive family and bring down Sal's operation.

What really makes him an interesting character, though, is how much the revenge mission changes him. A guy who was once so kind becomes darker and crueler. He also becomes greedier once he gets a taste of the spoils that come with the criminal life. It makes for a compelling arc.

3 Joe Barbaro

Mafia (Epilogue), Mafia 2, And Mafia 3 (Cameo)

While there is a lot of back-stabbing in the Mafia games, there is usually one ally that you can always trust. In Mafia 2, that man is Joe Barbaro.

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As such, he gets a lot of screen time during the game, as he's always hanging around with the protagonist, Vito. It's time well spent, as Joe is a very entertaining character. He continually makes hilarious jokes and shares some comical banter with Vito. His violent outbursts can also be enjoyable to watch at times.

2 Vito Scaletta

Mafia (Epilogue), Mafia 2, And Mafia 3

Out of all the protagonists in the series, Vito is definitely the funniest. Throughout Mafia 2, he delivers a bunch of humourous lines, typically when he's palling around with Joe. His humor and charisma are important in helping him stay entertaining throughout the entire story.

Of course, there is some depth to him, too. After all, he distatic.aayyy.com/topic/dn/'t have the easiest childhood, mainly due to his alcoholic father. The fact that Vito joined the mob to help his family financially - something his father always struggled to do - is a nice and understandable motivation for the character. It makes him easy to appreciate and relate to.

1 Tommy Angelo

Mafia And Mafia 2 (Cameo)

Tommy's reasons for entering the criminal world aren't as deep or well-defined as the other protagonists, Vito and Lincoln. After all, his desire for revenge on someone who smashes up his cab ends up with him joining the Salieri family. It's his time within the family, though, when Tommy becomes a compelling character.

While he always proves to be a dependable family member, he never truly becomes a cold-hearted gangster. He initially struggles to kill people—yet he later uses all kinds of weapons to eliminate folks—and isn't completely happy with some of the things he's ordered to do. The fact that he ends up with a wife and kid makes his story even more fascinating, as he now has people to look after. In fact, that's pretty much all he ends up caring about.

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