Assassination missions in every GTA game, ranked

Assassination missions are among the best challenges in the GTA series and deliver a Hitman-like experience. Rockstar Games has included several such instances in the series that require players to use their tactical skills and quick reflexes.

Most assassination missions are intertwined with the plot and completing them is required to progress the story. However, Rockstar has made them more flexible in recent games, giving players the option to delay or use them to their advantage.

This article lists and ranks all the assassination missions in major GTA games.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the writer only.

Ranking of the best assassination missions in the GTA series

5) Sayonara Salvatore – GTA 3

Yakuza clan leader Asuka Kasen points Claude the Sayonara Salvatore mission in Grand Theft Auto 3. Salvatore Leone betrays the player’s character, and the latter seeks revenge by joining the Yakuza clan. To show Claude’s loyalty, Asuka instructed him to kill Salvatore.

The mission is extremely easy to complete as players only need to shoot and kill the target. However, there is a time limit and it must be completed within the specified duration or the challenge will fail. Successful execution of the kill will net players $25,000 in cash.

4) Phone Booth Missions – GTA Vice City

There are five assassination missions for Tommy Vercetti in Grand Theft Auto Vice City. A mysterious man named Mr. Black contacts Tommy and asks him to eliminate Carl Pearson, a pizza delivery boy.

Once completed, Mr. Black occasionally give four more missions through the phone booth. All five payphone challenges are:

1. Road Kill
2. waste the wife
3. autocide
4. Check out at check in
5. Loose ends

Each elimination gets harder as the payment increases. When all payphone kill missions are completed, players can earn up to $30,500 in Vice City.

3) Killing Repairmen – GTA 4

Rockstar Games brought the phone challenges back to the series with The Fixer’s Assassinations in Grand Theft Auto 4in which a man called “The Fixer” assigns them to Niko Bellic.

There are a total of nine payphone missions, each with its own rewards. The tasks and associated payments are as follows:

1. Water Hazard – $3000
2. Dead End – $6500
3. Migration Check – $3000
4. Abandoned Target – $4000
5. Buy out for good – $3000
6. Hook, Line and Sinker – $3000
7. Rub Down – $4000
8. Industrial Action – $7500 ($17500 with bonus)
9. Taken Out – $3000

Unlike other GTA games, players can choose to postpone the missions to a later date. They get harder over time with higher goals. While they are not required for plot progression, gamers must complete them to complete 100%.

2) Lester’s Murders – GTA 5

Lester gives several payphone kill missions to Franklin Clinton in Grand Theft Auto 5. They help him earn extra money during the story. However, players can multiply their winnings by using the in-game stock market. The missions and their basic rewards are:

1. Hotel Murder – $9,000 and the Vinewood Hills Safehouse
2. Multiple Target Assassination – $7000
3. Vice Murder – $2000
4. Bus Murder – $7000
5. Construction Murder – $10,000

While the first assassination mission is required for the story to progress, players can defer the rest to a later date. The GTA 5 community recommends completing the remaining tasks after the Union Depository Heist to maximize profits.

1) Madd Doggs rhymes – GTA San Andreas

While Grand Theft Auto San Andreas packed with story and side missions, there’s only one that really qualifies as a kill challenge. In it, Carl “CJ” Johnson receives the Rhymes task from Madd Dogg of OG Loc.

The rapper asks CJ to steal a rhyme book from Madd Dogg’s house to release his music album. He agrees and completely secretly enters the artist’s house. After killing all the bodyguards, he arrives at the recording studio to pick up the book.

The mission is extremely detailed and requires a lot of patience to complete it perfectly. Gamers will have a lot of fun replaying this mission. However, no money is awarded for completion and players must settle for earned respect.