The Grand Theft Auto franchise certainly can be a very intense. However, at its core, it remains a comedy series. It is filled with bizarre motifs of adult activity and debauchery, hyperbolic violence, and ridiculously flawed characters. But there is always a thread of satire that cuts through it all — often with a message in tow.

With that said, there is plenty of dark themes and contexts in these games. Many of these are hard to spot. Even for seasoned GTA vets, it’s still hard to know all the intricacies of these games.

Rockstar put a lot of detail into these games. They also gave their developers and writers a lot of latitude to flesh out the world. In this list, we’ll see numerous references to pop culture, horror motifs, social commentary, and a really concerning obsession with unspeakable humor. It’s almost like let the developers at Rockstar brought their teenage kids into work, and followed them around with a notepad and recorded every hormone driven thought they uttered.

All across the Grand Theft Auto franchise, we can see just how weird things can get. I was quite surprised by many of these entries as they slipped past me during my playthroughs. So let’s discuss 25 truths about GTA that you may not really want to know.

25 Eddie Low Thinks About Some Messed Up Stuff

So yeah, Eddie Low is weird… really weird. The man is a very disturbed individual who Niko encounters in GTA IV. Give him a ride, and see what it feels like to make poor decisions.

“You ever wonder if animals… if they [pleasure themselves]?” Heh… classic Eddie. That’s just one of the classy one-liners that this piece of work drops on you. It’s always an adventure with Eddie, perhaps you’ll drop off some body parts, or the time he romanced some corpses, or he’ll tell you about the time he got some action from a jogger down by the river… WHILE HOLDING A KNIFE!

Truth is, Eddie is FUBAR! I really don’t want to know the depths of his depravity.

24 That’s One Ugly Baby

More deviance… Of course there is. In GTA: Liberty City Stories, Tony is tasked with taking photos of a particular chef named Giovanni. Which, as the mission progresses, is not a difficult task. You see, Giovanni has an obsession with hiring "women of the night," a very public obsession.

Chef Giovanni can be found hiring these "workers," in a public park, wearing a baby costume… Bonnet and diaper include. “Okay, ladies! It’s milk time!” God damn, Giovanni.

Anyways, that’s not the weirdest part. The mission concludes with you, as Tony, slicing Giovanni up, and selling his flesh as deli meat. We never get to see the results of this.

23 Reading Between The Lines

Niko “The Lady Killer” Bellic is certainly known for his abundance of lady-friends. There are 4 female interests that are relatively easy to come across. However, it’s Carmen that is most interesting, who is also the easiest to miss.

Alex can be found on the dating site, craplist.net (HA!). Anyways, Alex is the poster girl for the modern vapid youth: snobby, materialistic, and soul-crushingly annoying. But her blog posts can be quite funny actually.

Alex’s blog posts can be found on the in-game internet site called blogsnobs.org. They detail all the action that goes on in the bedroom with Niko. Now these exploits with Niko are certainly a fun read but reading deeper, you see something odd. While pondering her epic night with Niko, she wonders about what her old high school cheerleader coach is up to… Could here liberation be associated with some weird under-age relationship in her teens. This game can go to dark places.

22 Falling On Rough Times?

Did you ever wonder what happened to CJ, the protagonist of GTA: San Andreas? Well, the answer can be found in GTA IV if you know where to look.

When you get your safe house, you will be able to kick back and enjoy a bit of TV. Flip through the channels until you get to a program called “I’m Rich.”

During one of the episodes, you will see CJ parachuting above San Andreas, with the narrator saying, “your life will be as exciting as a soda commercial.” This seems like he is doing alright. But do we know the whole truth?

I think CJ has fallen on tough times. The rough and tough street kid I remember wouldn’t go for this popularity BS. I think CJ needs to do these types of gigs to get some quick cash.

Now I wonder what would make a guy like CJ reduce himself to this type of hype TV nonsense.

21 Rockstar Doesn’t Like Nosey Politicians

Satire is considered the highest form of comedy, and I think Rockstar agrees. In GTA IV’s Liberty City, there is a statue that looks a lot like a certain former presidential candidate.

This is the Statue of Happiness and it looks just like Hillary Clinton. From the statue's design, it is clear Rockstar has an issue with Hillary. First off, the statue is rocking Hillary’s classic maniacal, wide-eyed grin, which is personally unsettling for me. Next, she is holding a cup of coffee instead of a torch. This is a plain at the “Hot Coffee” controversy that Hillary led the charge against. Though I like to think it's a critique of Hillary’s waspy perception to the public.

However, the most subtle detail is the heart that beats within the statue. It is chained within Happiness’ chest, and it appears to be black! This whole statue is a monument to Hillary Clinton’s “What about the children” attitude towards gaming.

20 Man, These Churches Are Popping Up Everywhere

The Grand Theft Auto franchises certainly love to pick at low-hanging fruit. So why not pick on the Church of Scientology; the lowest hanging fruit there is.

For those not in the loop, Scientology exposes the idea that humans are descended from the spirits of aliens who were placed into a volcano, which destroyed their mortal bodies. Sounds like something Rockstar writers would come up with.

The reference to the Church of Scientology can be found in a church located in Leftwood in GTA IV. In the rear, you can see a stained-glass window with the volcano from the proto-Scientology book, Dianetics.

In addition, there is a man ranting Scientologist rhetoric: “Biology doesn’t exist!” or “You’re nothing but a probability wave… IN SPACE!”

By placing these references in a church, it seems like Rockstar is making a statement on the silliness of religion in general. Certainly a truth many wouldn’t want to hear.

19 A Very Dry End

One really shouldn’t be surprised that a serial killer is on the loose in Liberty City. However, the disturbing part is that Rockstar went beyond the idea of a serial killer, and put a tangible mass grave into the game.

This mass grave can be found in Bone County, at the base of a mesa in El Castillo del Diablo. At the bottom of a deep chasm, you can see a pile of 6 body bags, and a nearby Bobcat and a shovel. So is there any explanation for this situation?

Well, there are some theories floating around. Some people believe that this is a reference to the Las Vegas mob’s habit of burying corpses in the desert. The darker theory suggests this is the work of a local radio host, Mary-Bell Maybell. She claims to have six husbands… Suspicious how all those men would tolerate that kind of polygamy, or perhaps she just disposes of her old ones…

18 Are You Supposed To Be With My Wife Like That?

The mission, Did Somebody Say Yoga in GTA V perfectly encapsulates absurdity of life in LA. Well, sort of.

The mission takes its namesake from its opening scene as Michael gets upset after his wife’s yoga teacher tries to get a little too familiar with her. However, the real fun begins when Michael heads off with his son Jimmy.

In a very weird act of father-son bonding, they go and pick up some drugs from a local burger spot. As Michael is drinking his soda, things start to blur. He’s been drugged. Jimmy dumps his dad in the street, and Michael begins an odd journey.

As Michael stumbles along, he is mocked by roaming groups of chimps. He is then abducted by aliens, probed, and then dumped out an airlock.

Again, we find our protagonist, waking up in some weird place in their underwear. Does someone at Rockstar have something they want to tell us?

17 Art Is Weird

This is another mission where you have to think about the meta to understand the just how dark the things can be. In GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony, you are tasked by a man named Yusuf to collect a Liberty City Subway car. It seems some rich guy wants it for his own personal art installation.

The mission is just absurdly over the top. You ride atop a subway train, fight off waves of choppers with your own personal arsenal of machine guns and rocket launchers, which results in you actually stealing the rail car. Now, this is all fun, but what are the wider implications.

If this man Yusuf is brazen enough to steal this rail car in broad daylight, what else is he willing to do to achieve his desires? Kidnapping, slavery, admitting Jar Jar was the best character in Star Wars…? Some truths are best left unknown.

16 Going Squatchin’

All the way back in 2004, players pushed a rumour that Bigfoot roamed the mysterious region of Back O’ Beyond, in GTA: San Andreas. For years, no proof could be found, and Rockstar would later dash everyone’s hopes when they confirmed Bigfoot was not in the game. However, Rockstar would pay homage to this fan hysteria in GTA V.

You can capture a glimpse of the creature during the Predator mission where you are hunting a pair of brothers. Using your thermal scope, you can see the Bigfoot in the corner of the screen, although he disappears very quickly.

Later in the game, as Franklin, you actually have to hunt the sasquatch. Now the arc takes on a weird and kind of sad tone. When you shoot the beast, he speaks. He asks Franklin to shoot him, for he is the last of his kind.

Not only a career criminal but the eradicator of an entire species. Dark stuff.

15 Must Have Been Really Cold

The prologue mission in North Yankton may seem like a seem like a fun way to get you familiar with the game, but the area has its secrets.

North Yankton is much more open than one would think for a simple tutorial mission. If you take a sharp out of the fields as you are being pursued by the cops, you will come across a lake. Head out onto the frozen ice, and you will find an alien frozen beneath the ice. It seems to have been caught in a moment of distress.

This is a neat little easter egg, especially as aliens have been a recurrent motif in GTA games. But if you think about it, why are there so many aliens about? Why is this one frozen here? Do they walk among us? I’m not sure the people of Los Santos want to know.

14 I Did NOT See That Coming

So, you’re sitting there, having another run of the mill conversation with your criminal associates. You notice Elizabeta is starting to speak about being paranoid about the cops, then BAM! She caps both of you associate's, Manny and Jay, right in their heads.

Now here I am sitting there, thinking everything will go by smoothly. Nothing is gonna happen, these are main characters, right? Nah son, Rockstar went all Game of Thrones on us, no one is safe.

The mission concludes with Niko, stuffing the corpses into the trunk of a car, and bringing them to a “doctor” for disposal. Here Niko eulogizes: "He'd been trying to help the streets his whole life...maybe he'll actually be doing it now." What does he mean by that?

Will their deaths serve as a lesson to others about the folly of crime? Or will he be buried in the streets “helping” it as fertilizer?

13 And Here Comes The D Jokes

This mission raises the bar to the pinnacle of highbrow humour… Obviously, I’m joking, this is a Rockstar game after all. As such, I present you with the mission: Big ‘n’ Veiny.

In this mission, you are tasked with pursuing a deranged "other industry" thief. As you are chasing the guy, he is constantly dumping stacks of porn into the street. Here you can get a taste—perhaps a poor pun—of Rockstar’s sense of humour. “Donkey Does Dallas,” is the main feature of the mission; all three volumes. Who knew there was so much to tell in the in a bestiality romp through the heart of Texas. Kinda makes a guy curious… or maybe not...

12 Those Scientists Are Shady

The Grand Theft Auto series is known for its recreation of major cities, features, and places. So, of course, GTA: San Andreas would have its own version of Area 51, and of course, it’s called “Area 69.” 2004 was really the golden age of gutter humour.

First off, as you are walking through the base, you can hear odd announcements over the PA system. "Downloading [adult entertainment] is strictly prohibited,” strikes me as an odd request. I guess it gets lonely in the desert.

Even more subtle is the fact that all the scientists have German accents. Now is this a nod to the real world Operation Paperclip, where the US employed 1,500 ex-Nazis post-World War II? Do I want to know if Area 69 is employing the GTA-universe equivalent of Nazis? Nah...

11 How About Being A Good Samaritan For Once

Tired of all the boozing and "women of the night"? Do you want to make a difference? Why not try your hand at solving a mystery. Merle Abrahams, or The Infinity Killer, was responsible for killing 8 joggers, however, the bodies were never discovered. So when you're tired of moonlighting as sociopathic criminal, why not help give closure to these families.

There are myriad of clues that will lead you to the locations of the bodies, including a creepy nursery rhyme that is etched in stone. You will eventually be lead to a group of islands off the coast of Paleto Bay. Once you obtain some scuba gear you will be able to find 8 corpses wrapped in plastic.

I, for one, was not aware of these bodies or the gruesome story behind their murders. The Infinity Killer had an obsession with the number 8, which turned sideways, looks like the symbol for infinity. Nicely done Rockstar.

10 Genesis Would Be Proud

GTA sure has a thing for odd sexual fantasies. In GTA: Vice City Stories, working for Reni is literally a series of WTF moments from the jump.

Reni is an avant-garde director who has multiple areas of interest. Among his favourite areas are child torture and rhino sex flicks… Come on now Rockstar, you’re becoming a caricature of yourselves.

One of the less crazy, though no less odd missions sees you defending Phil Collins from a hitman, while he sings “In the Air Tonight.” Cool fact: that is actually Phil Collins voice acting in the game. Though I wonder if he was aware his name would be associated with a bestiality promoting, child abuse promoter? Probably something Phil doesn’t want to know...

9 A Showdown In The Desert

Paying homage to films through inside jokes or little references is a mainstay in the GTA series. However, GTA V pushes the homage to near replication.

When you are out in the hills of Los Santos, you will run into the games many random encounters. In the distance, you hear faint gunfire, and upon investigation, you will find parked cars and a bunch of bodies.

Looking around you find a man still alive, trying to crawl over to a briefcase containing $25,000. If you hang around too long, another group of men will come and try to claim that case for themselves and eliminate you if they have too.

This whole scene is a clear reference to the botched drug deal from No Country For Old Men. The curiosity in me wants to know who these men were? Where they came from? What happened? This is a dark truth that I really do want to know.

8 Trevor And Michael Hate Reality TV Too

A reunion after a long estrangement can get pretty awkward. Often it’s a messy falling out, but the years have kinda blunted the sword anger. However, no one is really sure how things will end up.

GTA V explores this idea when Trevor and Michael are brought back into each other's lives. However, in traditional GTA fashion, Rockstar sidesteps the drama, by placing Trevor and Michael in a position to cooperate. A mission finds them rescuing Michael’s daughter from a creepy, dry-humping reality show host.

The part that you don’t want to know—but to be honest, we all know—is that this reality show host has probably had his way with countless women. And judging by his 1980s greaseball haircut, he has probably done some weird stuff...

7 Put Those Things Away

The Altruist Cult is a group of old weirdos who have a compound on Mt. Chiliad. They are a malevolent religious cult comprised of old men from the baby boomer generation. This group of disgruntled old-timers blame all the world’s problems on millennials and are often seen walking around stark naked. That’s right, rock out with their… Ya get the idea...

Trevor runs missions for them, bringing random NPCs to their camp. But what do they do with these people? Rumour has it that they are used for fresh meat! Oh boy, we got cannibals!

That’s not the only shady part of this story. It seems that our lovable psychopath Trevor, has a long history with the Altruist Cult, as he refers to them as “his friends in the mountains.” So what’s the truth? Are they just his friends, or does Trevor have a taste for human flesh too?

6 A Tragic Haunting

GTA V is a pretty flat place, but it does have three mountains. These are mysterious places and are packed with secrets and easter eggs. However, Mt. Gordo is haunted by the ghost of Jolene Cranley-Evans.

Jolene used to live near the mountain with her husband Jock. They had a disagreement over whether to move out of the county or not. Things came to a head, and Jock pushed Jolene from a cliff on Mt. Gordo. You can see her ghost stalking the mountain at night. Eyes of pure white staring blankly and jaws agape.

However, many people don’t know the true details about the haunting. From a campsite located near Ursula’s house, you can hear the ghost screaming. Also, there is a rare chance to hear the ghost disembodied whispering all around you. The voice is heard backwards, when played forwards it says, “let’s see your shot…” I really don’t want to know what that means!