Three characters, three different games

Q: What is distinctive about Michael De Santa?

Bullet Time: Slows time while shooting. Best for confined firefights where movement cannot avoid incoming fire.

Q: What is distinctive about Franklin Clinton?

Slow motion while driving: Slows time while driving. Decisive in races and police escapes, especially for otherwise impossible bends.

Q: What is distinctive about Trevor Philips?

Rampage: Deals double damage and halves damage received. The most forceful ability, useful when a plan fails and only a firefight remains.

GTA V is not one game with three costumes. Each character has a distinct ability, mission style and reason to play them. Understanding that early makes many firefights easier.

Michael De Santa

Retired bank robber

He made a deal with the FIB, changed his name and moved to Los Santos. He has a mansion, pool, a family that cannot stand him and boredom he cannot bear.

Special ability

Bullet Time

Slows time while shooting. Best for confined firefights where movement cannot avoid incoming fire.

How he plays

Gunfights, planned missions and the family storyline. Michael carries the main plot of the trio.

His therapist is one of the game's best-written supporting characters. The optional sessions are missed by most players.

Franklin Clinton

Repossession agent from the south of the city

He begins by taking cars from people who cannot pay. He wants to move up, and Michael is his route in.

Special ability

Slow motion while driving

Slows time while driving. Decisive in races and police escapes, especially for otherwise impossible bends.

How he plays

Driving, races and pursuits. Franklin alone can start and finish the Omega strand that unlocks spaceship-part collecting.

The final decision that determines the ending is presented through Franklin.

Trevor Philips

Former pilot, now a drug producer in the desert

Michael's former partner, who believed him dead. When he learns otherwise, he comes to Los Santos and everything changes.

Special ability

Rampage

Deals double damage and halves damage received. The most forceful ability, useful when a plan fails and only a firefight remains.

How he plays

Chaos, flying and unplanned missions. Trevor has the most missions solvable through brute force.

Leave him unattended and return later, and Trevor wakes in unexpected locations. The game never explains this detail.

All key characters and their voice actors

Who they are, who voices them and what happens to them in the canonical ending

Beyond the three protagonists, GTA V's story is driven by twenty supporting characters — family, friends, FIB agents and people who exploit the leads. The fates in the right-hand column refer to the third ending (The Third Way), which Rockstar North has confirmed as canon. They reveal how the game ends.

Character	Who they are	Voice actor	Fate
Michael De Santa	A former bank robber living under FIB protection in Rockford Hills.	Ned Luke	Survives.
Franklin Clinton	A young car repossession agent from Strawberry who wants more than small-time street hustles.	Shawn Fonteno	Survives.
Trevor Philips	Michael's former partner, who runs his own business in Sandy Shores.	Steven Ogg	Survives.
Lester Crest	A hacker and heist planner. No major job happens without him.	Jay Klaitz	Survives.
Lamar Davis	Franklin's best friend from the streets and a constant source of trouble.	Slink Johnson	Survives.
Amanda De Santa	Michael's wife.	Vicki van Tassel	Survives.
Jimmy De Santa	Michael's son, who would rather spend his days at home playing video games.	Danny Tamberelli	Survives.
Tracey De Santa	Michael's daughter, who longs for television fame.	Michal Sinnott	Survives.
Dave Norton	An FIB agent who once helped Michael disappear.	Julian Gamble	Survives.
Steve Haines	An ambitious FIB agent who forces the protagonists to do his dirty work.	Robert Bogue	Dies in the canonical ending.
Devin Weston	A billionaire investor who uses the protagonists and then discards them.	Jonathan Walker	Dies in the canonical ending.
Martin Madrazo	The head of a Mexican cartel. Early in the game, Michael demolishes his mistress's house.	Alfredo Huereca	Survives.
Harold “Stretch” Joseph	Lamar's childhood friend, who returns from prison and sides with their enemies.	Hassan Johnson	Dies in the canonical ending.
Wade Hebert	Trevor's naive assistant.	Matthew Maher	Survives.
Ron Jakowski	Trevor's paranoid associate at Trevor Philips Industries.	David Mogentale	Survives.
Denise Clinton	Franklin's aunt, whom he lives with at the start of the game.	Janet Hubert	Survives.

Three endings, and one that makes sense

The game has three endings, chosen only in the final mission. It is not a menu selection: the game asks, and the answer has consequences.

Kill Trevor

Franklin obeys the FIB. Trevor dies and Michael survives. The coldest ending.

Kill Michael

Franklin obeys Devin Weston. Michael dies and Trevor survives. The bitterest ending.

Deathwish

Franklin rejects both orders, and all three enter the final mission together. It is the hardest option and the only one that leaves the full trio available.

There is exactly one option for continuing with all three characters. The game does not warn you beforehand.