History Characters / GrandTheftAutoVProtagonists

* TwoFirstName: "Clinton" can also be used a given name.

* OlderAndWiser: [[spoiler:Seven years after the main storyline, Franklin goes from a career criminal in the streets to a successful businessman, married to his ex and have children together.]]

[[WMG:[[center: [-[[Characters/{{GrandTheftAutoV}} Return to the main page]] | '''Main Protagonists''' ([[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVMichaelDeSanta Michael De Santa]], [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVTrevorPhilips Trevor Philips]]) | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVFriendsFamilyAndAssociates Friends, Family, and Associates]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVCharactersFromGrandTheftAutoIV Returning Characters From Grand Theft Auto IV]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVStrangersAndFreaks Strangers & Freaks]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVHeistCrewMembers Heist Crew Members]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVDJs Grand Theft Auto V - Radio Hosts]]]]-]]]

[[Characters/{{GrandTheftAutoV}} Return to the main page]] | '''Main Protagonists''' ([[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVMichaelDeSanta Michael De Santa]], [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVTrevorPhilips Trevor Philips]]) | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVFriendsFamilyAndAssociates Friends, Family, and Associates]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVCharactersFromGrandTheftAutoIV Returning Characters From Grand Theft Auto IV]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVStrangersAndFreaks Strangers & Freaks]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVHeistCrewMembers Heist Crew Members]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVDJs Grand Theft Auto V - Radio Hosts]]

* BaldOfEvil: You can make him bald at any barber shop, with one excuse being to rid him of his "yee-yee ass haircut".

* BeardOfEvil: You can give him a beard or a goatee at any barber shop.

* VictoryPose: You can choose from several. Most are some sort of hilarious vulgar action, like [[ADateWithRosiePalms wanking/jerking]] or [[FlippingTheBird a middle finger]].

* BareYourMidriff: The female character can wear outfits that do this.

* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler:End of the game, Tanisha still gets married to her doctor and Franklin's left with either his strippers and hookers, or no one at all.]]

* {{Expy}}: A {{Deconstruction}} of [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas CJ]]. Like Carl, Franklin is a black ex-gangster dissed by his friends for apparently leaving the gang to earn money by means other than gangbanging. But whereas Carl is a major player for a gang with a firmly-established turf and remains in touch of his roots, Franklin is but a footsoldier for a gang branch with no real advancement opportunities despite his skills and intellect, hence wanting to move further away from his "lowly" origins.

* CoolPet: Chop. Technically, he's Lamar's dog, but he effectively becomes Franklin's dog after Lamar asks Franklin to dog-sit for unspecified reasons early in the game and never comes back for him.

* AmbiguousDisorder: All three of them, even [[OnlySaneMan Franklin]], have got something off with them, what with their LackOfEmpathy for their various crimes, relationship issues, and feelings of emptiness or brokenness each of them admit to having, they each seem to suffer -- in their own different ways -- from borderline personality disorder.
* AntiHero: Of the [[NominalHero Nominal]] variety.

** He also goes from taking orders from Michael and Trevor to being able to take command and direct them and they accept his lead.

* TheReliableOne: Michael takes Franklin [[TheMentor under his wing]] when Franklin helps him to save his son. Michael flat out calls Franklin the most reliable member of the trio, and when both Michael and Trevor's baggage start raining down on the team, Franklin says that being the OnlySaneMan makes him feel like more of a "senior partner" rather than the new blood.

* BashBrothers: In "Hood Safari", the heists, and [[spoiler:"The Third Way" (if Option C is chosen)]].
* CaperCrew: The main three form a heist crew along with Lester and other individuals that go from robbing a jewelry store to [[spoiler:the setting's equivalent of the Federal Reserve]]. The Online protagonist can join other players in heists.

* FreudianTrio: Michael acts as the brains for most of the jobs and is the most logical (criminal-wise) and sophisticated, yet hot-tempered and sarcastic, filling his role as the Ego. Trevor is the irrational unhinged berserker who has poor impulse control and therefore embodies the Id. Franklin being the calm, sane, and nicest of the trio acts as the buffer between Micheal and Trevor, making him the Superego.

* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Implied to be the case during his part of the ''Grass Roots'' Strangers and Freaks Mission when Barry gives him his homegrown weed that caused MushroomSamba for Michael and Trevor earlier; only for Franklin who has regularly indulged in Weed on a regular basis to comment that Barrys' stuff is weak.

--> ''[Michael and Trevor are repeatedly bickering]''\\

* {{Bookends}}: If the player chooses Ending A or B, Franklin's story ends the same way [[spoiler:Michael's started - alone in a BigFancyHouse with no real relationships left and a metric ton of self loathing]].

--> ''"Say hello to Leonora, motherfucker."''
* BrokenPedestal: For Michael, by the time of "I Fought The Law", a mission that involves stealing cars, racing them, and not being paid for either... which is exactly what Franklin was doing before he met Michael. Franklin followed Mike specifically to get out of that game, but is right back where he started thanks to being wrapped up in Michael's baggage. [[spoiler:And in ending A, he clearly loses all respect for Michael after seeing him betray Trevor so callously, especially when there's no guarantee he wouldn't do the same to him]].

* CharacterDevelopment: Franklin spends most of the game as little more than a thug who takes orders from everyone in the hopes of payment, in particular often deferring to Michael or Trevor and never really making decisions for himself. However, when [[spoiler:forced to chose between [[SadisticChoice killing Michael or Trevor]], Franklin can instead TakeAThirdOption, take charge for himself and successfully get Michael and Trevor to defer to him instead as they take down everyone who ever wronged them]].

* ConsummateProfessional: Definitely compared to [[TeethClenchedTeamwork Trevor and Michael.]] While Franklin has [[MyParentsAreDead his]] [[DidNotGetTheGirl own]] [[AllTheOtherReindeer issues]], he leaves his baggage at the door. Which is why Lester uses him for a few missions as an assassin.

* DecoyProtagonist: [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]]. Franklin is the first of the three playable characters we're properly introduced to, but once Michael and Trevor are introduced, the story mainly focuses on them while Franklin is off either doing other things or helping Michael and Trevor out. That said, Franklin is the one [[spoiler:who initiates the final mission of the game, being tasked to either [[SadisticChoice kill Michael, Trevor]], or [[TakeAThirdOption take out everyone who's ever wronged all of them]], and it's the latter where Franklin steps up to the plate to lead all of them to the GoldenEnding]].
* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler:End of the game, Tanisha still gets married to her doctor and Franklin's left with either his strippers and hookers, or no one at all]].

* DrugsAreBad: With the exception of pot[[note]]And then he tends to become borderline self-loathing whenever he smokes weed[[/note]], he seems to believe this. He has a particular disdain for crack, as he watched his mother destroy herself with it.
* EmbarrassingNickname: After reluctantly sharing the story of his first heist with the other protagonists, Trevor tries to stick him with the nick-name "Dye-pack" on account that that's what ultimately caused the heist to fail. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqqoC0PKMQE Averted when Franklin makes it very clear how much Trevor's annoying him]].

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: [[spoiler:He tells off his Aunt Denise partly for insulting his mother]].

-->'''Franklin:''' Man, shit. I gotta learn how to say "no."

* HiddenDepths: He actually does have his fair share of issues; he think's he's empty inside, that he doesn't have any real friends, that he doesn't feel anything, and no one likes him, as well as some pent up anger at his mother for turning to crack. He just only touches on these when he's high; take a hit from his bong at his safehouse and you can hear his inner thoughts.

* JuniorCounterpart: There are several parallels to be drawn between him and Michael, more so as the game goes on, and his relationship with Lamar is basically a toned-down mirror of Michael's relationship with Trevor. [[spoiler:In Ending B, he follows Michael's path in life by betraying a close friend (Michael himself) and retreating into a well-off lifestyle afterward]].

* TheKirk: Is forced into this role by Michael and Trevor's infighting, to the point of playing the unofficial leader later in the game. [[spoiler:The ending forces him to choose between Michael's [[TheSpock Spock]] and Trevor's [[TheMcCoy McCoy]]. Or not, since he can refuse the choice altogether and help both of them]].

* MeaningfulName: His name combines the surnames of Creator/BenjaminFranklin and UsefulNotes/BillClinton, both famous and affluent Americans, referencing his desire for wealth and status. It's double-edged as well - individual US dollar banknotes are referred to as ''"Bills"'', and ''"Benjamin"'' is common slang for the 100$ note, which displays Ben Franklin's portrait.

** Same with Tanisha, who, at the start of one mission [[spoiler:shames Franklin into saving Lamar ([[RunningGag again]]) from a Balla ambush in a sawmill]].

* NotSoAboveItAll: While he isn't the type to laugh out loud, [[{{Corpsing}} he guffaws hysterically]] [[spoiler:when Trevor tries ([[EpicFail and fails]]) to hop over his fence at the start of "Fresh Meat"]].

** In the mission ''Fresh Meat'' Franklin singlehandedly [[spoiler:breaks into a warehouse and mows down a army of Chinese Triad members to save Michael]].

** Franklin also has the most potential options for booty calls in the game; aside from the four available strippers at the Vanilla Unicorn, which are available to all three PC's, he can also pick up Ursula, who's restricted to either him or Trevor, and Liz, who's exclusive to Frank, as he gets her number as part of one of his taxi cab missions.
* RebuiltPedestal: His relationship with Michael can recover from the damage it takes in the late game, [[spoiler:but only if you choose Option C. Any other option will lead to Michael either being A: openly hostile toward Franklin or B: dead]].

* TheReliableOne: Michael takes Franklin [[TheMentor under his wing]] when Franklin helps him to save his son. Michael flat out calls Franklin the most reliable member of the trio, and when both Michael's and Trevor's baggage start raining down on the team, Franklin says that being the OnlySaneMan makes him feel like more of a "senior partner" rather than the new blood.

* ReligiousBruiser: Implied. Pre-release art depicted him with a neck tattoo that showed praying hands holding a cross (strangely, this tattoo can't be purchased, although a somewhat similar one can), and he briefly discusses the Bible with Michael in the mission "Marriage Counseling", referring to St. Matthew as "my boy."
* RoaringRampageOfRescue: [[spoiler:The mission "Fresh Meat", in which Franklin fights his way through a large force of Chinese Triad gangsters to save Michael from being killed via a giant meat grinder]].
** Likewise [[RunningGag whenever he has to bail out Lamar from the obvious trap he walked right into]], but the greatest case of this is when [[spoiler:he calls in Trevor and Michael as back-up to wipe out an entire lumber-mill worth of Ballas, who were about to execute Lamar]].
* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler:He is given the choice of how to resolve the issue of the bounties on both Michael's and Trevor's heads]]. However, he is free to TakeAThirdOption which is explicitly stated to be a death wish, [[spoiler:in which instead of killing Trevor or Michael, [[GoldenEnding you kill everybody who wants them dead, and survive unscathed]]]].

* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler:Kill either Michael or Trevor, and Franklin ends up back to banging in the hood with Lamar. The survivor will cut off all ties with Franklin]].

* TallDarkAndHandsome: Dark-skinned, 6'0 tall, and the youngest and most conventionally attractive of the three protagonists.

* UndyingLoyalty: Zigzagged.

* VigilanteMan: He can play this role [[spoiler:at the end of the Letter Scraps sidequest. While Michael and Trevor can also collect scraps, only Franklin can decipher the mystery of the gruesome murder of 70s starlet Leonora Johnson, and confront the man the papers point to, controversial director Peter Dreyfuss]].

When he's not filling the role of the crew's designated pilot, he's their designated sniper, though he doesn't really fit into either the FriendlySniper or the ColdSniper mould.

->[[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVTrevorPhilips Has his own page here.]]

->"[[VillainCred You've been making quite a name for yourself...]] and that name is [[FearlessFool 'Dangerous Idiot'.]]"
-->--'''Lester Crest'''

* BadassNormal: Compared to Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. No bullet time for shooting or driving. No berserker rage without bullshark testosterone [[spoiler:or the Stone Hachet]]. They're able to fight without special abilities and they're still tough.

* ClosetKey: Chastity, a stripper at the Vanilla Unicorn, will give her number out to a female protagonist despite claiming to be straight in the main game. [[spoiler:And then subverted; turns out she's just giving her number out to come over and give private dances]].

* TheDreaded: [[spoiler:Once the Online Protagonist reaches the higher levels, they are feared and respected as one of the most dangerous criminals in San Andreas]].

[[Characters/{{GrandTheftAutoV}} Return to the main page]] | '''Main Protagonists''' ([[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVMichaelDeSanta Michael De Santa]], [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVTrevorPhilips Trevor Philips]]) | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVFriendsFamilyAndAssociates Friends, Family and Associates]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVCharactersFromGrandTheftAutoIV Returning Characters From Grand Theft Auto IV]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVStrangersAndFreaks Strangers & Freaks]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVHeistCrewMembers Heist Crew Members]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVOtherCharacters Other Characters]] | [[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVDJs Grand Theft Auto V - Radio Hosts]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Franklin may have [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] tendencies. Despite his status as the decidedly most "sane" protagonist (or should we say less dysfunctional?), he frequently shows signs of being unable to form real attachments to people; Lamar is his only friend at the start of the game and he shows open contempt for him most of the time (he seems to stick with him only out of fear of being alone) and his love for Tanisha comes off as very self-serving. Of course, he has a massive LackOfEmpathy, but unlike true sociopaths, he is much more self-controlled and civil, so we may be talking about some mental disorder left to the interpretation of the players themselves. If you have him use the bong in his house, while high he will voice his concerns that something may be broken within him.
** It's worth noting that even Franklin's mother, implied throughout the game to serve as a MoralityPet to him even post-mortem, is not enough to really curb his criminal activity. Franklin is more than willing to buy and - presumably - sell the substance that caused his mother to overdose and turned his high school sweetheart into a prostitute, crack cocaine.

* BashBrothers: In "Hood Safari", the heists, and [[spoiler:"The Third Way" (if Option C is chosen). ]]

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: They can own an Organisation.

* BashBrothers: In "Hood Safari", the heists, and [[spoiler: "The Third Way" (if Option C is chosen). ]]

* DeadpanSnarker: The three of them are prone to making wisecracks at others.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Due to the ''Diamond Casino and Resort'' expansion rendering Ending A and B non-canon, it is safe to assume all our protagonists are these after the game's end.]]

* BadassBoast: [[spoiler: He tells Imani that "[[CallBack he made the FIB his bitch a long time ago]]".]]

* BrokenPedestal: For Michael, by the time of "I Fought The Law", a mission that involves stealing cars, racing them, and not being paid for either... which is exactly what Franklin was doing before he met Michael. Franklin followed Mike specifically to get out of that game, but is right back where he started thanks to being wrapped up in Michael's baggage. [[spoiler: And in ending A, he clearly loses all respect for Michael after seeing him betray Trevor so callously, especially when there's no guarantee he wouldn't do the same to him]].

** This ultimately ends up becoming a Deconstruction of sorts: [[spoiler: since Franklin is the one character who actually has everyone's trust, he ends up getting forced into either killing Michael or Trevor. He can potentially choose a third option though.]]

* JuniorCounterpart: There are several parallels to be drawn between him and Michael, more so as the game goes on, and his relationship with Lamar is basically a toned-down mirror of Michael's relationship with Trevor. [[spoiler: In Ending B, he follows Michael's path in life by betraying a close friend (Michael himself) and retreating into a well-off lifestyle afterward]].

* TheKirk: Is forced into this role by Michael and Trevor's infighting, to the point of playing the unofficial leader later in the game. [[spoiler: The ending forces him to choose between Michael's [[TheSpock Spock]] and Trevor's [[TheMcCoy McCoy]]. Or not, since he can refuse the choice altogether and help both of them]].

* TheLeader: Becomes the trio's leader after [[spoiler: Michael and Trevor turn on each other.]] It's up to him to bring them together to do missions and to [[spoiler: stop them from killing each other during the missions.]]

* LonelyAtTheTop: Lamar and Tanisha cite this trope as Franklin's inevitable future should he continue to pursue his dreams of being a big-time crook and abandon the hood, though Lamar's motives for claiming such are decidedly selfish. Michael also nudges him in this direction, although he's more subtle about it. [[spoiler: They're proven right should the player choose Ending A or B, with most of the relationships he built during the game completely shattered, and him stuck living alone in his mansion with hardly any friends to his name - [[{{Bookends}} just like Michael]].]]

** Same with Tanisha, who, at the start of one mission [[spoiler: shames Franklin into saving Lamar ([[RunningGag again]]) from a Balla ambush in a sawmill]].

* NervesOfSteel: As opposed to Michael and Trevor, Franklin tends to keep his emotions in check (when he's not [[DeadpanSnarker snarking]] on [[SurroundedByIdiots the idiocy of his homies]].)

* NotSoAboveItAll: While he isn't the type to laugh out loud, [[{{Corpsing}} he guffaws hysterically]] [[spoiler: when Trevor tries ([[EpicFail and fails]]) to hop over his fence at the start of "Fresh Meat"]].

** Likewise [[RunningGag whenever he has to bail out Lamar from the obvious trap he walked right into]], but the greatest case of this is when [[spoiler: he calls in Trevor and Michael as back-up to wipe out an entire lumber-mill worth of Ballas, who were about to execute Lamar]].
* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler:He is given the choice of how to resolve the issue of the bounties on both Michael's and Trevor's heads]]. However, he is free to TakeAThirdOption which is explicitly stated to be a death wish, [[spoiler: in which instead of killing Trevor or Michael, [[GoldenEnding you kill everybody who wants them dead, and survive unscathed]]]].

* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler: Kill either Michael or Trevor, and Franklin ends up back to banging in the hood with Lamar. The survivor will cut off all ties with Franklin]].

** While he may seem loyal to Michael, his only true loyalty lies with whoever can make him money, and he's even willing to [[spoiler:kill Michael]] on short notice if it can help him earn a paycheck from Devin Weston. [[spoiler: If you pick Option C and he chooses to save both his mentors, however, then this is completely played straight.]]

* BadassNormal: Compared to Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. No bullet time for shooting or driving. No berserker rage without bullshark testosterone [[spoiler: or the Stone Hachet]]. They're able to fight without special abilities and they're still tough.

* ResurrectiveImmortality: Granted to them by [[spoiler: '''''[[TheCloudCuckooLanderWasRight Cris Formage]]''''']] after their first death. No matter what they are killed with up to and including a KillSat they will reappear nearby in a few seconds no worse for wear and a couple of hundred dollars shy ready to resume their business.

* DeadpanSnarker: The three of them are prone of making wise-cracks at others.

* NWordPrivileges: Boy howdy, does he and Lamar use it when together -- almost every sentence in any of their conversations.

--> '''Franklin''': You gotta look out for fools like me!

'''Franklin''': Man, you know what? *opens door* Man, fuck you.\\
'''Devin''': [[spoiler:Genius answer, pal. Total genius, but time is running out.]] You think about it. Me? I got a triathlon coming up, and I am in deep training. Buh-bye!\\
'''Franklin''': Man, fuck you!

* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler:If Ending B is chosen. Despite Michael taking him on as a protege and making him a lot more money than he would have seen otherwise, Franklin still opts to kill him in an attempt to cover his own ass.]]

* CrazyPrepared: The game includes bulletproof helmets and special piece of armour one can wear that halves all damage during missions and heists. Typically at least one person in a mission will combine this with a love of everything in the heavy weapon slot.

--> '''[[Characters/GrandTheftAutoVCharactersFromGrandTheftAutoIV Karen]]''': When I had ran agents in the field I had to entrap them, cajole them, threaten them with deportation. [...] Now, apparently, all you gotta do is [[EveryManHasHisPrice give them a couple bucks]] and a few kind words. I guess there really is no accounting for stupidity.