Franklin Clinton

Franklin Clinton is one of the three protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V along with Michael De Santa and Trevor Philips. He is voiced by Shawn Fonteno.

Franklin (born 1988) and lived his entire life in Los Santos. He became a gang member at a young age and joined The Families alongside his best friend Lamar Davis, committing various petty crime for a living. Franklin's story revolves his desire to become something more and become successful, which he succeeds when he meets Michael, who becomes a mentor figure to him and recruits him in all of his robberies and various jobs for other criminals, leading to Franklin's eventual wealth. Franklin also befriends the third protagonist, Trevor, who, although not as close to him as Michael, still becomes somewhat of a mentor for him. He Also befriends different people along the way.

He is briefly mentioned early in Grand Theft Auto Online by Lamar Davis in the missions "Mall or Nothing" and "Community Outreach" and by Hao in the LS Car Meet introduction. He then appears in The Contract Update where he has his own agency called F. Clinton and Partner working for Dr. Dre.

Background[]

Franklin was born in South Los Santos, San Andreas in 1988. He never knew his father and his mother became a cocaine addict when Franklin was very young. As a child, Franklin often heard stories about his father was domestically abusive towards his mother, possibly causing her to turn to cocaine to escape being abused. Franklin's father abandoned his mother while she was still pregnant with him. His mother's addiction eventually led to her death when Franklin was a child.

Following with his mom's death, he moved in with his maternal grandparents. This is where Franklin met Tonya Wiggins and JB Bradshaw. Despite being constantly spoiled by his grandmother, Franklin had decided to take on the role of a hustler. One of his first jobs was selling cigarettes with Bradshaw. The scheme was successful until Franklin's grandfather caught them in the act. In Tonya's words, his grandfather "gave chase to both him and Bradshaw all around South Los Santos". After the death of his grandparents, Franklin and his aunt Denise moved into a house on Forum Drive left to them by Franklin's grandmother in her will.

Franklin attended Davis High School along with Lamar Davis, Tanisha Jackson and Tonya, but was expelled for assaulting a staff member for an unknown reason. Around this time, he began the life of a gang member and cannabis dealer and started committing various petty crimes such as carjackings and small-time bank robberies with Lamar Davis. During their first bank robbery, they stole $2,000 but could not keep the money because a dye pack exploded, making it worthless. Franklin also worked for a local dealer named Marcus, whom he later murdered. Franklin's life of petty crime caught up with him in 2008, when he was arrested and sent to a penetentiary. After his release, he decided to give up his previous gangster life and get some legitimate work.

At some point, Franklin went out with Tanisha, but they split up due to her brother's death and her fearing that Franklin's illegal lifestyle will bring her harm. A few months before the start of his story, in 2013, Franklin moved beyond the role of street dealer when he and Lamar began working for Armenian businessman Simeon Yetarian. Yetarian owns a car dealership which acts as a front for loansharking and extortion; selling cars to people who can't afford them and when they default on the exorbitant interest payments, Franklin and Lamar repossess the vehicles.

Franklin is first seen on a repossession job with Lamar, soon after a chance encounter with his future crime partner and mentor, Michael De Santa, who unknowingly directs them to their assigned repossession. Later, Franklin and Lamar are assigned by Simeon to repossess a Bagger in a Vagos-controlled area of Vespucci. While searching for the bike, the two are confronted by the Vagos and a shootout begins when Lamar pulls a gun on them. The duo is then forced to fight their way out of the neighborhood. They find the bike, but the owner was murdered during the shootout. Knowing the repossession is meaningless, Lamar takes the motorbike for himself, and Simeon blames Franklin for the bike's theft. While recovering a BeeJay XL sold to Jimmy De Santa, his father Michael (who had been hiding in the back seat) holds a handgun to Franklin's head. Under orders from Michael, Franklin drives the car through the window of Simeon's dealership, receiving a payment from Michael himself for doing what he called "a job well done". Because Franklin had driven through the dealership and Lamar didn't return the bike, Simeon fires the pair.

After losing his job at the dealership, Franklin approached Michael about a drink he offhandedly offered him when he cost Franklin his repo job. Franklin helps Michael rescue Jimmy from his yacht, which was stolen with Jimmy on it during an attempted sale. Later, after Michael catches his wife Amanda post-coitus with her tennis coach, Michael and Franklin angrily chase him to a house in the Vinewood Hills. Believing the house to belong to the tennis coach, Michael and Franklin use a pickup truck to take the deck down, destroying the house. After returning to the De Santa Residence, drug kingpin Martin Madrazo appears and reveals that it was his lover's house, not the tennis coach's. He attacks Michael with a baseball bat and demands that Michael pay for the repairs to the house, which will cost $2,500,000.

Franklin is brought along by Lamar to kidnap a Balla gangster named D for no other reason than that Lamar saw "opportunity". He and Lamar meet up and travel in Lamar's van to Vinewood Boulevard and encounter D down an alley, but he makes an escape on a motorbike with the two in hot pursuit. With the help of Lamar's rottweiller Chop, the two succeed in capturing D, however, they are forced to free him when Lamar inadvertently reveals their location to the cops while talking on his mobile phone. Things took a turn for the worse when Stretch returns from his prison sentence and goes to a drug deal at Rogers Salvage & Scrap which was actually an ambush. Stretch murders D and the trio escape with Franklin angry at Stretch for returning.

After some time has passed, Michael contacts Franklin to enlist him for the Vangelico Jewelry Store Heist, which Franklin accepts as he sees this as his first legitimate payday and a major opportunity to prove himself. The heist is successful and Madrazo receives his money, with Michael and Franklin splitting the rest between themselves.

Michael, under orders from FIB agent Dave Norton, infiltrates a morgue and kills several guards. In a panic, Michael calls Franklin and reveals that he is affiliated with the FIB, though Franklin continues to trust Michael due to the latter offering him help while he was in a tough financial position. Franklin also decides to work with Michael, in hopes that there will be better payment from jobs with him.

During his various jobs with Michael, Franklin is introduced to Trevor Philips and Lester Crest, two of Michael's acquaintances from his former bank robbing days. Franklin's work causes him to distance himself from the Families. When Franklin returns to his house, Lamar and Denise heckle him for his "disloyalty". As Franklin explains that he doesn't want to be caught up in the routine of gangster life again and wants the opportunity to make a success of himself, Trevor suddenly appears, wanting to "make new friends". Lamar informs Franklin that Stretch has arranged a drug deal with some Balla members, and Trevor decides to join them. The trio (along with Chop) drive to a house in Grove Street where Lamar is offered a sample from a cocaine brick, and is about to buy it before Trevor intervenes. Trevor grabs the brick of the dealer, and discovers the brick is actually drywall. A shootout erupts, and Franklin, Trevor and Lamar are forced to fight their way out of Grove Street when their van is disabled. Moments after the shootout, the police show up to chase them. Franklin and Trevor follow Lamar through a narrow alley into the Los Santos Storm Drain. They steal three Jetskis and head towards the open sea, eventually evading the police. Should Franklin follow Lamar, he tells him that he thinks Stretch set them up in an attempt to murder Lamar.

Eventually, Franklin and Michael are convinced by Trevor to steal an experimental super weapon from a private security company named Merryweather. The heist is a total failure, but shortly after, Lester arrives and angrily tells the trio to put the weapon back, as if they take it, they will be hunted by every known agency on the planet. While Trevor wants to keep it anyway, both Franklin and Michael agree that it isn't worth it. Trevor concedes and arranges for it to be taken back.

Franklin gets employed by billionaire Devin Weston, who asks him, Trevor, Michael, and later Lamar to steal some rare cars for him so that he can export them to Asia. He also gets employed by Lester for several Assassin jobs, which allow him to move to a luxurious and spacious mansion, which belonged to Lester but needed someone to live in it to make it seem legit.

While hiding in his trailer after a job for Madrazo went south, Trevor receives a call from Franklin, who on Trevor's request is tailing the remaining O'Neil brothers, who are angry and bloodthirsty at Trevor due to his earlier attack on the O'Neil household and base, resulting in the deaths of most of the O'Neils and the destruction of their farm. Franklin chases the O'Neils, who crash because of an elk on the road and escape into a forest in Raton Canyon. Eventually, Trevor and Michael arrive by helicopter. Using a rifle, fitted with a thermal scope, Michael shoots Walton and Wynn O'Neil dead, but can't get a clear snipe of Elwood, who is hiding behind a rock and firing rockets towards the helicopter. With the help of Chop, Franklin locates and murders Elwood, after which he and Chop are picked up by Trevor and Michael and safely returned to Sandy Shores Airfield.

“Hey! Hey! Enough! You got me out here. You roped me into your crazy world of bullshit. If it was lies, New Age shit, and arguments about how good life used to be, I could have stayed my ass in Los Santos.”

— Franklin stopping Michael and Trevor's argument during The Paleto Score

Franklin helps Trevor and Michael rob the Blaine County Savings Bank, as it contains millions of dollars deposited there by Blaine County's corrupt law enforcement who extort money from all the local cannabis farms and meth labs. Using stolen military body armour and machine guns, Trevor, Michael, Franklin, and one gunman successfully rob the Paleto bank, taking a small cut each and giving the larger profit to Haines and Norton so they can purchase the required equipment for a robbery at the Humane Labs and Research chemical plant, much to the team's irritation.

Franklin receives a call from Lamar who informs him that he's robbed the final car on Weston's list. Franklin meets Lamar and the two drive to Little Bighorn Avenue where Trevor is waiting with a Packer filled with the other cars the group have obtained for Weston. Franklin drives the car onto the last remaining spot on the Packer, after which he, Lamar, and Trevor then begin the drive to the drop-off point. When the police discover the cars and give chase on the way, Franklin decides to unhitch one of the stolen cars, a JB 700, and use its weapons to destroy the police cars. Trevor keeps the Packer steady while Franklin makes his way along the cargo carrier, eventually reaching the JB 700. Using the 700's caltrops and newly included guns, Franklin manages to take out the cops pursuit. They drop off the cars, but Devin angers the trio by refusing to pay them, promising to "invest" their money and pay them at a later date.

Annoyed, Franklin calls Michael, but discovers that his phone is down. Confused, he calls Lester, who relays that his phone has been on and off since he left for Ludendorff and suggests asking Trevor about it. When Trevor encounters Franklin at his aunt's house, he inquires where Michael is, to which Trevor explains that the Los Santos Triads kidnapped Michael while they were in Ludendorff. Franklin asks for his help rescuing him, but Trevor refuses, claiming Michael is "dead" to him, having discovered that Michael was responsible for a set up robbery that they took part in, many years prior. With Trevor's refusal to assist him, Franklin decides to rescue Michael alone. He eventually tracks Michael's phone signal to a slaughterhouse using an app sent to his phone by Lester. After a shootout, Franklin succeeds in rescuing Michael and the two make their escape from the abattoir.

Franklin and Michael are called for one more job for Steve Haines: breaking into the FIB building and removing incriminating evidence, as the Research Lab raid had resulted in his arrest, damaging his reputation. Infiltrating the building, the team manages to recover the data and escapes. They meet up with Lester and celebrate their victory with drinks. After Michael leaves to settle things with the FIB, Franklin relaxes with Lester.

A while later, Franklin is visited at his house by his ex-girlfriend Tanisha who tells him that Stretch set Lamar up again with a large group of the Balla gang, who are holding him hostage at the Paleto Forest Sawmill. While Franklin is initially reluctant to help due to Lamar's stubborn insistence on sticking to a lifestyle that has done nothing for them, he is eventually convinced to do. While on his way towards the sawmill, he asks Lester to contact Michael and Trevor to aid him in rescuing Lamar. The trio arrive and proceed to take out the Ballas. While bringing Lamar home, he and Franklin get into a small dispute, arguing about Franklin's many efforts to save Lamar from problems he got himself into and Lamar's feeling of abandonment on Franklin's part, though they agree that Stretch likely sold out to the Balla gang while in prison. Franklin advises Lamar to remain civilized, to abandon his gangster lifestyle, and get a proper job. After Lamar is dropped off, Franklin is suddenly confronted by the FIB agents blackmailing Michael, Steve Haines and Dave Norton, who task Franklin to assasinate Trevor, due to his violent unstable behavior and general liability. Franklin refuses, asking them to recruit Michael to do it instead, but Norton explains that Michael can't because Trevor doesn't trust Michael and won't allow Michael to go near him.

Franklin and the team plan and begin their final heist shortly afterwards. They succeed and come off with millions of dollars in gold.

Ending[]

After the heist, Franklin is visited by Devin Weston who orders him to assasinate Michael after he inadvertently caused the death of his lawyer, refused to shut down a movie he was producing, and interfered in his attempt to have his family murdered. Franklin must choose to murder Trevor, Michael or save both and kill everyone who double-crossed them.

Option C
Option A
Option B

Franklin contacts Lester and goes to meet him at his house to discuss the situation. Upon arriving, he tells Lester that Steve Haines wants him to kill Trevor and Devin Weston wants him to kill Michael and is struggling with how he's supposed to kill both. Lester comes up with an idea to take out all of their enemies at once by using their greed to their advantage. Weston and Haines are contacted and informed that foundry is where the gold stolen from the crew's final heist is located. Franklin contacts and picks up Lamar, who offers extra support, as he is surprised Franklin would help his friends "for a change". They arrive at the foundry with Lamar as the lookout while Franklin goes inside and finds Michael and Trevor arguing. After convincing them to stop and reach a common ground, the trio take positions around the foundry.

As Weston's hired Merryweather operatives and Haines's FIB squad arrive, the trio begin to fire, beginning a large scale shootout, which they eventually win. After the fighting ends, they contact Lester who provides them the locations of their enemies. Trevor goes after Steve Haines, Michael goes after Stretch, and Franklin goes after Wei Cheng; each murdering a different person's enemy in order to not associate the initial person with their enemy's death. Afterwards, Franklin meets Michael and Trevor, who had kidnapped Devin in his car, at the foothills of Mount Chiliad. Seeing the defeated Devin, Franklin mocks him by saying "My bad homie. I picked C. Ain't that a bitch?" After further taunting Devin on their victory, the trio push his car off the cliff and into the ocean, which promptly explodes, killing Devin. The three agree to end their criminal partnership with each other but promise to still remain friends. Afterwards, Franklin receives an email from the CEO of Merryweather, thanking him for taking out Devin, as he was able to buy back Devin's shares of the company at a reduced price. He lets Franklin know that no reply is necessary and to not mess with his business ventures again. Franklin receives a call from Tanisha who lets him know that she is about to get married and to stay out of trouble. With all of their enemies gone, the trio and their respective friends are able to hang out with no restrictions.

Years later, Franklin now own's a company with your GTA Online player and is affiliated with Lamar in LD Organics. He is now married to Tanisha with children and still resides in his home in Vinewood Hills with them.

Characters Murdered by Franklin Clinton[]

Esteban Jimenez - Murdered in order to steal his bike.
Several jurors - Assassinated on orders from Lester Crest.
Brett Lowrey - Assassinated on orders from Lester Crest.
Jackson Skinner - Assassinated on orders from Lester Crest.
Isaac Penny - Assassinated on orders from Lester Crest.
Enzo Bonelli - Assassinated on orders from Lester Crest.
Wei Cheng's right-hand man - Murdered in order to save Michael De Santa.
Wei Cheng - Murdered under the orders of Michael De Santa and for trying to have Michael and Trevor killed.
Devin Weston - Murdered for trying to have Michael and his family killed and for scamming Franklin, Lamar, and Trevor.

Optional Murders[]

Alonzo - Can be killed during his Private Taxi Fare.
Keyla - Can be killed after her Private Taxi Fare.
Little Laita's Cousin - Can be killed during Chop.
Chad Mulligan - Can be killed during Eye In The Sky.
Chip Peterson - Can be killed to steal his blueprints of the FIB Headquarters building.
Elwood O'Neil - Killed by either Franklin or Michael for seeking retribution against Trevor Philips.
MC Clip - Can be killed by either Franklin or Trevor during Hood Safari. It is unknown if this is canon or not as he afterwards posts on Bleeter regardless of the player's actions, however, if killed, the news will state that he died.

Strangers and Freaks optional murders[]

Beverly Felton - Can be killed during the Strangers and Freaks mission Paparazzo - Reality Check.
Peter Dreyfuss - Can be killed during the Strangers and Freaks mission A Starlet in Vinewood.
Bigfoot - Can be killed during or after The Last One.

Non-canon murders[]

Note: The Time's Come and Something Sensible are confirmed to be non-canon to the storyline and the events featured do not relate to the series and therefore didn't actually happen.

Patrick McReary - Can be killed during his random event, but it is non-canon, as he is still alive in GTA Online: The Diamond Casino Heist (set in 2019).
Simeon Yetarian - Can be killed in his random event, but it is non-canon, as he is still alive in 2018.
MC Clip - Can be killed by either Franklin or Trevor during Hood Safari, but it is non-canon as he posts on Bleeter afterwards.
Michael De Santa - Murdered on orders from Devin Weston.
Trevor Philips - Murdered on orders from Steve Haines and Dave Norton.
Tao Cheng - Can be killed during The Third Way, but it is non-canon, as he is still alive in 2019.

Crimes committed by Franklin Clinton[]

This is a list of all crimes committed by Franklin during the main storyline, as well as crimes that the player may commit while playing as Franklin.

Stealing two sports cars alongside Lamar for Simeon Yetarian.
Killing several Vagos alongside Lamar and stealing a motorcycle belonging to one of them for Simeon (which he ultimately keeps for himself).
Breaking into the De Santa Residence, attempting to steal Jimmy De Santa's car back for Simeon, and ramming through the window of Simeon's dealership.
Attempting to kidnap D alongside Lamar.
Killing numerous Ballas and escaping from the LSPD alongside Lamar and Stretch, after being lured into an ambush by D.
Killing some of the people who have stolen Michael's yacht in an attempt to retrieve it.
Helping Michael demolish a house (whose owner is later revealed to be drug lord Martin Madrazo).
The robbery of the Vangelico jewel store.
Helping Michael and Trevor kidnap Mr. K from the IAA building, under orders from Steve Haines.
Taking part in a drug deal on Grove Street alongside Lamar and Trevor, and killing numerous Ballas to escape after the deal is revealed to be a trap set by Stretch.
The robbery of a high-tech device from Merryweather (only to be then forced to return it).
Helping Michael and Trevor steal two cars for Devin Weston by racing the drivers.
Stealing Chad Mulligan's Z-Type for Weston (and, optionally, killing him).
Infiltrating the Backlot City movie studio and stealing the JB 700 located there for Weston.
The robbery of an armored car containing agency funds, under orders from Steve Haines.
Helping Michael and Trevor kill the remaining O'Neil Brothers in the woods.
The robbery of the Paleto Bay bank.
Taking part in the raid on a research facility to steal a deadly virus.
Delivering all the stolen cars to Devin Weston alongside Lamar and Trevor, escaping from the LSPD in the process.
Killing numerous Triads at a meat packing facility to rescue Michael.
Infiltrating a construction site and stealing a briefcase with the blueprints of the FIB building. Cock
Taking part in the raid on the FIB building.
Killing numerous Ballas alongside Michael and Trevor to rescue Lamar.
The robbery of Union Depository.
Killing numerous Merryweather mercenaries and FIB agents alongside Michael and Trevor during an ambush at a warehouse, killing Wei Cheng and his guards, and helping Michael and Trevor kill Devin Weston by pushing the car he was locked in off a cliff.

Other Crimes Committed (player-determinant)[]

Grand Theft Auto
Carjacking
Manslaughter
Resisting Arrest
Robbery
Mass Homicide
Violating Gun Control laws
Looting
Dangerous Driving
Driving under the Influence
Assault
Vehicular Manslaughter
Running stop lights
Shoplifting
Trespassing

Overview[]

Personality[]

“I don't have much of a heart.”

— Franklin to Tonya Wiggins in Pulling One Last Favor

Franklin is described as ambitious, but perhaps to a fault, and very eager to take on new illegal challenges. He is also described as calm, smart, rational and a "logical way of showing a young man with a lot of hope", with Dan Houser claiming that this would be a nice contrast from Michael. He is also a person that, even though he's being mentored by Michael in crime, mentors Michael in life. This helps build up the Father-Son relationship between the two, in contrast to their own actual father-son relationships (Franklin's father abandoned him before his birth and Michael's relationship with Jimmy soured years ago).

Franklin is much calmer than both Michael, who has a very short temper, and Trevor, who is a violent psychopath. This calm personality is often displayed during missions where he keeps it cool while fulfilling the task at hand, and when he is forced to act as the peacekeeper between Michael and Trevor when they get into an argument. Though Lamar drives him crazy at times, Franklin still cares for his best friend as he saves him from the Ballas with the help of Michael and Trevor during the events of Lamar Down. He is also the same toward Michael and Trevor as he is seen helping them out with most of their problems, like when Amanda cheats on Michael and he and the latter chase Amanda's tennis coach during Marriage Counseling, and when he helps Trevor and Michael hunt down the remaining O'Neil brothers during Predator. This, however, also leads to others around him to consider him "disloyal", most notably his Aunt Denise, to such an extent that Denise threatens to call the police on him if he sets foot in their yard. Despite what Denise says, Franklin does demonstrate loyalty for people that are close to him and for people who change his life, like Lamar, who is Franklin's best friend, and Michael, who helped him become a "three-bit" gangster and high-profile criminal.

Unlike Michael or Trevor however, his relationships with those close to him are even more fragile and in the end fail to heal the rift with his associates, unlike Michael and, to a lesser extent, Trevor. His messy breakup with Tanisha is left unresolved and ends on less than satisfactory terms when she chooses to marry another man over saving their relationship. His aunt turns his room into a safe shelter for women after he moves out and Stretch remains on antagonistic terms with Franklin. Franklin also potentially jeopardizes his relationship with his partners in crime Michael, Lamar and Trevor should he choose to kill either Trevor or Michael as the survivor loses their trust in Franklin, and Lamar is forced to hide from Stretch.

Many characters in the game (Denise, Lamar, Tonya, Stretch, Tanisha) accuse Franklin of being disloyal, arrogant, and abandoning his "homies". For the most part, however, these accusations seem unfounded - ironically, most of these discussions happen while Franklin is actually helping out his friends. Franklin's hostility towards Stretch becomes justified late in the game when it becomes clear Stretch has betrayed him and Lamar. However, if the player chooses ending A or ending B, the above accusations are confirmed.

Franklin's ambition is also his greatest weakness. In all of his work, aside from Lester's assassination jobs, several major heists he was roped into, and Michael's repayment for doing him a favor, Franklin never earns a single cent out of his dealings due to his shortsightedness and poor choice of people to work with. All of Lamar's jobs ended up with both of them nearly being killed by the Ballas and his work for Weston ends with him being taken advantage of in both instances where he does his bidding.

Despite not knowing them very well, Franklin also gets along with Michael's family, as shown when Jimmy befriends him and when Amanda responds kindly whenever Franklin greets her while she is home. He doesn't get along with Stretch very well, due to Stretch trying to pull Franklin back into the life that put him in jail in the first place, Stretch's reckless and unintelligent personality, and later on, his disloyalty; he sells out people who are associated with Franklin.

In contrast to Michael and especially Trevor, Franklin is an incredibly tidy person, always trying to keep his image, his vehicles and his house clean. This is evident in some switch cutscenes, where he can be seen cleaning his Buffalo S and his Bagger, or doing house chores at his mansion like taking out the garbage or ironing his clothes. He likes also to keep his body in shape, as he's seen doing exercise, like bars in Vespucci Beach or push-ups next to his pool.

Franklin seems to suffer from depression/self-hatred due to the perceived lack of success and his breakup with Tanisha, when he is high on marijuana he often comments on how empty and alone he feels. He shows some regret with his decision to become a criminal but feels he is in too deep to walk away. In a similar vein to Trevor during shootouts, Franklin might shout at his enemies to shoot him. His lack of initiative hints at insecurity, which further demonstrates a possible mood disorder. Lamar calls Franklin a "moody motherfucker" when giving him the Bagger they stole from Simeon after repossessing it. His Switch Scenes implies he is lonely, as many show him roaming around the city alone, and further in the story, he rarely leaves his house due to lack of friends and family who are on good terms with him. The situation improves or worsen at the end of the game depending on the choices he makes involving Michael and Trevor. If he chooses to save them, he finds new-found support with them as dysfunctional but great friends, however if chooses to kill either of them, the other person breaks off contact with Franklin and Lamar goes into hiding. Franklin is also quite tolerant of other people's sexualities as he says to Beverly that he doesn't care if Clay Jackson is gay.

Franklin does not appear to be able to handle pressure very well. If the player chooses to kill either Michael or Trevor, Franklin tries to justify his actions by claiming it "wasn't really his decision," or that he "didn't have a choice". He lacks initiative and assertiveness when confronted by people who were more influential than he was. Rather than attempting to bargain with Haines or Weston to at least pay him for betraying his closest friends, he only realizes after committing the deed that he was ultimately used and discarded by both of them when asking for more opportunities to work for them. If the player chooses the Deathwish ending, Franklin will initially complain to Lester that he "can't kill both of 'em" before eventually coming up with a plan to spare them both.

Grand Theft Auto series protagonists by Universe
2D Universe
GTA **London 1961 and 1969 Claude Speed** / GBC
3D Universe
Claude Tommy Vercetti Mike Carl Johnson Toni Cipriani Victor Vance
HD Universe
Niko Bellic Johnny Klebitz Huang Lee Luis Lopez Michael De Santa 'Franklin Clinton' Trevor Philips GTA Online Protagonist

Relationships With Other Characters[]

Michael De Santa - After meeting Michael and completing a job with him, both men grew a father-son relationship for one another. This was mostly because Franklin never really had a family of his own and saw Michael as a person with more professional skill and as a real criminal that could mentor him in the life of crime. It seems that Michael has a better relationship with Franklin than with his own son. After Franklin meets Michael at the oil derricks in East LS, he decides to help him since he has helped him make more money than he ever did drug dealing and gang banging. Michael is fairly protective of Franklin. During the drive in The Paleto Score, when Trevor keeps asking Franklin about his first score, Michael tells Trevor to leave Franklin alone. Later in the same mission, Michael continuously checks in on Franklin, calls him "son," and helps him onto the train before boarding it himself. In the mission The Time's Come, he chases Michael and, even if the player wants to save him, Michael falls to his death. Franklin claims the reason he had to kill him was because Michael was trying to take advantage of him, but he eventually regrets killing him. He leaves a message on Lamar's voice-mail, stating about one running and their legs giving and not being able to run anymore, which is what Michael said to Franklin in Fresh Meat. Despite that, Franklin perhaps has the most personal issues with Michael, being a main source of grief for him as he was responsible for a majority of Franklin's problems throughout the storyline, from his untimely termination at his repo job, being forced to repay a debt to the Mexican mob over petty slights and later forced to work for the FIB and by killing him, leaves him with a great deal of enemies.
Trevor Philips - Trevor and Franklin's first meeting was nowhere near perfect, as he was cautious of the new recruit and even insulted him and Michael for their father-son like relationship. He was eventually able to put his trust into Michael's judgement of Franklin and the two were finally able to get along and unlike Michael does not do anything to get him in trouble. In the optional ending that involves killing Trevor, he protests that he has been nothing but straight and true with him. Franklin seems to regret killing him, but also perceives Trevor as a threat to him and Michael. In the ending where Franklin kills Michael, he would cut off ties with him and claim that he's dead to him. However, in the Deathwish ending, while hanging out with Franklin, Trevor states that he's proud of him.
Lamar Davis - As stated above, Franklin's relationship with Lamar is a bit unsettled, as Lamar is seen as a funny yet dangerous maniac, and is also known to be one of the main people holding Franklin back to the criminal life. Despite this, Franklin still considers him his best friend and on multiple occasions throughout the storyline, he risks his life to save him and help him out. By the end of the storyline, they seem to get along more calmly than before, especially within the Deathwish ending, where Lamar is pleasantly surprised to hear Franklin's need to help Michael and Trevor survive, not hesitating to offer him help.
Denise Clinton - Franklin and his aunt Denise have a less than amicable relationship. They don't get along and Franklin is frequently annoyed with his aunt's feminist meetings and her desire for Franklin to move out. He generally considers her an airhead and often says that she has gotten even more out-of-touch with reality in recent times. Ultimately, he leaves the house as his former room was turned into a safe shelter for women and Franklin and his aunt mutually cutting ties.
Lester Crest - Franklin developed a healthy relationship with Michael and Trevor's associate, Lester. While Lester was initially wary of Franklin, being the newbie in Michael's jewelry store heist crew, Franklin proved his worth, so much that Lester personally offers Franklin assassination missions to manipulate the stock market, one mission of which allows Lester to buy a luxurious house in Vinewood Hills for Franklin. Franklin's friendship proves to be crucial for Franklin in his times of need such as when he rescued Lamar, and later, Michael and Trevor.
Michael's family - Unlike Trevor, Franklin generally gets along fine with the De Santa family. Amanda and Franklin seem to have a friendly relationship and will exchange kind words if they talk to each other. Michael's son Jimmy looks up to Franklin since he admires the "gangsta" lifestyle. Franklin does, however, ask Jimmy to stop talking in a stereotypical gangsta fashion, since it would get him in trouble with people. Franklin does not seem to know Tracey that well, but can make small talks with her when he visits Michael's house.
Simeon Yetarian - Simeon is an Armenian luxury car salesman, who uses the business as a front for his repo activity. He employs Franklin as his repo-man. Simeon's relationship with Franklin is shown to be in poor condition, as he does not seem to fulfill many of Franklin's requests. Eventually, Franklin cut his ties with Simeon after being forced to drive through his dealership's front window.
Stretch - Franklin and Stretch have/had an antagonistic relationship, frequently trading insults and threats. Franklin also felt hostility towards Stretch for sending him and Lamar on numerous set-ups. He also dislikes the Families OG for, in his mind, trying to keep him and Lamar around as simple gangsters. He did, however, say to Lamar that Stretch could join their own gang, though that was likely a lie. Like most of Franklin's former associates, Franklin disassociates himself from Stretch and only deals with him when he realizes Stretch is a potential threat to Lamar's safety and chooses to have Michael kill him. In the Deathwish ending, when Michael kills Stretch, Franklin states Stretch was not his friend, just a guy who played him and Lamar while thanking Michael for getting rid of him.
Tanisha Jackson - Tanisha is Franklin's ex-girlfriend who broke up with him over his criminal lifestyle. To Tanisha, Franklin changed very little, despite his improved wealth compared to Lamar, as he earned his money through violence and illegal means. Despite the end of the relationship, she still cares for him and Lamar and asked for him to save his friend from death. Franklin also wishes her the best when she announces her marriage to Jayden, a doctor whom she met.
Devin Weston - Antagonistic with Franklin, he is seen as an extremely useful pawn throughout their dealings. However, in every scenario where both parties are involved Weston always comes out on top. From the car thefts which left Franklin and Lamar penniless, to leaving Franklin uncompensated and leaving him hung out to dry as well, Franklin is often forced to work for him and can be ironically compared to Simeon. Franklin also holds a special dislike for Weston's borderline racist behavior towards him, such as imitating stereotypical street slang. In The Time's Come, Franklin carries out the latter's choice to kill Michael and Weston doesn't pay him, instead insulting him while telling him to stay away. In The Third Way, when all the protagonists capture Weston, Franklin taunts him with his choice before helping Michael and Trevor kill him by pushing the car he was locked in off a cliff.

Appearance[]

Franklin has been described as "fit" and "fashion conscious". He is 6 ‘0” (183 cm) tall and is mostly seen wearing a blue button-up shirt, a white long-sleeved t-shirt, dark blue jeans with white stripes and a pair of wheat-colored boots. In the "Michael, Trevor and Franklin" artwork, he is seen wearing a light yellow plaid button-up shirt and stonewashed blue jeans. He also sported the same outfit in "The Trunk" artwork. He is seen in the "Franklin and Chop" artwork wearing a tank-top, khaki shorts along with a bracelet on his right wrist and a black watch on his left wrist. In "Three's Company", he is seen wearing his L.S. sweater, black jeans and Desert Boots. Initially, Franklin shows aproval to clothing from Ponsonby's and Suburban, while being neutral towards the cheaper, gang related options at Binco and The discount shop. Following the mission The Hotel Assasination, Franklin's taste in clothing changes, from then on he shows total disdain to Binco and The Discount shop and is only neutral to Suburban. During friendship activities with Michael, Franklin may state that he used to be fatter, but managed to lose weight. Michael claims that he can "kind of see it". Lamar also chides him for not wanting to walk around the block to the van, claiming "...you need to walk with your fat ass," in the mission Chop.

Skills and Attributes[]

Franklin is the youngest of the three protagonists and is capable of tackling challenging tasks that Michael and Trevor cannot, and has a level of physical prowess that both Michael and Trevor lack. As being a repossession agent, he is a skilled driver behind the wheel of any car. As shown during the GI demo, he was described as being able to make short work of the agents that were interrogating the target and is often seen as a competent gunman throughout the game.

Franklin's Special Ability allows him to slow down time while driving, improving his driving handling.

His special ability can only be used while driving any four-wheeled vehicle or motorcycle. When activated, it allows him to easily take corners at full speed and escape possible accidents with ease. By enhancing this skill, its maximum storage capacity is increased, which also increases the duration the ability can be activated. Franklin's Special Ability begins at one-third of maximum capacity (10 seconds), and it lasts for 30 seconds when at maximum capacity. The special ability also applies to drive-by shootings, as well as when driving the Rhino tank, making Franklin able to land even more precise shots while operating the main cannon.

Mission Appearances[]

Grand Theft Auto V
For the list of Franklin Clinton's mission appearances, see Franklin Clinton/Appearances.

Franklin and Lamar Repossession (Franklin only) Chop (Franklin only) Complications Father/Son Marriage Counselling Casing the Jewel Store (mentioned and post mission-phone call) The Long Stretch (Franklin only) The Jewel Store Job Mr. Philips Dead Man Walking Three's Company The Merryweather Heist Tow Truck (optional as any character) Garbage Truck (optional as any character) Boiler Suits (optional as any character) Masks (optional as any character) Hotel Assassination (Franklin only) Hood Safari Blitz Play I Fought the Law... Eye in the Sky Deep Inside (Franklin only) Minor Turbulence Paleto Score Setup (mentioned and post mission-phone call) Predator The Paleto Score Derailed (mentioned) Monkey Business Surveying the Score Bury the Hatchet Pack Man Fresh Meat Cleaning out the Bureau Architects Plans Fire Truck (optional; only if "Fire Crew" was chosen, can be completed as either Franklin or Michael) The Bureau Raid Lamar Down (Boss) Stingers (only if "Subtle" was chosen, can be completed as any character) Gauntlet (only if "Subtle" was chosen, can be completed as any character) Driller (only if "Obvious" was chosen, can be completed as any character) Sidetracked (only if "Obvious" was chosen, can be completed as any character) The Big Score Something Sensible (if only "Option A" was chosen) The Time's Come (if only "Option B" was chosen) The Third Way (if only "Option C" was chosen) The Multi Target Assassination (Franklin only) The Vice Assassination (Franklin only) The Bus Assassination (Franklin only) The Construction Assassination (Franklin only)

Side Missions[]

Strangers and Freaks[]

Pulling Favors
Paparazzo
Pulling Another Favors
Paparazzo - The Sex Tape
Grass Roots - Franklin
Grass Roots - The Pickup
Grass Roots - The Drag
Excerising Demons - Franklin
Risk Assessment
Liquidity Risk
Targeted Assessment
Paparazzo - The Meltdown
Paparazzo - The Highness
Shift Work
Far Out
Paparazzo - The Reality Check
Pulling Favors Again
Still Pulling Favors
Pulling One Last Favors
Grass Roots - The Smoke-In
Uncalculated Risk
The Final Frontier
A Starlet in Vinewood
The Last One

Reception[]

Just like Michael and Trevor, Franklin has received a very positive response from critics and fans of the series.

Dan Houser's Description of Franklin[]

"Franklin was the idea of this street hustler in the modern world where the glory days – if there ever were glory days of gang banging – had long since passed. When some of the illusions of this life have been shattered, what do you do now having been in that world? That seemed like an interesting character; a guy in his mid-to-late 20s who wants to move forward but doesn't really know how and is being held back by some of his more idiotic and dangerous friends."

"The idea with Franklin was someone stepping outside their comfort zone and their normal way of doing things, because that way, even though they're still in their mid-20s or whatever, that hasn't worked. That world that they thought they'd be in and be able to make a success of has, thanks to the modern world or the changes in the economy or whatever it is, just failed. It doesn't really exist. They're now looking for something new. A new opportunity. They've gotten their qualifications and gotten all their experience and all they're good at is driving and robbing. How do actually go forward and who do you get to a kind of mentor you? That was a good contrast. The gang-banger in the post-gang-banging world."