Hi everyone! I’ve just finished playing GTA V as part of my GTA marathon before GTA VI comes out. If you’re interested, check out my ranking of the GTA games here: https://www.reddit.com/r/grandtheftauto/s/dfOv5qZiMz
After finishing GTA V, I started thinking about what the story would look like if Rockstar had decided to stick with just one protagonist instead of three. Personally, I think Michael would be the best choice because he is arguably the main character of GTA V’s story.
Let me explain how I think the story could work without Trevor and Franklin.
**The North Yankton Job and Michael’s New Life**
As we know, Michael was once a notorious criminal who wanted to leave his criminal life behind after meeting Amanda and starting a family with her and their two children, Jimmy and Tracey. Michael wanted a better life for his family, so he made a deal with Dave Norton, an FIB agent. Michael would fake his death, allowing Dave to take credit for bringing down a major criminal and advance his career.
During the North Yankton heist, the original plan was for Trevor to be killed and Brad to be arrested, allowing Michael to escape and start a new life in Los Santos. However, things went wrong. Brad was killed, Trevor escaped, and Michael continued living under his new identity.
For this alternate version of the story, let’s say everything went according to plan. Trevor was killed, Brad went to prison, and Michael successfully escaped to Los Santos. Years passed, and Michael was living his comfortable but unhappy life with his family.
**What Happens Without Franklin?**
The biggest question is how the story would work without Franklin. In the original game, Franklin meets Michael after working for Simeon and attempting to repossess Jimmy’s car. This encounter brings the two characters together and sets the main story in motion.
In this alternate version, Franklin never works for Simeon, so he never meets Michael. That means Michael has to deal with his problems without Franklin’s help.
I’m not entirely sure how the boat mission would play out without Franklin. Would Michael still save Jimmy himself? I think he probably would, considering that Jimmy is his son, but it’s difficult to say for certain.
Eventually, Michael would still discover Amanda cheating on him with her tennis coach. Furious, he would chase the coach and destroy what he believes is the coach’s house, only to discover that it belongs to Martin Madrazo.
Martin would then demand compensation for the damage. With a huge debt to pay and no easy way out, Michael would contact Lester, an old criminal associate, to organise the jewellery store heist.
**The Jewellery Store Heist and the FIB**
I think the jewellery store heist could still happen without Franklin. Michael already knows Lester, and Lester could help him plan the robbery and assemble a crew to pull it off.
The robbery would give Michael the money he needs to pay Martin Madrazo, but it would also attract the attention of the FIB.
In the original game, Michael’s famous line, “You forget a thousand things every day, pal. Make sure this is one of them,” is caught on the news. Trevor recognises Michael’s line and realises that his old friend is still alive.
However, in this version, Trevor is dead, so nobody from Michael’s past comes looking for him because of the robbery. The FIB would still investigate the heist, and Dave Norton would eventually contact Michael because his criminal activity threatens to expose their original deal.
I could see the FIB storyline still working, with Michael being forced to cooperate with Dave and Steve Haines to complete various jobs. Lester could help Michael by gathering information, arranging equipment and connecting him with people who could assist with the FIB’s missions.
Michael would eventually finish the jobs demanded by the FIB and attempt to return to his normal life, although his criminal activities would continue to cause problems.
**The Movie Studio Storyline and Devin Weston**
I also think the movie studio storyline could remain mostly unchanged.
Michael would still meet Solomon Richards, the legendary film producer, and help him protect his movie from people trying to interfere with his work. Michael would become personally invested in the project because he loves movies and sees an opportunity to do something meaningful with his life.
Devin Weston would still become involved, and Molly Schultz would attempt to take the movie away. She would flee with the film reels and ultimately die after being sucked into a jet engine at the airport.
With the movie safely recovered, Michael would have a reason to continue working with Solomon. However, Devin would become furious with Michael, setting up the conflict that could eventually put Michael and his family in danger.
Without Trevor and Franklin, though, Michael would have to handle Devin’s threats himself. This could make the final act much more personal, as Michael would be fighting to protect his family without the help of his two friends.
**Would the Final Mission Still Happen?**
This is where I think the story would change the most.
In the original game, the final conflict involving the FIB, Merryweather and Devin Weston leads to the three protagonists working together. Franklin is eventually forced to choose between killing Michael, killing Trevor or risking everything to save them both.
Without Trevor and Franklin, this entire situation would have to be rewritten. I don’t think the original version of the final mission could happen in the same way.
Instead, I could see Devin making a direct attempt on Michael’s life or targeting his family. Michael would then have to confront Devin himself, potentially leading to a final showdown.
Would Michael survive? Honestly, I’m not sure. Devin could successfully have Michael killed, or Michael could turn the tables and kill Devin before he gets the chance to hurt his family.
Either outcome could work, depending on the kind of ending Rockstar wanted for a GTA V focused entirely on Michael.
**My Conclusion**
Overall, I think GTA V’s story could still work with Michael as the only protagonist, although several missions and major plot points would need to be rewritten.
Michael already has plenty of personal problems, a complicated criminal past, a family that is falling apart, a history with the FIB and a growing conflict with Devin Weston. There is enough material here to build a full GTA story around him.
However, Trevor and Franklin bring important things to the original game. Franklin represents someone trying to escape his circumstances and build a better future, while Trevor represents Michael’s past coming back to haunt him. Without them, Michael’s story would be more focused on his family, his guilt, his attempts to escape his criminal life and the consequences of his decisions.
Personally, I think it could work, but it would be a very different game.
**What do you think?** Could GTA V have worked with Michael as the only protagonist, or are Trevor and Franklin essential to the story? Would you have preferred Michael as the sole main character, or would you have chosen someone completely different?
Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!