GTA 5 Story

Official Synopsis

Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV.


Amidst the turmoil, three very different criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a street hustler looking for real opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is a lot less rosy than he hoped it would be; and Trevor, a violent maniac driven by the chance of a cheap high and the next big score. Running out of options, the crew risks everything in a series of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life.

The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world ever created, Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game’s three lead characters, playing all sides of the game’s interwoven story.

Story Summary

WARNING: The following contains spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Nine years ago during the winter we find a small bank being robbed in rural Ludendorff, North Yankton. Three robbers - Michael, Trevor, and Brad - are busy taking the bank's assets. What should have been an easy hit turns into chaos as police forces attempt to stop them from leaving the area with the goods. A fourth robber driving the getaway vehicle is killed during the escape and the others find themselves in dire straits down the road after crashing at a farm. Although they lost the heat a sniper injures Brad and Michael while Trevor finds cover to take on the next wave of police. Trevor eventually flees into the snowy field leaving behind Michael and Brad. Sometime later at a graveyard a funeral is being held for Michael - although Michael is shown outside the fence looking on, and the sniper is among the mourners. iGTA5

Fast forward to present day Los Santos. Michael frequents a psychiatrist office to discuss his crumbling family. He is now working under certain members of the FIB who moved him and his family to LS under a sweet deal in exchange for his help in North Yankton. Outside the office he chats briefly with two young gangbangers named Franklin and Lamar who are looking for a house. These two repossess vehicles for a car dealer named Simeon Yetarian who uses shady business practices to ensure customers cannot keep up with payments. Although Franklin and Lamar are close to Simeon, their dreams of leaving the ghetto and street gang life drive them to begin stealing from him. During a routine repossession Franklin finds himself taking a car from Michael who has stowed away in the rear seat. Michael takes a liking to Franklin's do-what-I'm-told attitude and offers to have a drink in the future after Michael wrecks Simeon's business.


Now unemployed, Franklin takes up Michael on his offer of a drink. After saving Michael's son from trouble, Michael takes Franklin under his wing. One day Michael catches his wife's tennis coach with little clothing on and chases him to a Vinewood Hills home. With help from Franklin, Michael destroys half of the house and heads home only to find out the coach was actually hiding at the home of another client whose husband is a powerful gang leader named Martin Madrazo. He confronts Michael and makes sure the damage will be paid for. Michael contacts an old friend named Lester who sets up a heist at a jewelry store. Michael, Franklin, and others successfully make off with the jewels and lay low for a while.

Heading out to the deserts of Blaine County, Trevor is also still alive and a leading meth dealer at war against the Lost MC who inhabit neighboring areas. Trevor figures out that Michael was behind the jewelry heist and decides to travel to Los Santos to find his old pal who he thought was dead. Trevor has also been sending letters to Brad in prison. Before leaving for the city Trevor attempts to make friends with Chinese mobsters and eradicates the remaining Lost MC members as well as rival meth dealers named the O'Neils. Trevor leaves behind his right-hand man named Ron to oversee the business and takes with him a fearful follower named Wade who has a cousin Floyd in Los Santos. Trevor takes over the Floyd's apartment as his base of operations in the city.

Trevor reunites with a surprised Michael and the two attempt to catch up in-between the chaos of Michael's life. Family issues aside, Michael's exploits do not sit well with the FIB agents who gave Michael his deal and they force him to help cover their tracks as well as help the FIB against their rival government agency the IAA. Michael, Franklin, and eventually Trevor are brought in to help while keeping Michael's deal a secret. With his return to crime, Michael's family moves out for a while. Franklin continues to find more upscale criminal activities by doing extra work for Lester who needs high profile targets taken out. Funds acquired lead Franklin to residing in a Vinewood Hills mansion bought by Lester. A step closer to the high life but Franklin still finds himself involved with street gang hustling lead by Lamar. Meanwhile Trevor expands his business by stealing an experimental weapon from the government security contractor company Merryweather. All is well until Lester forces Trevor to return it before they all end up at the top of the kill list. iGTA5


While acquiring persons of interest and funds for the FIB, the protagonists are introduced to the wealthy and powerful Devon Weston. He makes a deal that gets Michael - who loves movies - into the Richards Majestic Studio with producer Solomon Richards in exchange for Weston getting his hands on some rare cars with the help of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. The studio isn't short of its own problems that Michael needs to help Solomon resolve. Madrazo also contacts Michael since he needs help taking down a cousin that will testify in court against him with some files as evidence. Michael and Trevor succeed but upon returning the incriminating files to Madrazo, Trevor kidnaps Madrazo's wife and forms a relationship with her. Both Michael and Trevor flee to Blaine County to hide from Madrazo. Back at home, Trevor continues his business including stealing from Merryweather.

While they hide out in the desert, the FIB once again needs some extra funds for a raid on a lab used by the IAA and enlists Michael and Trevor to get the money. They turn to Lester who sets up a small bank robbery in the countryside. Franklin joins his friends and they pull off the heist which is in no way as easy as they had thought. While stealing more items from Merryweather, Trevor and Michael find something of value that should set things straight with Madrazo - provided Trevor breaks his relationship with the wife and willingly returns her. Michael also promises Trevor that they will do a huge heist at the Union Depository in Los Santos. Michael, Trevor, and Franklin help the FIB raid the laboratory and afterwards Trevor returns Madrazo's wife. Michael and Trevor safely return to Los Santos.

While Michael goes back to his empty home, Trevor moves his Los Santos base of operations into a strip club. Lester and the protagonists begin planning the Union Depository heist but before they can move forward Trevor figures out a disturbing truth that he needs to confirm. Trevor travels back to North Yankton and digs up Michael's grave to find Brad's body below. Michael tries to explain without actually admitting the deal he made before the bank robbery 9 years ago. The standoff in the graveyard is interrupted by Chinese gangsters who manage to capture Michael but Trevor escapes. They hold Michael hostage thinking he is Trevor's lover but Trevor would rather they kill Michael. With Michael incapacitated, Trevor, Franklin, and Lamar finish delivering Weston's rare cars but instead of prompt payment they are told the money is being invested for them instead and given out overtime. This doesn't sit well with Franklin who speaks with Lester to try and locate Michael who knows Weston better. Lester helps Franklin track Michael's phone to a warehouse in Los Santos. Franklin kills off the Chinese gangsters to free Michael.


The heat is getting hotter for the FIB agents and they need help one last time. Michael, Franklin, and others raid the FIB building to steal information from their computers. The raid is a success but Michael still needs to discuss Trevor's adventures with Merryweather to the agents at a later time. First Michael needs to get his family back and then finish the movie he has helped create with Solomon Richards. Unfortunately Weston plans to cancel production and rake in insurance money for the investors including himself. The studio will also be turned into a condo development. Michael's passion for his movie leads him on a chase to get the film reel which ends with the death of Weston's assistant. This angers Weston. The movie is saved and Michael turns his attention back to the FIB. During a meeting at an arts center the rest of the FIB as well as the IAA and Merryweather all intervene. A huge shootout ensues but Michael and his agents survive thanks in part to Trevor who joins the fight. Trevor and Michael make up and agree to the big heist. iGTA5

While things shape up on that front, Franklin is informed that Lamar has been captured by a rival street gang in the countryside. Franklin, Michael, and Trevor help free Lamar and return him to Los Santos. While leaving Lamar's house the FIB agents confront Franklin and tell him that he needs to take out Trevor. They'll tell him when. Michael goes to the premiere of his movie but Weston has Merryweather raid his house and capture his family. Michael retakes his house with force and moves his family away for the time being. With friends and family safe the protagonists move ahead with the big heist at the Union Depository. The LSPD and Merryweather put up a good fight but the heist is a success. All seems well until Weston shows up at Franklin's house. He wants Franklin to kill Michael but Franklin says the FIB wants him to kill Trevor. Franklin is faced with a choice: kill Michael, kill Trevor, or put his own life on the line to try and save them all.

How does the story end? You decide.