All GTA 5 Story Missions In Order: Full Mission List

Here is the complete list of all GTA 5 story missions in order, from the opening Prologue through the major heists to the three final choices. The GTA 5 mission order weaves together three protagonists, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, so some missions unlock around the same time and can be tackled in a slightly different sequence. This guide marks every key beat and flags spoilers for the heists and the ending.

How the GTA 5 mission order works

Rockstar's in-game stats and Social Club list 69 missions, but that figure leaves out a few heist setups and Michael's optional family missions. A single playthrough actually plays around 74 missions, and the full count across every branching heist approach climbs to roughly 79. The story opens in 2004 with a botched robbery in Ludendorff, North Yankton, then jumps nine years to Los Santos, where the three leads gradually cross paths. You switch between characters as missions become available, and a few strands (especially Franklin's repo jobs and Michael's family drama) run in parallel early on.

Every heist follows the same template: a planning mission, several setup jobs to gather gear and crew, then the score itself. Most heists also let you pick a "loud" or "smart" approach that changes which prep missions you run.

Act 1: Prologue and the opening Los Santos missions

The early game introduces Franklin and Michael before Trevor enters the picture.

• Prologue (Michael and Trevor, North Yankton, 2004)
• Franklin and Lamar
• Repossession
• Complications
• Father/Son
• Chop
• Marriage Counseling
• Daddy's Little Girl
• Friend Request
• The Long Stretch

These missions set up Franklin's repo work for Simeon, Michael's fractured family, and the spark that pulls him out of retirement.

The Jewel Store Job: GTA 5's first heist

The first heist is The Jewel Store Job, run by Michael and Franklin with Lester planning it. You choose a loud or smart route, which dictates the setup jobs:

• Casing the Jewel Store
• Carbine Rifles (loud approach) or BZ Gas Grenades (smart approach)
• Bugstars Equipment (smart approach)
• The Jewel Store Job (the heist itself)

After the score, the story shifts north to introduce Trevor.

Act 2: Trevor Philips and the mid-game missions

Trevor's arc opens in Sandy Shores and Blaine County before the protagonists fully unite.

• Mr. Philips
• Trevor Philips Industries
• Nervous Ron
• Crystal Maze
• Friends Reunited
• Fame or Shame
• Dead Man Walking
• Three's Company
• By the Book
• Hood Safari
• Did Somebody Say Yoga?

This stretch finally brings Michael, Franklin, and Trevor together and pulls the FIB (the game's FBI stand-in) and Merryweather into the plot.

The Merryweather Heist and Blitz Play

The next major job is The Merryweather Heist, with an offshore or freighter approach:

• Scouting the Port
• Minisub
• Cargobob
• The Merryweather Heist

That leads straight into the FIB's forced robbery, Blitz Play, which has its own prep:

• The Hotel Assassination (the one Lester assassination required to progress)
• Boiler Suits
• Masks
• Trash Truck
• Tow Truck
• Blitz Play

The Paleto Score: GTA 5's big bank robbery

A run of FIB and chase missions sets up the Paleto Score, the loud assault on the Blaine County bank.

• I Fought the Law...
• Eye in the Sky
• Mr. Richards
• Caida Libre
• Deep Inside
• Minor Turbulence
• Paleto Score Setup
• Predator
• Military Hardware
• The Paleto Score

The Bureau Raid and the run-up to the finale

After Paleto, the crew targets the FIB building itself in The Bureau Raid (fire crew or roof entry approach).

• Derailed
• Monkey Business
• Hang Ten
• Surveying the Score
• Bury the Hatchet
• Pack Man
• Fresh Meat
• The Ballad of Rocco
• Cleaning out the Bureau
• Architect's Plans
• Fire Truck
• The Bureau Raid
• The Wrap Up
• Reuniting the Family
• Legal Trouble
• Lamar Down

The Big Score and the three endings

The climax is The Big Score, the Union Depository gold heist with a subtle or obvious approach. Its planning and prep:

• Meltdown
• Planning the Big Score
• Stingers or Sidetracked (depending on approach)
• Gauntlet or Driller (depending on approach)
• The Big Score

The story then ends on Franklin's choice, which triggers one of three final missions:

• Something Sensible (Ending A: kill Trevor)
• The Time's Come (Ending B: kill Michael)
• The Third Way (Ending C, "Deathwish": all three survive)

The Third Way is the canon ending. Rockstar later treated it as the official outcome through nods in GTA Online, and it is the only choice where Michael, Franklin, and Trevor all live. If you want the cleanest payoff, pick Option C.

Where to go after the credits

Finishing the story is the bulk of the 100% completion checklist, but plenty remains: Strangers and Freaks strands, hobbies, and collectibles. If you are chasing extras while you play, our GTA 5 cheats list covers weapons, vehicles, and invincibility codes, and the full GTA 5 game hub collects every guide, map, and database entry in one place.

Sources

• Missions in GTA V (GTA Wiki / Fandom). Master mission list and story order.
• GTA 5 Missions List: Full Story Mode Guide (GTABase). Chronological mission names and heist approaches.
• Endings in GTA V (GTA Wiki / Fandom). The three final missions and Franklin's choice.
• Prologue (GTA Wiki / Fandom). North Yankton opening, set in 2004.
• Why The Third Way is the canon ending (Sportskeeda). Canon ending confirmation.