GTA V's Three Endings, Explained

GTA V's campaign ends with Franklin Clinton facing a choice between three endings — kill Trevor (Option A), kill Michael (Option B), or refuse both and choose Option C: Deathwish, in which all three protagonists survive. The choice is presented at the end of the mission "The Time's Come" and locks in the campaign's final mission.

Below: each ending in detail, which is canonical, and what each one means for the characters.

Setup: how the endings activate

The endings activate after the heist finale "The Big Score." Steve Haines (the FIB villain) and Devin Weston (the corporate antagonist) want at least one of the protagonists dead — their political and financial situations both require it. Devin Weston specifically is willing to pay Franklin to choose either Trevor or Michael for the kill.

Franklin is forced to make the choice. The three options:

• A. Kill Trevor — Devin Weston's preferred outcome
• B. Kill Michael — Steve Haines's preferred outcome
• C. Deathwish — refuse both; team with the other protagonists against Devin and Haines

Option A: "Something Sensible" (kill Trevor)

Franklin reluctantly agrees to kill Trevor at Devin Weston's request. Michael helps Franklin track and trap Trevor in Sandy Shores. The mission ends with Trevor caught in a fuel-truck explosion and burned to death.

Aftermath:

• Trevor is canonically dead.
• Michael returns to suburban life with his family.
• Franklin keeps the cash from the heist.
• Devin Weston is alive, having paid out Franklin.
• Steve Haines is alive (the FIB ending).

This ending is widely considered morally compromised — Trevor is despicable but doesn't deserve betrayal by his closest associates. Most players don't choose this option on first run.

Option B: "The Time's Come" (kill Michael)

Franklin reluctantly agrees to kill Michael at Steve Haines's request. Trevor helps lure Michael to a meeting at a high vantage point; Michael falls (or is pushed) from the high ground.

Aftermath:

• Michael is canonically dead.
• Trevor's mental state collapses; he becomes paranoid and reclusive.
• Franklin keeps the cash from the heist.
• Steve Haines is alive (the FIB ending).
• Devin Weston is alive.

This ending is the most emotionally heavy of the three — Michael's death after the slow-build investment in his family arc is genuinely devastating. Most players who pick this option do so on a second playthrough.

Option C: "The Third Way" / Deathwish (save all three)

Franklin refuses both options and warns Michael and Trevor about the conspiracy against them. The three protagonists team up against:

• Devin Weston (drowned in his own car at the end)
• Steve Haines (sniper-killed during a public speech)
• Stretch (Franklin's gangbanger former associate, killed during a Strawberry hit)
• Wei Cheng (the Triad boss, killed in a chase sequence)

The mission is The Time's Come / Something Sensible / The Third Way — the title is the same on the menu, but the actual mission content differs by choice. Option C is structurally a multi-target hit-list mission with all three protagonists active.

Aftermath:

• Michael, Trevor, and Franklin all survive.
• Each protagonist keeps their share of the heist cash.
• The HD-Universe canonical ending.

Which is canonical?

Option C — Deathwish — is the canonical ending in HD-Universe canon. Subsequent GTA Online content references all three protagonists as alive, including:

• The Pacific Standard Heist (GTA Online) — references events that imply Michael, Trevor, and Franklin all survive
• The Doomsday Heist (GTA Online, 2017) — Lester references the trio as still alive
• The Contract (GTA Online, 2021) — Franklin returns as a recurring character; Michael and Trevor are mentioned in dialogue

Option A and Option B are alternative endings that exist but are not canonically referenced by later HD-Universe content.

How to unlock Deathwish

Option C is the default option if Franklin refuses Michael and Trevor's deaths. You don't need a specific stat threshold or hidden trigger — just choose "Deathwish" from the option menu when prompted.

There's a small narrative requirement: Michael and Trevor must both be friendly with Franklin at the time of the choice. This is true if you've completed the campaign normally; the friendship-meter system isn't aggressive enough that it would block Deathwish on a normal playthrough.

Why three endings?

Rockstar's choice to ship three endings was structurally novel for a 2013 game. Most AAA games at the time committed to a single canonical conclusion (Mass Effect's ending controversy was 2012, the year before). The three-ending structure:

• Honors player choice — the option is meaningful, even if Option C is canonical
• Allows replayability — players who want the dark endings get them
• Provides closure without committing to "evil run" status

GTA V's three endings inspired several later games' branching-ending designs — including Detroit: Become Human (2018), Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017), and Cyberpunk 2077 (2020).

What to watch out for

• Option A and Option B kill major characters permanently — there's no save-load fix. Save in a free slot before the choice.
• Option C requires the heist setup — you can't access Deathwish if you've broken specific friendship triggers.
• All three endings are achievable in a single save — you can replay the final mission with different choices, but only one is the "current" canonical choice in the save file.

For more on Michael, Trevor, and Franklin's character arcs, see Michael, Trevor, Franklin: Which Protagonist to Play First. For the heist that precedes the endings, see GTA V's Heists: Complete Crew Guide.