The Agonizing Choice: Analyzing What Happens When Franklin Kills Michael and Trevor
As GTA 5 reaches its dramatic climax, Franklin Clinton is forced to make an impossible choice under pressure: kill his mentor Michael De Santa, kill his psychotic best friend Trevor Philips, or team up to confront their enemies in an option called "The Third Way" or "Deathwish". Each decision leads to massively divergent consequences for the characters and players. As a GTA expert and fan, I‘ve analyzed what happens when Franklin betrays his friends versus when they band together in the canonical ending.
The Tragedy of Killing Michael
If Franklin pulls the trigger on Michael, he loses far more than a friend – he loses a father figure and his best chance at a successful career. Without Michael‘s connections and guidance in the movie business, the ambitions that once pulled Franklin off the streets evaporate.
In an emotional graveside monologue, Franklin agonizes over his actions, wondering if he betrayed Michael over "some nonsense". The credits roll over the shattered remnants of the trio‘s hopes, marking a somber end to Michael‘s story just as he had reunited his family. Fans are left to wonder what might have been for this complex protagonist.
Severing Bonds By Killing Trevor
Choosing to eliminate the eccentric Trevor severs one of Franklin‘s closest friendships in exchange for a bigger cut of cash. Though wealthy, Franklin loses Trevor‘s fierce loyalty and thrill-seeking spirit. Trevor, meanwhile, never gets the one thing he wants most – to reunite with Michael and fully earn his trust after years apart.
Blasting away the ties binding these criminal brothers, Franklin is left with his ambition satisfied but isolated. The Deathwish ending explores how keeping the team together benefits all three.
United By Choice in the Deathwish Ending
Only by confronting their enemies together do Michael, Franklin and Trevor resolve long-standing tensions. Thecanonical "Deathwish" ending suggests the trio function best as a family. United by the player‘s choice, they emerge both victorious and at peace with each other by supporting one another in their final mission.
In the game‘s most human and progressive ending, their foes defeated, the three simply go their separate ways to enjoy their hard-won freedom. While bittersweet, this finale leaves the door open for their further adventures together well after the credits roll.
A Critical Decision That Reshapes Their Future
As an avid GTA fan, I‘m fascinated by the narrative and character implications of these starkly opposed endings. Will Michael‘s dreams end in a quiet assassination? Can Trevor earn redemption by choosing friendship over vengeance? Do all three share responsibility for their actions, or escape to live another day? The paths players can take with this critical decision forever reshape their fates.
By betraying his friends, Franklin becomes imprisoned by greed, losing their guidance when he needs it most. For Michael and Trevor, death becomes a punishment for struggling to change, though they both display flickers of conscience. Ultimately, standing by one other as family leads to the most positive outcome for these criminal antiheroes. Their survival opens up new stories of growth and reconciliation as they chart unknown futures beyond the game‘s climax.
