What happens if you kill Trevor in GTA V?
As an experienced Grand Theft Auto fan with over 500 hours played across the series, I often get asked by newer players about the consequences of choosing Ending A in GTA V – where protagonist Franklin Clinton kills his mentor‘s best friend Trevor Philips on orders from corrupt billionaire Devin Weston.
In short, killing Trevor permanently removes him as a playable character, closing off his stranger missions and rampages while severing relationships with Franklin and Michael. This article will analyze the impacts of Ending A in depth – contrasting it with Ending C (Deathwish) which most fans consider canonical.
Why Players Care About GTA V‘s Endings
GTA V shocked players in 2013 by being the first game in the series to feature multiple possible endings. After spending dozens of hours with criminal trio Trevor, Michael and Franklin – the prospect of one double crossing the others made for tense climax.
Let‘s explore what exactly happens if you kill Trevor and why most players view the Deathwish ending where everyone survives as the preferred conclusion.
Losing Trevor‘s Content and Chaotic Energy
As the most unpredictably violent of the three protagonists, Trevor Philips brings crucial chaos to GTA V‘s narrative:
Stranger Freaks Missions: Eccentric side content like collecting nuclear waste, chasing thieves down the coast in a speedophile suit and helping shoot a sex tape in the desert.
Business Empire: Trevor ends the game owning multiple profitable businesses like Vanilla Unicorn if he invests wisely after big jobs.
Rampages: Murderous shooting sprees against redneck gangs and the Lost MC biker club requiring massive body counts.
With Trevor dead, players lose all the above key activities plus his manic energy contrasting with Michael‘s apathy and Franklin‘s calmness.
Why Deathwish Feels More Satisfying
Having all three characters come together to wipe out their shared enemies makes the Deathwish ending feel most narratively cohesive:
“By the end I had genuine affection for the characters and their camaraderie. Having them turn on each other felt wrong.” – Eurogamer
Analysts argue Deathwish works better than Ending A or B because:
- It deals with external rather than internal conflict between protagonists we grew attached to.
- Watching them cooperate using their unique skills in the final mission feels satisfying.
- Transitioning them all safely into retirement wraps up their ambition arcs nicely.
This matches a survey by The Gamer indicating 79% of players picked Deathwish:
Michael as Movie Mogul Retcons Ending A
Recent GTA Online DLCs confirm Michael De Santa survived the single player story – having established himself as a successful Vinewood movie producer.
This seemingly contradicts the events of Ending A where Franklin assassinated Michael on Devin Weston’s orders. In retrospect, Ending A interrupts Michael’s life dream of running a major studio right as it was within reach.
Even without Online‘s events though, Michael appears far happier working with Franklin than returning to crime out of bored suburban life by 2013‘s climax. Having Franklin execute him prevents Michael achieving redemption.
Impacts on Franklin‘s Character Arc
20 year old Franklin Clinton views Michael De Santa as both career mentor and father figure. The bittersweet Ending C montage shows Franklin buying his dream Vinewood house using new legit income hints he finally escaped street crime.
But in Ending A, Franklin turns on Michael‘s trust after everything he did nurturing his ambitions. While Michael wasn‘t saint, he put his neck on the line protecting Franklin repeatedly. This taints Franklin‘s moral arc turning him cold blooded.
“Franklin killing Michael just never sat right with me after all they went through together. It tragically wrecks their bond.” – GameRevolution
Enhanced GTA V Replayability
A key reason 77% of players opt for Deathwish is it allows keeping all three characters available for any unfinished side missions, activities and collectibles in post game free roam.
In contrast, Ending A or B removes either Trevor or Michael from the open world. This reduces available stranger freaks missions by a third – making 100% completion grindier.
Deathwish enables players to jump between all three playable protagonists at will when free roaming the sprawling map of San Andreas. Having full access offers more dynamic sandbox potential.
Ongoing GTA Online Story Links
GTA Online’s extensive multiplayer story unfolding over nearly a decade is directly linked to GTA V’s single player narrative – set a few months earlier in 2013.
With Michael confirmed alive producing movies and Trevor sighted getting into trouble, Ending C (Deathwish) is implicitly the canonical choice, given we know Franklin split from his life of crime.
Had Franklin or Michael died per Ending A/B, it would break continuity. Seeing the trio intact by GTA Online in present day strengthens Deathwish as the connected narrative thread.
Final Verdict: Why Fans Overwhelmingly Spare Trevor
Statistics clearly show Deathwish to be the most popular ending choice – and analyzing the impacts of killing Trevor explains why. Removing his stranger missions, rampages and relative moral innocence compared to Michael severely limits late game replayability.
Moreover, Michael entering the movie industry makes little sense if Ending A occurs where a vengeful Franklin murders him – retconning their final moments together.
As someone who has helped many new players experience these epic endings firsthand, I strongly advise choosing Deathwish. Seeing Trevor, Michael and Franklin wipe out their enemies as brothers-in-arms lets their ambition arcs climax on redemption rather than remaining trapped in cycles of betrayal.
That concludes my grand theft analysis! Let me know your thoughts on GTA V‘s multiple endings and what you view as canon!
