Grand Theft Auto V · Wiki · Character
Franklin Clinton
One of the three playable protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V.
| Type | Character |
|---|
Data checked Oct 21, 2026
Franklin Clinton is one of the three playable protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V and the first character you control in Los Santos after the prologue. A young repo man from South Los Santos who wants more than street-level hustling, Franklin’s rise from gang life to high-stakes heists is the backbone of the GTA 5 story. He later returns as a successful businessman in GTA Online’s The Contract update. This wiki page covers Franklin’s background, age, friends, special ability, key missions, his role in the endings, his GTA Online story and fun facts.
Franklin Clinton at a glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Role | Playable protagonist |
| Age in GTA 5 | 25 at the start of the story (2013) |
| Starting job | Repo man for Simeon Yetarian’s car dealership |
| Home | His aunt’s house in Strawberry, later a house in Vinewood Hills |
| Best friend | Lamar Davis |
| Pet | Chop, a Rottweiler |
| Special ability | Slows time while driving |
| Signature vehicles | Green Bravado Buffalo S and Western Bagger motorcycle |
| Voice and motion capture | Shawn Fonteno |
| Character color | Green |
Background
Franklin grew up in South Los Santos, living with his Aunt Denise in the family house. He was involved with the Chamberlain Gangster Families, a local gang, alongside his childhood friend Lamar Davis. At the start of the game, he works as a repo man for Simeon Yetarian, an Armenian car dealer who runs scams on customers. Franklin is smart and ambitious and sees that gang life leads nowhere, so he looks for a bigger opportunity.
That opportunity arrives when a repo job brings him to the Rockford Hills mansion of Michael De Santa. Michael catches him in the act, but instead of hurting him, he takes Franklin under his wing. From there, Franklin is drawn into Michael’s heists, meets Trevor Philips, and starts earning serious money.
How old is Franklin in GTA 5?
Franklin is 25 years old during the main story, which takes place in 2013. That makes him much younger than Michael and Trevor, who are in their mid-forties. By GTA Online’s The Contract, set years later, he is in his thirties, married and running his own business.
Special ability: driving focus
Franklin’s special ability slows down time while driving, making cars handle more precisely so you can weave through traffic and take tight corners at full speed. It is perfect for getaways, races and chases. Activate it by clicking both thumbsticks on a controller or pressing Caps Lock on PC; the meter refills as you drive fast and near-miss traffic. Franklin also starts as the best driver of the three, with the highest driving skill. For the fastest cars to use with his ability, see the fastest cars in GTA 5.
Friends and family
- Lamar Davis: his loud, loyal best friend, who constantly drags him into trouble.
- Chop: Lamar’s Rottweiler, who becomes Franklin’s dog and can help in missions and find hidden items.
- Aunt Denise: his aunt, who lives in the family house in Strawberry and is focused on self-help groups.
- Tanisha: his ex-girlfriend, who wants him to leave crime behind.
- Michael and Trevor: his mentor and his unpredictable partner in crime.
Key Franklin missions
| Mission | What happens |
|---|---|
| Franklin and Lamar | A street race and repo job that introduces the duo |
| Repossession | Recovering a motorbike for Simeon |
| Chop | Franklin, Lamar and Chop chase down a Ballas member |
| Complications | Franklin meets Michael while repossessing Jimmy’s car |
| The Jewel Store Job | His first big heist with Michael and Lester |
| Lamar Down | Franklin rescues Lamar from a Ballas ambush |
| The Big Score | The Union Depository heist |
| Assassination missions | Lester’s contract killings, which can be timed with the stock market |
Franklin and the endings
At the end of the story, Franklin is the one who must make the final choice. FIB agent Steve Haines asks him to kill Trevor, while Devin Weston asks him to kill Michael. He can choose Something Sensible (kill Trevor), The Time’s Come (kill Michael) or The Third Way, where the three team up to wipe out their enemies and all survive. The Third Way is considered canon, which is why Franklin, Lamar and others appear in later GTA Online content. See the pages for Steve Haines and Devin Weston.
Franklin in GTA Online: The Contract
In the December 2021 update The Contract, Franklin returns in GTA Online as the head of F. Clinton and Partner, a celebrity solutions agency based in Los Santos, with Lamar and an online player as partners. The update’s main story has players recover stolen unreleased music for Dr. Dre, and Franklin is now older, married with children and successful. Players buy an Agency property to run security contracts, payphone hits and the Dr. Dre VIP contract. It is one of the most popular GTA Online businesses. See the GTA Online page.
Fun facts
- Franklin’s voice actor, Shawn Fonteno, is a cousin of Young Maylay, who voiced CJ in GTA San Andreas.
- Franklin’s house in Vinewood Hills is a reward from the story and becomes his main safehouse.
- In the original release, the iFruit companion app let players train and customize Chop.
- Of the three protagonists, Franklin has the biggest role in GTA Online, starring in The Contract and its follow-up content.
Franklin Clinton FAQ
How old is Franklin in GTA 5?
He is 25 at the start of the story.
What is Franklin’s special ability?
Slowing time while driving.
Who voices Franklin?
Shawn Fonteno.
Is Franklin in GTA Online?
Yes, in The Contract update and later content.
Franklin’s personality
Franklin is the calmest and most grounded of the three protagonists. He is ambitious, practical and often the voice of reason when Michael and Trevor fight. He wants respect and a better life, but he also feels guilty about leaving his old neighborhood and friends behind. His story is about moving up in the world without losing himself, and his conversations with Lamar and Tanisha show how hard that is. Players often describe him as the most relatable of the trio, because his goals are simple: money, safety and a future.
Franklin’s skills and side activities
Franklin starts with the best driving skill, which pairs with his special ability for the best car handling in the game. Side activities include street races, stunt jumps, Chop walks, Tonya’s towing missions and the Strangers and Freaks missions with characters like Beverly the paparazzo and Barry. Franklin can also buy properties such as the Downtown Cab Company and car scrapyard, which pay weekly income and unlock extra missions. Completing the assassination missions while investing in the stock market is the single best way to make money in story mode, and Franklin carries out those hits.
Where Franklin lives
At the start, Franklin lives with Aunt Denise in a small house in Strawberry. After the early heists, he moves into a modern house on Whispymound Drive in Vinewood Hills, which becomes his main safehouse. Both homes appear in free roam, and you can switch between them depending on where you want to start.
Franklin also has his own car collection garage and can customize vehicles at Los Santos Customs, which suits his role as the best driver of the trio. His journey from the streets of Strawberry to the hills of Vinewood is one of the most satisfying arcs in the series.
He is the heart of the story and the character most players connect with first, which makes his ending choice especially meaningful.
Few game characters grow as much in one story.
His story rewards players who finish it.
Give him a try.
Enjoy his story.