The upcomingGrand Theft Auto 6has long been the source of fan-led debate and discussion, given that fans have waited over a decade for the next installment to the iconic and massively successful franchise. A huge amount of anticipation follows the game, with many assuming that the release will be bigger and better than its longstanding predecessor in almost every way.

With that being said, there are many aspects ofGrand Theft Auto 6that face a difficult task in besting theirGTA 5counterparts, and the main involved protagonists of the upcoming game are a great example of this. The rumors aboutGTA 6’sprotagonists are quite interesting, but the unforgettable triple protagonist make-up ofGrand Theft Auto 5has set the franchise’s standards extremely high.

Image from Grand Theft Auto 5 showing Michael, Trevor, and Franklin all holding guns.

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The Success of Grand Theft Auto 5’s Protagonists

It can be said thatGrand Theft Auto 5revolutionized the IP in many ways, but the way in which the game approached its protagonists was arguably the most influential. Crucially,GTA 5had three central protagonistsin its main story, with all three characters directly interacting with each other throughout the narrative.

Players could freely switch between these three characters in free roam exploration, as well as in scripted mission sequences that greatly opened up the scale and offered up some memorable set pieces. Each ofGTA 5’sthree protagonists held the same amount of importance in the story; each character represented different aspects ofGrand Theft Auto’spolarizing caricature of the United States.

Lucia in Grand Theft Auto 6

Michael De Santa and Trevor Phillips are two career criminals who experienced very different ends of the crime life spectrum; Michael finds his life of luxury unbearably monotonous, while Trevor’s unhinged personality is a perfect match for a life of squalor and wanton cruelty. Franklin Clinton represents a youth who turns to crime as a means of escaping his socioeconomic deprivation, with Franklin seeing Michael as a role-model of criminality at its most profitable. The three protagonists ofGTA 5were complex and unique, yet interacted with each other in such an intriguing and natural way that it is no wonder they were so adored by fans.

Grand Theft Auto 6’s “Bonnie and Clyde” Protagonists

Not much is currently known in an official capacity in terms of the core details ofGrand Theft Auto 6, although solid rumors regarding the game have been circulating for some time. Of course, a lot of these rumors were recently corroborated thanks to the extensiveGTA 6leaks from September 2022.

A lot of this information pertains to the protagonists ofGrand Theft Auto 6, and it appears that Rockstar may dial things back to two protagonists inGrand Theft Auto 6. It is rumored that these two protagonists will be a man and a woman, which would makeGTA 6the first time that theGrand Theft Autofranchise has featured a female protagonist.

Allegedly named Jason and Lucia, many have speculated that these two protagonists will act as a kind ofBonnie and Clyde forGTA, as they’re a romantic couple who commit large-scale crimes together. This is a fascinating potential dynamic that will open up a kind of narrative that the franchise has never explored before, although it remains that becoming more memorable than the protagonists ofGrand Theft Auto 5will be a very tough task.GTA 5featured a trio of protagonists who were seemingly more entrenched in the criminal underworld, soGTA 6’s dual protagonists clearly have their work cut out for them.