GTA 5 endings explained: A, B and C consequences in Story Mode
Compare who survives the three GTA V Story Mode endings and choose a save strategy before the final decision.
Edition covered
The 2013 single-player Story Mode, with unchanged Rockstar screenshots from the PC Legacy listing (2015 PC release). GTA Online businesses, updates and multiplayer heists are outside these guides; Enhanced-specific PC graphics and performance are not covered.
Ending C keeps all three protagonists available
Major ending spoilers follow. At the final choice, A targets Trevor, B targets Michael and C is Deathwish. Choose C if your priority is keeping all three protagonists for free roam. Deathwish leads to The Third Way; its name does not mean Franklin must die.
| Character / result | A: Something Sensible | B: The Time’s Come | C: The Third Way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | Survives | Survives | Survives |
| Michael | Survives | Dies | Survives |
| Trevor | Dies | Survives | Survives |
| Playable protagonists afterward | Two | Two | Three |
Connect the phone choice to its final mission
A starts Something Sensible and removes Trevor from the continuing story save. B starts The Time’s Come and removes Michael. C has the protagonists confront their enemies together. Each route is a valid selectable ending, but they leave different people available afterward.
Save before the decision if you want alternatives
An earlier manual save is the dependable way to return to a different campaign branch. Keep it separate from the post-ending save. Replay is useful for seeing a mission again, but it does not replace the lasting result already stored in the free-roam campaign.
| Action | Use | Campaign consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Save before the phone choice | Keep a branch point | Can reload before choosing |
| Save after finishing A | Continue the A outcome | Trevor is unavailable |
| Save after finishing B | Continue the B outcome | Michael is unavailable |
| Save after finishing C | Continue the C outcome | All three remain available |
| Use Replay Mission | Revisit an ending mission | Does not rewrite the main branch |
Choose the branch that supports your remaining goals
Finish character-specific activities before deliberately choosing an ending that removes that protagonist. For a first completion-focused save, C leaves the broadest cast available. Replaying an alternative ending later lets you examine its scene without turning that experiment into your main route.
Keep a clearly separate pre-ending save before selecting A or B if you may want that character back.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| GTA Wiki: endings in GTA V | gta.fandom.com |
| PowerPyx: The Third Way walkthrough | www.powerpyx.com |
| Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto V Legacy on Steam | store.steampowered.com |