Franklin Clinton

Franklin Clinton (November 30, 1920- May 28, 2021) was the deuteragonist and one of the seven playable characters in Grand Theft Auto VI. However if Option C is chosen, then Franklin becomes the main antagonist of the game.

Synopsis
Franklin was born in South Los Santos in 1920. He never knew his father and his mother became a cocaine addict when Franklin was still young. As a child, Franklin often heard stories about how his father was physically abusive towards his mother, possibly causing her cocaine addiction. Franklin's father left his mother while she was pregnant with Franklin. His mother's addiction eventually led to her death when Franklin was young.

Following his mother's death, Franklin moved in with his grandparents. This is where Franklin met Tonya Wiggins and JB Bradshaw. Despite being constantly spoiled by his grandmother, Franklin had decided to take on the role of a street hustler. One of his firstJOBS was selling cigarettes with Bradshaw. The scheme was successful until Franklin's grandfather caught them in the act. In Tonya's words, his grandfather "gave chase to both him and Bradshaw all around South Los Santos". His grandparents later passed away, and Franklin's grandmother left him and his aunt, Denise Clinton, a house on Forum Drive in her will.

Franklin attended Davis High School along with Lamar Davis, Tanisha Jackson and Tonya Wiggins, but was expelled for assaulting a teacher. Around this time, he began the life of a gang banger and dope dealer and started committing various petty crimes such as carjackings and small-time bank robberies with Lamar. During their first bank robbery, they stole $2000 but did not get to keep theMONEY, because a dye pack spilt onto the money. Franklin also worked for a local drug dealer named Marcus, whom he later killed. Franklin's life of petty crime caught up with him in 2008, when he was arrested and sent to prison. After his release, he decided to give up his previous gang life and get some proper work.

A few months before the start of his story, Franklin moved beyond the role of ghetto-based street dealer when he and Lamar began working for Armenian gangster Simeon Yetarian. Yetarian owns a car dealership which acts as a front for a loansharking and extortionBUSINESS. Yetarian's dealership sells cars to people who can't afford them and when they default on the exorbitant interest payments, Franklin and Lamar repossess the cars.

Events in GTA V
Franklin is first seen on a repossessionJOB with his close friend and co-worker Lamar Davis, soon after a chance encounter with Michael De Santa, who unknowingly directs them to their assigned repossession. Later, Franklin and Lamar are assigned by Simeon Yetarian, their boss, to repossess a Bagger in a Vagos-controlled area of Vespucci. While searching for the bike, the two are confronted by the Vagos and a shootout begins when Lamar pulls a gun on them. The duo are then forced to fight their way out of the neighborhood. They find the bike, but the owner was killed during the shootout. Knowing the repossession is meaningless, Lamar takes the bike for himself, and Simeon blames Franklin for the bike's theft. While recovering a BeeJay XL sold to Jimmy De Santa, his father Michael (who had been hiding in the back seat) holds a Pistol to Franklin's head. Under orders from Michael, Franklin drives the car through the window of Simeon's dealership, receiving a payment from Michael himself for doing what he called "a job well done". Because Franklin had driven through the dealership and Lamar didn't return the bike, Simeon fires both of them.

Franklin is brought along by Lamar to kidnap a Ballas member named D, for no other reason than that Lamar saw "opportunity". He and Lamar meet up and travel in a van to Vinewood Boulevard and encounter D down an alley, but he makes an escape on a motorbike with the two in hot pursuit. With the help of Lamar's dog Chop, the two succeed in capturing D; however, they are forced toFREE him when Lamar inadvertently reveals their location to the police while talking on his mobile phone.

After losing his job at the dealership, Franklin started working with Michael. Franklin helps Michael rescue Jimmy from his yacht, which was stolen with Jimmy on it during an attempted sale. Later, after Michael catches Amanda post-coitus with her tennis coach, Michael and Franklin chase him to a house in the Vinewood Hills. Believing the house to belong to the tennis coach, Michael and Franklin use a pickup truck to pull the deck down, destroying the house. After returning to the De Santa residence, Martin Madrazo appears and reveals that the house was his. He attacks Michael with a baseball bat and demands Michael pays for the repairs to the house, which willCOST $2.5 million.

After some time has passed, Michael contacts Franklin to enlist him on the Vangelico Jewelry Store Heist, which Franklin accepts as he sees this as his first major opportunity to become a much more successful criminal. The heist is successful and Madrazo receives hisMONEY, with Michael and Franklin splitting the rest between themselves.

Michael, under orders of Dave Norton, infiltrates a morgue and kills several guards. In a panic, Michael calls Franklin and reveals that he is affiliated with the FIB, though Franklin continues to trust Michael due to the latter offering him help while he was in a toughFINANCIAL position. Franklin also decides to work with Michael, in hopes that there will be better payment from jobs with him.

Franklin's work with Michael, Lester and Trevor has caused him to distance himself from the Families. When Franklin returns to his house, Lamar and Denise heckle him for his "disloyalty" towards the Families. Franklin explains that he doesn't want to be caught up in the routine of gang life again and wants the opportunity to make a success of himself. Trevor suddenly appears out of nowhere. After giving Denise someMONEY and shooing her back into the house, Franklin angrily asks what Trevor is doing at his house. Trevor says his reason for being there is to "make new friends". Lamar informs Franklin that Stretch has arranged a drug deal with some Ballas, and Trevor decides to join them. The trio (along with Chop) drive to a house in Grove Street. Lamar is offered a sample from a cocaine brick, and is about to buy it before Trevor intervenes. Trevor snatches the brick from the dealer, and discovers the brick is actually dry-wall. A shootout erupts, and Franklin, Trevor and Lamar are forced to fight their way out of Grove Street when their van is disabled. Moments after the shootout, the LSPD show up to chase them. Franklin and Trevor follow Lamar through a narrow alley into the Los Santos Storm Drain. They steal three Jetskis and head towards the open sea. The trio split up and eventually evade the police.

Franklin, after being informed by Michael, getsEMPLOYED by billionaire Devin Weston who asks Trevor, Michael and later Lamar to steal some rare cars for him so that he can export them to the Far East.

Trevor receives a call from Franklin, who on Trevor's request is tailing the remaining O'Neil brothers, who are angry and vengeful at Trevor due to his earlier attack on the O'Neil household, resulting in the deaths of most of the O'Neils and the destruction of their farm. Franklin chases the O'Neils, who crash because of an elk on the road and escape into a forest in Raton Canyon. Franklin then calls Trevor for air support and eventually, Trevor and Michael arrive by helicopter. Using a rifle, fitted with a thermal scope, Michael shoots Walton and Wynn O'Neil dead, but can't get a clear shot of Elwood, who is hiding behind a rock andFIRING anti-tank rockets towards the helicopter. With the help of Chop, Franklin locates and kills Elwood, after which he and Chop are picked up by Trevor and Michael and safely returned to Sandy Shores Airfield.

Franklin helps Trevor and Michael rob the Blaine County Savings Bank, as it contains millions of dollars deposited there by Blaine County's corrupt law enforcement who extort money from all the local weed farms and meth labs. Using stolen military body armour and machine guns, Trevor, Michael, Franklin and one gunman successfully rob the Paleto bank, taking a small cut each and giving the largestPROFIT to Haines and Norton so they can purchase the equipment for the Humane Labs and Research chemical plant robbery, much to the team's irritation.

Franklin arrives on Forum Drive in Strawberry. He receives a call from Lamar. Lamar tells Franklin that he's stolen the final car in Weston's list, a yellow Pegassi Monroe, and now has it nearby, behind Glass Heroes Autobody shop. Franklin meets Lamar there, and the two drive the Monroe to Little Bighorn Avenue where Trevor is waiting with a Packer filled with the other cars the group have obtained for Weston. Franklin drives the Monroe onto the last remaining spot on the Packer. He, Lamar, and Trevor then begin the drive to the drop-off point, the Procopio Truck Stop north of Paleto Bay. The police discover the cars and give chase on the way. Franklin decides to unhitch the JB 700 and use its weapons to destroy the police cars. Franklin has heard from Weston's lawyer that the 700 has "some new hardware on board." Trevor keeps the Packer steady while Franklin makes his way along the cargo carrier. Franklin reaches the JB 700 and drives it off the Packer. Franklin uses the 700's clatrops and newly included guns to take out the police pursuit. They drop off the cars, but Devin angers the trio by refusing to pay them, promising to INVEST" their money and pay them at a later date. Franklin calls Lester and asks Lester to talk to Michael about Devin, but Michael isn't answering his phone, and was last located in North Yankton. Franklin tells Lester to have Trevor meet him at his aunt's house.

Trevor meets Franklin at his aunt'sHOUSE to find out where Michael is. Trevor explains that the Los Santos Triads kidnapped Michael while they were in Ludendorff and that they have taken him somewhere in Los Santos. Franklin asks for his help, but Trevor refuses, claiming Michael is "dead" to him, and leaves. Franklin decides to rescue Michael, alone. He eventually tracks Michael's phone signal to a slaughterhouse using a Trackify app sent to his phone by Lester. Franklin eventually succeeds in rescuing Michael from the Chinese Triads and the two make their escape from the abattoir.

Franklin and Michael are called up once again by Haines for one moreJOB: breaking into the FIB building and remove incriminating evidence against Haines. They can either infiltrate the building disguised as firefighters or dropped off by helicopter, but either way, the team manages to recover the data and escapes. They meet up with Lester and celebrate their victory with alcohol. Michael tells them he must settle things with the FIB, so Franklin stays and relaxes with Lester over some whiskey.

A while later, Franklin is visited at his house by his ex-girlfriend Tanisha Jackson who tells him that Stretch set Lamar up again with a large group of the Ballas, who are holding him hostage at the Paleto Forest Sawmill. Franklin immediately heads towards the sawmill, and asks Lester on the way to contact Michael and Trevor to aid him in rescuing

(despite the current fractured state of their friendship). Franklin, Trevor, and Michael arrive at the sawmill. They proceed to take out the Ballas and Franklin brings him back home to Forum Drive. While there, Lamar and Franklin get into a small dispute, arguing about Franklin's many efforts to save Lamar from problems he got himself into. Franklin advises Lamar to remain civilised and stay out of trouble, and to abandon his gang-banging lifestyle and get a proper job. Franklin is suddenly confronted by Steve Haines and Dave Norton, who tasks Franklin to kill Trevor, due to his violent behavior and general liabilty. Franklin refuses, asking them toRECRUIT Michael to do it instead, but Norton explains that Michael can't because Trevor doesn't trust Michael and won't allow Michael to go near him.

Franklin and the team begin their final heist shortly afterwards. They succeed, and come off with millions of dollars inGOLD. However, tensions are still heated between Trevor and Michael.

Ending
Franklin helps Michael and Trevor fight off Merryweather and the FIB, then kills Wei Cheng in order to not implicate Trevor. Afterwards, he meets Michael and Trevor, who had kidnapped Devin in his car, at the foothills of Mount Chiliad. After taunting Devin on their apparent victory, the trio push his car off the cliff and into the ocean, before the car explodes, killing Devin.

Death
Clinton, who had been diagnosed with skin cancer in 2005, died at Los Santos on 28 May 2021, aged 100

Trivia

 * Despite his date of birth never being mentioned in-game, Franklin's license plateREADS "FC1988" ("FC" being his initials, and 1920 being his possible birth year).
 * According to second stage of Children Of The Mountain side quest, his e-mailADDRESS is frankie@eyefind.info.
 * In the gameplay trailer, beta appearances, and official artwork, Franklin had a stripe cut out of his hair on the upper-right corner of his forehead. Although it is not part of Franklin's default appearance, it can be bought at a barber shop. Oddly enough, Franklin's icon in the Character Wheel still reflects his earlier design with the stripe cut out.
 * In Eye in the Sky, it is revealed that Franklin was once arrested forPUBLIC Exposure. According to him, it was due to him sagging in public and the LSPD committing "racialPROFILING".
 * Franklin's favourite radio stations are Radio Los Santos and West Coast Classics.
 * According to Tonya Wiggins, Franklin "fooled around" with her behind a Burger Shot when he was 13, however Franklin denies this and claims nothing serious happened.
 * It is likely that Franklin is a Christian, or at the very least has studied the bible at some point in his life. He immediately recognized the verse that Michael sarcastically used, after pulling down the house in "Marriage Counseling," as coming fromTHE BOOK OF Matthew. He is also described as believing in a "white man's God." Pre-release artwork of Franklin shows him with a praying hands tattoo in his neck, further supporting this theory.
 * Additionally, the tattoo resembles an item found in "The Silk Stocking Murder", a Homicide case inL.A. Noire, anotherVIDEO GAME edited by Rockstar Games.
 * Franklin seems to be the protagonist with most compassion for animals, possibly because he is the only protagonist with a pet. When he runs over a wild animal, he usually responds with compassionate quotes, such as: "Sorry, little dude!" or WATCH out, little dude!" Instead of Michael, who usually responds with sarcasm, or Trevor, who responds with dark humour.
 * Franklin's special ability may be a reference to the Zone special ability from Midnight Club 3: Dub Editionand Midnight Club: Los Angeles (other Rockstar Games titles), which allows the player to slow down time for better handling while driving.
 * Franklin's signature color is green, most likely due to his connection with the Chamberlain Gangster Families. This is seen when using his special ability by screen fading green, while Michael's ability fades blue and Trevor's fades orange.
 * The selection of the protagonist's signature colors may be a reflection of the character's personalities and/or their individual story arcs. Green is the color of intellect and wealth, reflecting Franklin's focus on gainingMONEY and his desire to move up in the world of organized crime.
 * If the player throws Molotovs at Franklin's house as Michael or Trevor, he might text the player saying: "U trying to burn my house down?"
 * Franklin is the only protagonist who cannotPLAY Tennis.
 * Both Franklin and Michael are known to smoke cigarettes. At Franklin's mansion, Redwood Cigarettespacks can be found scattered on tables, along with multiple ashtrays. He can be seen smoking in the mission, "Hotel Assassination," while waiting for Lester, and lighting one up at the end of "The Bureau Raid" (Obvious approach).
 * If the playerENTERS the in-game website PsychicShoutout and speaks with Mrs. Marcy as Franklin, she will say that she sees Lamar in her visions, having sex on Franklin's bed. This is a possible hint that Lamar had an affair with Denise Clinton, due to his multiple positive comments about her appearance. Another reference on that matter is that during the mission, "Hood Safari," Lamar is seen exiting Franklin's house with her.
 * Franklin is the only character to be able to use lock picks. Usage of lock picks is extremely useful when trying to steal parked cars when wanted by the police (smashedWINDOWS get detected by the police), or to avoid attracting attention of pedestrians and bystanders when stealing a parked car (provided the alarm doesn't go off). Franklin can choose not to get inside the car if the alarm goes and wait from a distance until the alarm dies, this can avoid a wanted level.
 * The onlyPROBLEM with lock picks is that the player is not able to choose whether or not Franklin uses them. However, approaching a vehicle without running or attacking tends to invoke their use. Franklin tends not to use lock picks if he is in a hurry (i.e., if the police see him, or if he has been running).
 * Franklin will not use lock picks on vehicles that he has to climb up to get to the door (such as the Sandking XL or the Dump), likely because both his hands are notFREE.
 * Franklin sleeps for most average amount of time out of all the 3 characters. When savingTHE GAME as Franklin, the game skips ahead 8 hours. Michael sleeps for 6 while Trevor sleeps for 12. Franklin also sleeps in the fetal position, which is the most common sleeping position in the world.
 * Franklin shares many similarities with Carl Johnson, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. They are both young men born and currently residing in Los Santos. They are both very calm, and are interested inMAKING MONEY and rising to the top of the criminal underworld. By another coincidence, both Franklin and CJ's voice actors are cousins. Both of them are also affiliated with The Families.
 * Franklin is the only protagonist of GTA V who cannot die at the end. Most likely because many of his missions (including all of his Strangers & Freaks missions) are required for 100% Completion.