You’ve spent eighty hours stealing cars, flying planes into skyscrapers, and screaming at Trevor Philips. Now, you’re standing on a cliffside with a choice that feels heavier than it probably should for a video game. It’s 2013—or maybe you're playing the 2026 "Expanded and Enhanced" version for the tenth time—and Franklin’s burner phone is buzzing. This is it. The big one.
The gta 5 all endings debate has raged for over a decade because Rockstar Games didn't just give us a "good" and "bad" toggle. They gave us a test of loyalty. Or a test of how much you hated Trevor’s hygiene. Honestly, the first time I played through, I sat there for ten minutes just staring at the screen. Option A? Option B? Or the "Deathwish" that seemed too good to be true?
Let's be real. Most people click Option C. But there is a haunting, dark logic to the other two that most players ignore because they want their happy ending. Rockstar, being the masters of satire they are, actually hid some pretty depressing commentary in the choices they gave Franklin Clinton.
The Brutal Reality of Option A: Killing Trevor
Kill Trevor. That’s the prompt. Steve Haines and the FIB want him gone because he's a "unpredictable element." Translation: he’s a liability to the deep state. If you pick this, Franklin meets Trevor in the oil fields. It’s a pathetic, greasy, miserable end for a character who lived like a hurricane.
Michael helps you. That’s the kicker. Michael De Santa, the man Trevor considered a brother—even after all the betrayals—shows up to help Franklin finish the job. When Trevor crashes into that oil tanker, he’s covered in sludge, cursing you both. You pull the trigger. Or Michael does. The gasoline ignites. Trevor Philips, the most chaotic force in Los Santos history, burns to death while screaming about how he was the only one who was ever honest.
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It feels gross. It’s supposed to.
Afterward, Michael tries to justify it to Franklin. He says Trevor was a ticking time bomb. But the relationship between Franklin and Michael is fractured forever. They can still hang out, technically, but the dialogue is cold. Michael basically becomes a distant mentor who proved he’ll kill anyone to keep his suburban peace. You lose access to Trevor’s special abilities, his missions, and his share of the Union Depository heist is split between Frank and Mike. It’s the "pragmatic" ending, but it leaves the player feeling like a total sellout.
Option B: The Judas Moment with Michael
This one is arguably worse. Devin Weston, the billionaire douchebag we all love to hate, tells Franklin to kill Michael. Why? Because Michael is a "problem" for his business interests. If you choose this, you’re choosing the corporate side over the family side.
The chase ends at the top of a massive tower at a construction site. It’s poetic, kinda. Michael, the man who brought Franklin into the big leagues, realizes his protege is there to put him down. "We were buddies, Franklin!" he yells. It stings.
The most messed up part? Even if you try to save him at the very last second—if you choose to "Pull Michael Up"—he headbutts you. He knows it’s over. He chooses to fall. He dies on the pavement below, and Franklin walks away into the night, calling Lamar but finding no real comfort.
If you play as Trevor after this, he wants nothing to do with Franklin. He’s a psychopath, but he has a code. He hates Frank for killing Mike. You’re left with a world that feels empty. Michael’s family leaves Los Santos. The house is empty. You got the money, sure, but you killed the only guy who actually saw potential in you. It’s a hollow victory.
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Why Option C is the Only Choice That Matters
Everyone calls it "The Deathwish." In the menu, it’s just Option C: Revenge.
When you look at gta 5 all endings, this is the one that feels like a real Grand Theft Auto finale. Franklin refuses to kill his friends. He calls Lester, they hatch a plan, and for the first time, the trio isn't reacting to the villains—they’re hunting them.
You spend the next hour systematically erasing every person who annoyed you for the last 40 missions.
- Cheng Sr.? Blown up at the beach club.
- Steve Haines? Sniped off a Ferris wheel while he’s filming his crappy TV show.
- Stretch? Beaten down at the basketball courts.
- Devin Weston? This is the best part. You kidnap him, throw him in the trunk of his own car, drive to a cliff, and the three protagonists push the car off together.
It’s the "Hollywood" ending. It’s the one where the bad guys win by being better at being bad than the government.
The Canon Question: What Does Rockstar Think?
For years, fans wondered which of the gta 5 all endings was actually "the one." Rockstar finally answered this through GTA Online updates. In the "Diamond Casino & Resort" update, Tao Cheng mentions a "near-death experience" at a beach club, implying he survived the events of Option C.
Even more definitively, in "The Contract" DLC (which takes place years after the main story), Franklin is a successful businessman. He mentions his "friend" Michael, who is working as a movie producer at Richards Majestic. Since Michael only lives in Option C, and Trevor is also mentioned as being alive and "going off the rails" elsewhere, Option C is 100% the canon timeline.
Rockstar essentially rewarded players for being loyal. If you killed your mentors for money or safety, you played a version of the story that the developers have since moved past.
The Mechanics of the Choice
- The Phone: You get the choice after the final heist. You can't go back unless you have a manual save.
- The Money: In Option A and B, the deceased character's cut of the final heist is distributed to the survivors. In Option C, everyone keeps their full share (roughly $20-30 million depending on your crew).
- The World: Killing Trevor or Michael locks you out of their side missions, properties, and random encounters forever. This is a huge downside for completionists.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re staring at that phone right now, just pick Option C. There’s no reason to deprive yourself of the post-game content tied to Michael and Trevor. However, if you're a lore nerd, it’s worth keeping a separate save file just to play through Option B. The dialogue in the final confrontation is some of the best writing in the series, even if it makes you feel like a monster.
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Once you finish the story, your next move should be the stock market. Don't spend that heist money yet. If you haven't finished Lester’s assassination missions, you can use that $20+ million per character to make billions by manipulating the in-game market (LCN and BAWSAQ). Invest in the companies Lester mentions, wait for the bounce, and you'll never have to worry about the cost of a private jet again.
Check your map for the "Epsilon Program" missions for Michael too. It’s a long, weird grind, but it’s the most GTA-style satire in the game and yields a decent payout if you play your cards wrong (or right, depending on your morals).