Look, let’s be real. If you’re trying to track gta 5 all missions in order, you aren't just looking for a checklist. You’re likely staring at a map of Los Santos, wondering why Franklin’s "F" icon disappeared or why Trevor is suddenly stuck in a trailer in Sandy Shores with no way out. Grand Theft Auto V isn't a straight line. It’s a mess of branching paths, heist setups, and character-specific triggers that can make your save file feel like a jigsaw puzzle.
The game officially boasts 69 main story missions. That number is a bit of a Rockstar Games joke, obviously. But if you count the optional stuff, the Hobbies and Pastimes, and the Strangers and Freaks that actually impact your completion percentage, you’re looking at a much larger beast.
Most people mess up the flow because they rush the Heists. Don't do that.
The Prologue and the Slow Burn of Franklin Clinton
Everything starts in North Yankton. It’s snowy, it’s bleak, and it’s a tutorial disguised as a tragedy. You’ve got Michael Townley and Trevor Philips robbing a bank nine years before the main game even starts. This is the only time the game forces a specific perspective until you reach the open world. Once the credits roll and you’re in sunny Los Santos as Franklin, the game shifts gears entirely.
Franklin’s early missions—Franklin and Lamar, Repossession, and Chop—feel small. They’re supposed to. You’re repossessing cars for a shady dealer named Simeon Yetarian. It’s a grind. But the moment you break into a mansion in Rockford Hills to grab a yellow SUV, the world cracks open. This leads to Complications, where Michael (now De Santa) pops up in the backseat with a gun.
That’s the spark.
From there, you’re pulled into Michael’s mid-life crisis. You destroy a house you think belongs to a tennis coach but actually belongs to a Mexican cartel boss, Martin Madrazo. Suddenly, you owe $2 million. This is the narrative engine that drives the first act. You aren’t robbing banks because it’s fun (well, it is), but because Michael is broke and terrified.
Planning the First Big Score: The Jewel Store Job
This is where the list of gta 5 all missions in order gets tricky. Before the first heist, you have to choose your approach. Do you go "Loud" or "Smart"?
If you go smart, you’re doing Casing the Jewel Store and then BZ Gas Grenades. If you go loud, you’re stealing Carbine Rifles from a SWAT van. This is the first time the game asks you to manage a crew. Pro tip: pick the cheap gunmen and drivers for the early jobs if you want to level up their stats for the finale, but be prepared for them to crash or die.
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After the Jewel Store Job, the game switches focus.
The news of the heist reaches the desert. Trevor Philips enters the fray. Trevor’s missions—Mr. Philips, Nervous Ron, and Trevor Philips Industries—are a radical departure from the city. You’re fighting The Lost MC, dealing with meth labs, and basically acting as a one-man wrecking ball. It’s chaotic. It’s also where many players get stuck because Trevor’s missions require a certain amount of "unlocking" through side tasks like the Cletus hunting missions or just driving to specific waypoints.
The Mid-Game Slump and the FIB Mess
Once the three protagonists finally meet up in Friends Reunited, the story gets bloated. In a good way. You’ve got the FIB (the game’s version of the FBI) blackmailing Michael and Dave Norton. You’re doing dirty work like By the Book, which remains one of the most controversial missions in gaming history due to the interrogation scene.
You then move into the Merryweather Heist. This is a weird one. You spend all this time stealing a "superweapon" from the ocean, only for Lester to tell you it’s too hot to sell. You make $0. It’s a narrative gut-punch designed to show how out of their depth these guys are.
Here is the general flow of the mid-game:
- Blitz Play: This is basically the movie Heat. You block a security van, ram it, and fight off waves of cops. It’s a classic.
- Mr. Richards: Michael gets to live his dream of being a movie producer. It’s a nice break from the killing, until you have to kill people.
- Paleto Score: This is the peak of the mid-game. You’re in heavy juggernaut armor with miniguns, tearing up a small town. It’s the first time you feel truly powerful.
Many players wonder about the "missing" missions during this stretch. Usually, it's because you haven't completed the Assassination Missions for Franklin. Lester gives these to you (look for the green "L" on the map). While only the first one, The Hotel Assassination, is mandatory to progress the story, the rest are essential for making billions on the stock market. If you want to buy the Golf Club for $150 million, save the rest of those assassinations for the very end of the game.
The Road to the Big Score
As you approach the end, the missions get longer and more cinematic. Bury the Hatchet takes you back to North Yankton. It’s a pivotal moment where the truth about what happened nine years ago finally comes out. It’s tense. It’s snowy again. And it sets the stage for the finale.
You have the Bureau Raid, where you break into the FIB building. Again, you choose your approach. Roof entry or fire crew? Fire crew is easier, honestly.
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Then comes The Big Score. This is it. The Union Depository. You’re stealing $200 million in gold bars. Whether you choose the "Subtle" approach with the gauntlet cars or the "Obvious" approach with the thermal cutters and helicopters, this mission is a marathon. It’s the culmination of everything you’ve learned about switching characters mid-combat.
The Final Choice: Option A, B, or C?
After the gold is secured, Franklin is visited by Devin Weston and Steve Haines. You’re given a choice.
- Kill Michael (The Vengeance path)
- Kill Trevor (The Irony path)
- Deathwish (The Canon path)
Let's be honest: almost everyone picks Option C. The Third Way is the longest mission in the game and features all three characters teaming up to wipe out every single one of their enemies—Wei Cheng, Stretch, Steve Haines, and finally Devin Weston. It’s the only ending that feels earned. Watching that car roll off the cliff into the Pacific while the sun sets is the definitive Los Santos experience.
Tracking Your Progress: The Actual Mission List
To make sure you haven't missed a beat, here is the chronological sequence of the main story beats. Remember, some of these can be done in a slightly different order depending on who you play as, but the "Triggers" remain the same.
The Early Days
- Prologue
- Franklin and Lamar
- Repossession
- Complications
- Father/Son
- Marriage Counseling
- Daddy's Little Girl
The First Score
- Friend Request
- Casing the Jewel Store
- Heist Prep (BZ Gas or Bugstars Equipment)
- The Jewel Store Job
The Trevor Chapter
- Mr. Philips
- Trevor Philips Industries
- Nervous Ron
- Crystal Maze
- Friends Reunited
The FIB and the Deep Sea
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- Fame or Shame
- Dead Man Walking
- Three's Company
- By the Book
- Hood Safari
- Minor Turbulence
- The Merryweather Heist (Freight or Offshore)
The Rural Exile
- Blitz Play
- I Fought the Law...
- Eye in the Sky
- Deep Inside
- The Vice Assassination (Optional but recommended later)
- The Paleto Score
The Breakdown
- Derailed
- Monkey Business
- Hang Ten
- Surveying the Score
- Bury the Hatchet
- Pack Man
- Fresh Meat
The Finale Prep
- The Ballad of Rocco
- Cleaning out the Bureau
- The Bureau Raid
- The Big Score Preps (Driller, Sidetracked, Gauntlets)
- The Big Score
The End
- Something Sensible (Ending A)
- The Time's Come (Ending B)
- The Third Way (Ending C)
How to Avoid Getting Stuck
If you find that your list of gta 5 all missions in order has stalled, check your phone. Seriously. GTA 5 loves to hide progression behind text messages or phone calls.
Sometimes you need to switch to Franklin to trigger a call from Lester. Other times, you need to be Michael to get a call from your wife, Amanda. Also, check for "H" icons on the map that aren't missions but "Heist Setup" locations. You might need to find a getaway vehicle and park it in a discreet location, then call the "Heist Contact" to mark the spot. If you don't do this, the next main mission icon won't appear.
Another common roadblock is the Epsilon Program for Michael. It’s not "main story," but it takes up a lot of time and involves wearing a robe for ten in-game days. If you’re a completionist, don't ignore the "Strangers and Freaks." Some of them, like the Tonya towing missions, are required to move the early Franklin story forward.
Actionable Next Steps for Completionists
If you’re aiming for that 100% stat, just finishing the main missions isn't enough. You only need 50% of the Strangers and Freaks (specifically Franklin's), but you also need to complete 14 out of 57 Random Encounters.
Start here:
- Check your Rockstar Social Club account. It has a checklist that shows exactly which missions you’ve missed.
- If you’re short on cash, stop doing the Lester Assassinations now. Finish the "Big Score" first, then use the millions from that heist to bet on the stock market during the remaining assassination missions. You can turn $20 million into $2 billion if you time it right.
- Complete the "Under the Bridge" and "Knife Flight" challenges early. They’re easier to do when you aren't being chased by five-star wanted levels during the endgame chaos.
The beauty of the mission order in GTA 5 is that it’s messy. It’s supposed to feel like three lives colliding in a violent, funny, and occasionally heartbreaking way. Just keep your eyes on the map and your phone in your hand.