Ending A kills Trevor, Ending B kills Michael, and Ending C—“The Third Way,” also called Deathwish—keeps Michael, Franklin, and Trevor alive. That choice determines which protagonists you can switch to after the finale, which character-specific activities remain available, and whether your completed Story Mode save has the full roster. If you want the most complete post-game access, choose Ending C. Keep a manual save before the decision if you want to experience all three outcomes without sacrificing your main file.
The three GTA 5 endings at a glance
Franklin’s final decision creates three possible Story Mode finales. Each route has its own mission, changes the playable cast on the completed save, and can be judged by four practical questions: who dies, who remains switchable, which character-specific activities survive, and how the result fits later GTA continuity.
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| Choice | Final mission | Who dies | Who remains available | Completed-save effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ending A | “Something Sensible” | Trevor | Michael and Franklin | Trevor and his character-specific free-roam activities are permanently unavailable on that save. |
| Ending B | “The Time’s Come” | Michael | Franklin and Trevor | Michael and his character-specific free-roam activities are permanently unavailable on that save. |
| Ending C | “The Third Way” (Deathwish) | No member of the protagonist trio | Michael, Franklin, and Trevor | The full protagonist roster remains available after the story. |
The differences are not cosmetic. Endings A and B remove one protagonist from the finished save, while C preserves every protagonist and the widest range of post-story activities.
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What Franklin chooses
Ending A is the option in which Franklin accepts the decision to kill Trevor. The finale is “Something Sensible,” and its outcome permanently ends Trevor’s Story Mode life on the completed save.
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What changes afterward
Once that save is completed, Trevor can no longer be selected on the character wheel. Trevor-only free-roam activities are unavailable as well, so any post-game plan that depends on controlling him must be completed on a different save or viewed through replay. Michael and Franklin remain usable.
This is a save-state consequence, not merely a change to the closing cutscene. Loading the completed file does not restore Trevor. If preserving all three protagonists matters, Ending A should be treated as an alternate outcome rather than the default choice for your main file.
Ending B: “The Time’s Come”
What Franklin chooses
Ending B has Franklin accept the option to kill Michael. Its final mission is “The Time’s Come,” and Michael is removed from the completed Story Mode roster when the finale concludes.
What changes afterward
Michael cannot be selected for free roam on that completed save, and activities tied specifically to him are no longer accessible there. Franklin and Trevor remain playable, so the game continues with two protagonists rather than three.
Like Ending A, this choice is permanent for the save that records it. It is therefore a poor fit for a file intended to showcase every character’s missions, abilities, and optional activities, even though the remaining campaign content can still be explored with Franklin and Trevor.
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Ending C: “The Third Way” (Deathwish)
Franklin refuses both assassination options
Ending C is Franklin’s third option: he refuses to kill either partner. The finale, “The Third Way,” is also called Deathwish. Michael, Franklin, and Trevor cooperate against the enemies they have accumulated during the story.
Why it preserves the most content
All three protagonists survive and remain switchable after the story. Their character-specific free-roam activities therefore remain available, giving this route the broadest post-game access. Nothing in the completed save removes a member of the protagonist trio.
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Which ending should you choose?
Choose Ending C for a complete main save
Pick Deathwish if your priority is keeping Michael, Franklin, and Trevor available after the finale. It is the only ending that preserves the full roster and every protagonist’s character-specific free-roam access.
Choose Ending A for Trevor’s death
Choose “Something Sensible” if you specifically want the branch in which Trevor dies and you accept losing Trevor-based free roam on that file. Michael and Franklin remain available.
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Choose Ending B for Michael’s death
Choose “The Time’s Come” if you want the branch in which Michael dies and you are comfortable losing Michael’s switching access and character-specific activities. Franklin and Trevor remain available.
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There is no gameplay advantage in A or B that compensates for the permanent loss of one protagonist on the completed save. Their value is narrative and completionist: they let you see the alternate finales and the consequences of Franklin siding against one partner.
How to see all three endings without losing your preferred save
Make a manual save before the final decision
- Before committing to Franklin’s final choice, create a manual save in a separate slot. Do not overwrite your ordinary campaign file.
- Choose one ending and finish its finale. After the story returns you to free roam, verify which protagonists are available on that completed save.
- Use the game’s mission-replay option from the pause menu to view an alternate finale. The mission-list reference for GTA 5 states that replaying the other endings does not rewrite the ending choice stored in the completed save.
- To make a different ending the actual outcome of a save, load the manual file created before the choice and select the other option. Mission replay shows the sequence; loading the earlier save changes the recorded story state.
Keeping both the pre-choice manual save and the completed Deathwish save is the safest arrangement: the former gives access to alternate outcomes, while the latter preserves all three protagonists for ordinary play.
Does replaying an ending change your completed save?
No, according to the cited GTA 5 mission-list reference, the alternative finales can be replayed through the pause menu without changing the choice stored in the completed save. Replay is therefore useful for viewing the missions, but it is not a way to resurrect a protagonist removed by Ending A or B on that file.
If a character is missing after you complete an ending, only a save from before the final decision can restore that character to the campaign state. A replayed mission does not convert an A or B outcome into C, nor does it permanently replace a C outcome with A or B.
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What happens to free-roam activities?
Character-specific access matters
The important distinction is between general post-story play and activities tied to an individual protagonist. Ending A removes Trevor’s switching access and Trevor-specific free-roam content. Ending B does the same for Michael. The surviving protagonists and their available activities are unaffected by that particular loss.
Ending C keeps the broadest post-game sandbox
Because nobody in the protagonist trio dies in Deathwish, you can continue switching among Michael, Franklin, and Trevor after the story. This makes C the least restrictive route for players working through optional content, experimenting with each character’s abilities, or simply wanting the campaign’s original three-character structure intact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Ending C canon?
Later GTA continuity is commonly interpreted as consistent with Ending C because it supports or assumes that Michael, Franklin, and Trevor survive. That makes Deathwish the continuity-based conclusion most guides identify as canon.
The careful qualification is important: there is no separate Rockstar announcement found that uses the exact wording “Ending C is canon.” Treat the label as an inference from subsequent material, not as a formally quoted declaration. The game itself still allows all three endings, and your personal Story Mode save remains governed by the choice you make.
Ending A, B, or C: the decision framework
Use this checklist when you reach Franklin’s final choice:
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- Need all three protagonists after the story? Select Ending C.
- Want to see Trevor’s death and accept losing Trevor’s free roam? Select Ending A.
- Want to see Michael’s death and accept losing Michael’s free roam? Select Ending B.
- Want to compare every finale? Make a manual save before the decision, then use mission replay or reload that backup.
- Wondering which result best fits later continuity? C is the outcome later material supports, but “canon” is a reasoned continuity label rather than a separately announced official phrase.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Overwriting the only save
If you save after choosing A or B and overwrite your pre-choice file, you lose the convenient route back to a three-protagonist campaign. Use a separate slot before the final decision.
Confusing replay with a changed story state
Mission replay lets you watch an alternate finale without rewriting the completed save. It does not restore a dead protagonist to free roam.
Assuming all three endings have the same post-game access
They do not. The surviving roster determines which character-specific activities and switching options remain available. The practical difference continues after the credits.
Bottom line for Story Mode players
Ending A (“Something Sensible”) removes Trevor, Ending B (“The Time’s Come”) removes Michael, and Ending C (“The Third Way”/Deathwish) leaves the entire trio alive. Choose C for your main completion save, and keep a manual pre-choice save if you want to experience A and B as well. Later continuity points toward C, but the game does not erase the validity of the other two endings.
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