GTA V Story Mode follows Michael, Franklin and Trevor through interwoven stories set in Los Santos and Blaine County. Rockstar’s official Story Mode overview identifies these three leads. Keep that story separate from instructions for GTA Online: a guide to an Online activity is not automatically a walkthrough for a Story Mode mission.
Table of Contents
What makes each character different?
The official Xbox One game help describes three distinct special abilities:
| Character | Ability |
|---|---|
| Michael | Slows time during gunfights. |
| Franklin | Slows time while driving road vehicles. |
| Trevor | Deals more damage and takes less damage while his ability is active. |
Use your game’s prompts to activate an ability. This overview does not give a single controller binding for every platform.
Character switching and heist crews
Some Story Mode missions involve working together and switching protagonists. Follow the current mission’s prompts rather than assuming every character is always selectable.
Heist crew members can differ in skills and percentage cuts. Compare those tradeoffs for the job; a crew choice is not a universal GTA Online money strategy.
Before following a walkthrough
- Match the guide to GTA V, your game mode and the mission you are actually playing.
- Use your installed game’s prompts when selecting a character or activating an ability.
- For input differences, open Pause Menu, then Settings; Rockstar documents controls, camera and display settings there.
If mission markers are confusing, use our GTA V map and mission-color guide. It explains the navigation references without inventing additional protagonists, achievements or Online events.
Editorial correction: Earlier character names, event descriptions and unsupported progression claims have been removed.