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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsChoose Ending C (“The Third Way,” also called Deathwish) if you want the most complete Story Mode save. Ending A, “Something Sensible,” removes Trevor; Ending B, “The Time’s Come,” removes Michael; Ending C keeps Michael, Franklin, and Trevor available after the finale.
The choice is made by Franklin near the end of the story. It changes more than the final cutscene: the selected character is permanently unavailable on that completed save, along with that character’s switching access and character-specific free-roam activities. You can still replay the alternative finales, but replaying does not rewrite the ending stored in your completed save.
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The three endings at a glance
Franklin’s final decision determines which finale runs and what remains playable afterward. The practical difference is the Story Mode roster you keep, not merely a different cinematic ending.
| Choice | Final mission | Protagonist removed | Characters available afterward | Completed-save effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | “Something Sensible” | Trevor | Michael and Franklin | Trevor cannot be selected, and Trevor-specific free-roam activities are unavailable. |
| B | “The Time’s Come” | Michael | Franklin and Trevor | Michael cannot be selected, and Michael-specific free-roam activities are unavailable. |
| C | “The Third Way” (Deathwish) | Nobody in the protagonist trio | Michael, Franklin, and Trevor | The complete three-character roster remains available after the story. |
For a first or “main” save, C preserves the most content. A and B are valid narrative branches, but each permanently gives up one playable protagonist on that save.
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What Franklin is deciding
The finale presents Franklin with three broad outcomes: cooperate in removing Trevor, cooperate in removing Michael, or reject both proposed killings and pursue a third solution with his partners. The labels A, B, and C are commonly used by players and guides; the in-game mission names are “Something Sensible,” “The Time’s Come,” and “The Third Way.”
This is a Story Mode decision, not a temporary activity choice. Once the selected finale is completed, the resulting character roster is saved as part of that playthrough. You should therefore treat the decision like a branching save point rather than a menu setting you can freely toggle after finishing.
Ending A: “Something Sensible”
What the choice does
Ending A has Franklin accept the option that targets Trevor. “Something Sensible” is the finale associated with that decision, and Trevor’s Story Mode life ends during it.
What changes after the credits
On the completed save, Trevor is no longer a switchable protagonist. Any free-roam content that requires Trevor is consequently unavailable there. Michael and Franklin remain usable, so activities that belong to those two characters continue to be accessible under the normal conditions of the finished story.
The important distinction is permanence within that save. Starting the game again after completing A does not restore Trevor through ordinary character switching. To have Trevor available in a continuing Story Mode file, you need a save made before the final choice or a separate playthrough that selects C (or has not yet reached the branch).
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When A makes sense
Select A if your priority is seeing this particular branch, role-playing Franklin’s decision to sacrifice Trevor, or deliberately maintaining a two-character post-story file. It is not the efficient choice for collecting every protagonist-specific activity in one completed save because Trevor’s portion of the roster is gone.
Ending B: “The Time’s Come”
What the choice does
Ending B has Franklin accept the option that targets Michael. The associated finale is “The Time’s Come,” and Michael is removed during that mission.
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Michael cannot be selected on the completed save, so his character-specific free-roam activities no longer have an available protagonist. Franklin and Trevor remain playable and can still be switched to after the story, subject to the game’s usual availability rules.
As with A, this is a saved outcome rather than a temporary mission state. Loading the finished B file will not bring Michael back into the switching wheel. A pre-choice manual save is the reliable way to preserve a route in which Michael survives.
When B makes sense
Choose B when you specifically want to experience Michael’s branch or to compare the story from a file in which Franklin and Trevor continue without him. If your goal is maximum post-story access, B sacrifices one of the three protagonists and is therefore less suitable than C for a primary save.
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Ending C: “The Third Way” (Deathwish)
What the choice does
Ending C is Franklin’s refusal to kill either partner. “The Third Way,” also called Deathwish, brings Michael, Franklin, and Trevor together against the enemies accumulated during the story.
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What changes after the credits
No member of the protagonist trio is removed. All three remain available for switching and for their respective post-story free-roam activities. That makes C the only branch that preserves the full protagonist roster in a single completed Story Mode save.
This practical benefit is separate from whether you prefer the branch’s narrative tone. C gives you the broadest sandbox after the finale: you can continue exploring with any of the three protagonists instead of accepting a permanent two-character limitation.
When C makes sense
Use C for a main completion file, for free-roam play after the story, or when you want access to every protagonist-specific activity without restarting. It is also the safest choice if you are unsure which character you will want later.
How the endings differ in practical play
Comparing only the final scenes can make the branches seem equivalent. The lasting gameplay consequences are clearer when separated into four questions.
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Who remains switchable?
A leaves Michael and Franklin; B leaves Franklin and Trevor; C leaves all three. The missing character is not merely absent from a cutscene: that character is removed from normal Story Mode switching on the completed save.
Which activities disappear?
A removes access to Trevor’s character-specific free-roam activities, while B removes Michael’s. C removes neither category. Activities shared by the surviving protagonists are not described as being removed solely because one branch was selected.
Can the dead protagonist return?
Not on the completed A or B save through ordinary post-story play. The permanent consequence applies to the saved roster. Returning to a backup made before the decision, or completing another playthrough, is what restores the ability to continue with all three.
Does the finale choice affect replay?
The researched mission-list reference states that the alternative endings can be replayed from the pause menu without changing the completed-save choice. Replay lets you view another finale; it does not convert an A save into B or C, or a B save into A or C.
Safest way to see all three endings
Use a manual save before committing to Franklin’s final decision. Then follow this sequence:
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- This game will no longer support Windows 7 or 8 operating systems starting January 30, 2024.
- Create a separate manual save before the final choice. Do not rely only on the most recent autosave; give the branch point its own identifiable slot.
- Complete one ending. The resulting file will keep the roster dictated by A, B, or C.
- Use the pause menu’s mission-replay function to view another finale. According to the mission-list reference, replaying an alternative ending does not overwrite the ending recorded in the completed save.
- Reload the pre-choice manual save when you want a different continuing world. This is the step that actually creates a separate branch with a different post-story roster.
- Keep C as the long-term file if you want every protagonist. A replayed C mission is not the same as a completed C save; only the latter preserves all three characters for ongoing play.
Maintaining both a pre-choice backup and a completed C file gives you the broadest flexibility: the backup lets you revisit either elimination branch, while C remains the unrestricted post-story world.
Is Ending C canon?
Later GTA continuity is commonly interpreted as being consistent with Michael, Franklin, and Trevor surviving, which is why many guides describe Ending C as the canon outcome. The careful wording matters: the available evidence supports or assumes that survival in subsequent material, but it does not establish a separate Rockstar announcement using the exact statement “Ending C is canon.”
That makes “canon” a continuity-based conclusion rather than a formally quoted declaration. If you are deciding purely on future-story consistency, C is the branch that best fits the material that treats all three protagonists as alive. If you are deciding for gameplay, its advantage is independently clear because it retains the complete roster.
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Choosing the right ending for your save
- Choose A when you want Trevor’s elimination branch or a two-character file centered on Michael and Franklin.
- Choose B when you want Michael’s elimination branch or a file that continues with Franklin and Trevor.
- Choose C when you want unrestricted access to all three protagonists and their character-specific free-roam content.
- Make a backup first whenever you may want to compare branches without sacrificing your current progression.
There is no way to make A or B preserve the full roster after completion: each branch is defined by removing one protagonist. The decision is therefore best framed around your intended save, not around a claim that one mission is universally “correct.”
Bottom line for a first playthrough
For most players, Ending C is the practical main-save choice. It completes the story without removing Michael, Franklin, or Trevor, keeps every protagonist available for later free roam, and aligns with the continuity reading that treats all three as surviving. Select A or B when you specifically want those branches, and protect your options with a manual save before the final decision.
Quick Recap
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