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Michael’s Minimal Body Count Explained
Highlights
- Michael, one of the three protagonists in Grand Theft Auto 5, is skilled with a gun and uses violence to get out of trouble.
- Although not as aggressive as Trevor, Michael is deadly and faces constant danger as he navigates heists and shady dealings.
- Michael commits notable kills in the game, but his murder count is lower compared to his allies, likely due to his role as a planner rather than a killer.
Michael is a master thief in Grand Theft Auto 5, but he’s not stealthy enough to avoid picking up a sizable body count. While nowhere near as aggressive as fellow Grand Theft Auto 5 protagonist Trevor, Michael is good with a gun, and willing to use one in order to get himself out of trouble. Just like every other Grand Theft Auto protagonist, Michael faces nearly non-stop danger as he, Trevor, and Franklin navigate heists and shady dealings alike. Violence may not be Michael’s first choice, but he’s deadlier than most men that he encounters regardless.
Fittingly for the series’ biggest game, Grand Theft Auto 5‘s three protagonists are among the most dangerous leads in the series to date. Not only do they face off against gangsters and cops, they also manage to come out on top against a paramilitary organization. Among the trio, Michael is best described as the leader and planner. He acts as something of a mentor to the younger Franklin, while also having some ability to keep the wild Trevor on track. He may have been retired for a long time, but he didn’t lose any of his criminal seasoning, as shown by his quick and effective return to heisting.
Michael Commits Some Notable Kills in GTA 5, but Less Than His Allies
It isn’t until Michael visits Grand Theft Auto 5‘s Facebook parody Lifeinvader, that he actually kills his first named character, that being Liveinvader’s CEO, Jay Norris. By comparison, Trevor will kill at least one security guard during the intro mission. Michael’s next murder is actually one of circumstance, where he kills a coroner while sneaking into an IAA morgue to avoid detection. After that, he commits what are essentially two contract killings. First, he snipes businessman Tahir Javan at the behest of corrupt IAA agent Steve Baines, then kills the pilot of a plane carrying crime lord Martin Madrazo’s brother to stop him from testifying against him.
Possibly as a sign of the bond between Grand Theft Auto 5‘s criminal leads, all of Michael’s required kills afterwards are for the sake of his friends. When the surviving O’Neil Brothers come seeking revenge on Trevor, Michael helps him take them out. When his hero Solomon Richards is harassed and beaten by thuggish agents Rocco and Gianni, Michael kills both of them in turn. Franklin’s old foe Stretch also ends up on Michael’s hit list, as the old con puts a permanent end to Stretch’s attempts on Franklin and Lamar. Finally, in the true ending, Michael does away with Devin Weston with the help of Franklin and Trevor.
Of course, it’s likely that Michael will end up killing many people in Grand Theft Auto 5‘s story missions outside of the named characters. After all, he and the rest of the heist crew have to tangle with a lot of dangerous characters, and they need to defend themselves. Interestingly, discounting his optional murders, Michael has noticeably fewer notable kills than many other GTA protagonists, including Franklin and Trevor. This could be attributed to Grand Theft Auto 5 sharing time between three protagonists. However, Michael’s smaller kill count can also be attributed to him being more of a planner than a killer, especially with the more lethal Trevor around.
Michael kills enough people to show that he means business, but compared to someone like Grand Theft Auto 5‘s uniquely dangerous Trevor, he’s much more restrained. It’s worth noting that pretty much all of his storyline murders are at the behest of someone else, either as part of a deal or for the sake of one of his friends or allies. In that sense, it can give fans a more sympathetic look at many of his actions despite the body count he leaves behind. Michael isn’t Grand Theft Auto 5‘s deadliest protagonist, but he’s not one to be trifled with either.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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