Franklin Clinton


 * "Look homie, I don't mind dying. You feel me? But I just want to die over something that matters, homie. That's what Forum Gangsters should really be about."
 * ― Franklin Clinton to Lamar Davis in the mission Chop
 * Franklin Clinton is one of the three protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V, along with Michael De Santa and Trevor Philips. He is voiced by Shawn Fonteno, who is the cousin of Young Maylay, the voice actor of Carl Johnson, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
 * Franklin was born and lived his entire life in Los Santos. He became a gangbanger at a young age and joined The Families alongside his best friend Lamar Davis, committing various small crimes for a living. Franklin's story revolves his desire to become something more and make something of himself, which he succeeds when he meets Michael, who becomes a mentor figure to him and recruits him in all of his robberies and various jobs for other criminals, leading to Franklin's eventual success and wealth. Franklin also befriends the third protagonist, Trevor, who, although not as close to him as Michael, still becomes somewhat of a mentor for him.

Background
Franklin was born in South Los Santos, San Andreas in 1988. He never knew his father and his mother became a cocaine addict when Franklin was very young. As a child, Franklin often heard stories about how his father was violent and physically abusive towards his mother, possibly causing her to turn to cocaine to escape being abused. Franklin's father left his mother while she was still pregnant with Franklin. His mother's addiction eventually led to her death when Franklin was a little boy.

Following his mother's death, he moved in with his maternal grandparents. This is where Franklin met Tonya Wiggins and JB Bradshaw. Despite being constantly spoiled by his grandmother, Franklin had decided to take on the role of a street hustler. One of his first jobs was selling cigarettes with Bradshaw. The scheme was successful until Franklin's grandfather caught them in the act. In Tonya's words, his grandfather "gave chase to both him and Bradshaw all around South Los Santos". After the death of his grandparents, Franklin and his aunt Denise moved into a house on Forum Drive left to them by Franklin's grandmother in her will.

Franklin attended Davis High School along with Lamar Davis, Tanisha Jackson and Tonya, but was expelled for assaulting a teacher for an unknown reason. Around this time, he began the life of a gangbanger and dope dealer and started committing various petty crimes such as carjacking's and small-time bank robberies with Lamar. During their first bank robbery, they stole $2,000 but did not get to keep the money stolen, because a dye pack spilled onto the money, making it worthless. Franklin also worked for a local drug dealer named Marcus, whom he later killed. Franklin's life of petty crime caught up with him in 2008, when he was arrested and sent to prison. After his release, he decided to give up his previous gang life and get some legitimate work.

A few months before the start of his story, Franklin moved beyond the role of ghetto-based street dealer when he and Lamar began working for Armenian businessman Simeon Yetarian. Yetarian owns a car dealership which acts as a front for a loansharking and extortion business. Yetarian's dealership sells cars to people who can't afford them and when they default on the exorbitant interest payments, Franklin and Lamar repossess the cars. Around the same time, he receives a message from Tanisha that she is breaking up with him due to her brother's death and fearing that Franklin's criminal lifestyle will bring her harm.

Appearance
Franklin has been described as "fit" and "fashion conscious". He is 6' 0" (1.83 m) in height. He is mostly seen wearing a blue button-up shirt, a white long-sleeved t-shirt, dark blue jeans with white stripes and a pair of wheat-colored boots. In the "Michael, Trevor and Franklin" artwork, he is seen wearing a light yellow plaid button-up shirt and stonewashed blue jeans. He also sported the same outfit in "The Trunk" artwork. He is seen in the "Franklin and Chop" artwork wearing a tank-top, khaki shorts along with a bracelet on his right wrist and a black watch on his left wrist. In "Three's Company", he is seen wearing his L.S. sweater, black jeans and Desert Boots. Initially, Franklin shows aproval to clothing from Ponsonby's and Suburban, while being neutral towards the cheaper, gang related options at Binco and The discount shop. Following the mission The Hotel Assasination, Franklin's taste in clothing changes, from then on he shows total disdain to Binco and The Discount shop and is only neutral to Suburban. During friendship activities with Michael, Franklin may state that he used to be fatter, but managed to lose weight. Michael claims that he can "kind of see it". Lamar also chides him for not wanting to walk around the block to the van, claiming "...you need to walk with your fat ass," in the mission Chop.