Why Michael De Santa is the most convincing GTA protagonist to date

GTA 5 became a revolutionary game in the series as it completely changed the game by bringing in multiple protagonists players could switch between. In the fifth installment of the series, players control Michael, Trevor and Franklin.

Michael De Santa, formerly known as Michael Townley, is one of the main characters in the game and is voiced by the famed and accomplished Ned Luke. This article talks about why Michael is the most convincing and beloved character among the three.

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Why do GTA 5 gamers like Michael the most?

Michael has made a career out of robberies and criminal activities but has retired and settled for a life of peace in quiet in Los Santos. He conspired with federal agencies to fake his death and escape his past. He even changed his name to make it difficult for others to track him.

GTA 5 is based on a lot of realism and quite a bit of that realism comes from the story and acting of the characters. Gamers can relate the most to Michael as his plot is believable and sensible.

Michael had reason to fake his death and enjoy the good life. Soon, the peace isn't there anymore, thanks to the other family members, and he needs to get back into a life of crime.

When switching to Michael, gamers often see the protagonist sitting at the beach and staring at nothing. Knowing his full story, gamers can easily understand the predicament he is going through. An unfaithful wife, a materialistic daughter, a lost son and a madman hunting you down are quite the problems to have. At one point, he says,

"I'm just a fat washed up jock who can't get his head around the fact his high school football career didn't play out the way that he planned. The only way I'm content and competent is with a gun in my hand or a price on my head.”

Michael is also the most cultured and mature of all the characters in GTA 5. He is easily the oldest and his style resembles that of the good old days. The game is supposedly, loosely, based on the movie Heat. Well, if that were the case, Michael would be the main protagonist Neil McCauley [Robert DeNiro's character]. His mannerisms resemble Tony Soprano [James Galdolfini's character] from the Sopranos.

Michael was also the first main character to be written and developed for GTA 5 and the other characters were made around him. Redditor u/fluffypurplegiraffe points at the absolute truth when he says

"Michael is the only protagonist out of the three who could carry the game as the sole protagonist"

The character is so well written and has so many complex layers to decode. Add to that the extraordinary voice acting by Ned Luke. Few in the GTA verse come close to Michael De Santa.