 |
"Mature Content!" |
| NOTE: This re-proposal was approved by admin Ivan the Brony Kaiju. |
It's been over a year since my previous proposal, but I now have a stronger argument for why he should qualify.
What is the Work?[]
Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) is an open-world action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was first released in 2013 and is set in the fictional state of San Andreas, which is heavily inspired by Southern California. The game follows three main protagonists—Michael De Santa, a semi-retired career criminal—Franklin Clinton, a young and inexperienced gangbanger looking to make something of his life—and Trevor Phillips, a psychotic crime lord, drug kingpin, and Michael's former partner-in-crime.
Who is the Character?[]
Trevor Phillips is a former military pilot who now runs his own small criminal operation called Trevor Philips Enterprises in the desert region of Blaine County, outside the city of Los Santos. He is originally from Canada and has a history with Michael De Santa, as the two used to rob banks together before Michael faked his death and went into witness protection. When Trevor discovers that Michael is still alive, it reignites their complicated friendship and eventually pulls him into the game's main storyline.
What Makes Him Admirable?[]
In General[]
- Despite his aggressive behavior and psychotic tendencies, he genuinely cares about his friends and loved ones.
- He was hurt by Michael's "death" and mourned him for years
- He continued to message who he believed was his former partner-in-crime Brad despite the latter being imprisoned.
- He constantly reprimands Michael for not being a good father.
- He's genuinely kind to a handful of people.
- He told Chef to show his "guests" (Tao Cheng and his translator) respect and to watch his manners.
- He acts friendly toward the GTA Online Protagonist.
- He frequently bonds with strangers like Mr. K and his crewmates on heists.
- He also has a genuine friendship with both Ron and Wade and values them a lot.
- He falls in love with Martin Madrazo's wife Patricia and treats her with the utmost respect and kindness (despite kidnapping her). When he later returns her to her husband, he gets very emotional and exclaims that Martin better treat her right.
- He has a huge sense of honor. He's extremely loyal to his friends and despises traitors, which is the main reason why he acts antagonistic toward Michael for a majority of the story, and why he warns Franklin to be aware of Michael's tendency to backstab his friends. He encourages other people to have honor too, such as telling his friends and partners on numerous occasions to respect one another, especially women. He also tells Floyd to respect his cousin Wade more.
- He tried to encourage Floyd to leave his loveless marriage and see Deborah was using him.
- In the (non-canon) Ending B where Franklin chooses to kill Michael, Trevor denounces Franklin and wants nothing to do with him for turning his back on Michael. After this Ending, if Franklin meets up with Trevor in free roam, Trevor will tell Franklin to leave him alone, and if the player tries to call Trevor, the phone will go to voicemail.
- In Grand Theft Auto Online, it is revealed through Trevor's former associate Ron that Trevor has completely abandoned Trevor Phillips Industries, moved out of Sandy Shores, and "become a lifestyle guru." This suggests that Trevor has, at the very least, shed some of his more villainous traits since the events of the main story.
Story Mode[]
- He stood up for Michael's daughter Tracey when she was sexually exploited by Lazlow on Fame or Shame.
- He let Mr. K go after torturing him despite being ordered to kill him, allowing Mr. K to escape and become an anti-torture advocate.
- He saved Michael's life numerous times, such as during the missions "Monkey Business" and "The Wrap Up", where he protected Michael from the Merryweather mercenaries, risking his own life in the process.
- Alongside Michael and Franklin, he helped rescue Lamar when he was kidnapped by the Ballas.
- He killed Steve Haines due to his corruption and also helped Michael, Franklin, and Lamar kill their archenemies as well.
Free Roam/Strangers & Freaks[]
- He doesn’t let Jimmy drink when hanging out with him one-on-one.
- He can stop random robbers and return the money they stole.
- Freed a man tied to a light pole and got him to his wedding on time.
- Drove a drunk couple back to their motel.
- Rescued a woman from being abducted by the Lost MC.
- Saved a woman from being buried alive.
- Killed Joe and Josef of the xenophobic Civil Border Patrol, saving multiple hostages from being executed.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]
- He's a criminally insane maniac who's killed hundreds of people, robbed multiple banks, eaten people, and committed every possible crime you can think of. Some of his worst acts include sexually assaulting his hockey coach with a hockey stick, kidnapping and delivering people to a cult of cannibals, letting Michael get kidnapped and almost killed by the Chinese Triads and feeling no remorse for it, hunting down and killing all of The Lost bikers gang (including previous GTA Protagonist Johnny Klebitz) and brutally torturing Mr. K (although he didn't have much of a choice and later states he regretted doing it).
- He's abusive toward almost all of his friends and loved ones, constantly antagonizing them, harassing them (sometimes sexually), and psychologically tormenting them.
- He's stated to have ruined both Ron's and Wade's lives. He convinced Ron to leave his healthy, loving twelve-year marriage, and is implied to have killed all of Wade's friends and lied to him about it, telling Wade that his friend just abandoned him.
- He's ultimately an anti-hero/hero by proxy since a lot of his heroic acts are motivated entirely by selfishness or committed out of obligation.
- It’s also worth noting that some of Trevor’s heroic acts during random encounters aren't limited to just him, as they can be done by Michael and Franklin too under the right conditions.
Admirable Standards[]
The biggest contention users had with my previous proposal was the belief that Trevor doesn’t meet the admirable standards set by Michael and Franklin. However, I beg to differ.
While some of Trevor’s more heroic actions are shared with other characters, the ones that aren’t shared are still strong enough to meet those in-story standards. For example, Trevor saves Michael’s life several times, even though they have a toxic and unstable relationship. He does this without expecting anything in return, which shows just how strong his sense of loyalty really is—a quality that other characters, especially Michael, lack. Michael has a history of betraying people when it suits him, making Trevor’s loyalty stand out even more by comparison. No one else in the story does this—not even Franklin. Yes, Franklin does save Michael from the Triads, but that’s the only time he takes that kind of risk for him. Trevor, on the other hand, does it multiple times just because he cares.
Also, while it’s not part of the main story, Trevor’s choice to stop the Civil Border Patrol is another example of why he stands out. He shuts down the xenophobic and bigoted organization, and in doing so, saves several hostages from being killed.
Another common argument is that Trevor has far more resources than Michael and Franklin but performs fewer heroic acts. However, this argument doesn’t hold up when you look at how the story develops. While it’s true that Trevor starts the game with more resources—such as weapons, aircrafts, a few employees, and private hangars—Michael and Franklin quickly catch up as the story progresses. Michael gains powerful connections through the IAA and takes part in several high-level missions with them, giving him both influence and access to government resources. Franklin, meanwhile, becomes involved with Devin Weston, a billionaire with deep ties in the corporate and criminal world. Both characters also earn millions from the game’s major heists, allowing them to buy properties, weapons, and vehicles—matching or even surpassing Trevor’s assets.
On top of that, Trevor’s resources are often exaggerated. Beyond his small crew—Ron, Wade, and Chef—and a few aircrafts, there’s little to suggest he’s operating on a much higher level than the others, especially by the end of the game. So, the idea that Trevor has a huge advantage in resources but does less with them isn’t accurate. All three characters have access to major tools and connections by the conclusion, and Trevor still performs several admirable acts despite having no official backing or high-level allies like the others.
Verdict[]
Yes. While Trevor often acts with reckless violence and questionable motives, there are key moments where he shows genuine loyalty, courage, and heroism. Additionally, while Trevor initially has more resources, by the end of the game, Michael and Franklin have acquired similar wealth, connections, and equipment.
What allows Trevor to stand out are the admirable acts solely unique to him, like saving Michael numerous times, defying Steve Haines' orders and letting Mr. K go, and stopping the Civil Border Patrol—actions that are not shared by the other protagonists.