Is Michael De Santa dead in GTA Online?

One thing that many GTA Online players tend to wonder about regards Michael De Santa's demise. He's the sole Grand Theft Auto V protagonist who never physically showed up in the multiplayer title. By comparison, Trevor Philips was prominent in the early years of the game, and Franklin Clinton had a significant appearance in The Contract DLC.

However, it's an unequivocal fact that Michael De Santa was at least still alive by the time The Contract DLC was released. He didn't physically show up but was implied to be a producer at Richards Majestic Studios by Franklin. On a similar note, there is no indication that any Grand Theft Auto V protagonists died off-screen.

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Michael De Santa is not dead in GTA Online

In one of The Contract DLC missions named On Course, Franklin tells the GTA Online protagonist:

"Man, sh*t, I know one of the producers around here. I hope his *ss ain't at work today..."

Although one could interpret Franklin's statement as him just happening to know a random person in the film industry due to his new business, the more likely outcome is that he's talking about Michael De Santa. Anybody who played Grand Theft Auto V should know that Michael ended up working for Solomon Richards in the game.

Since The Contract DLC canonly took place in late 2021, that means Michael De Santa was still working as a producer for Solomon Richards nearly eight years after the events of the single-player game. That also indicates that this iconic protagonist was still alive by late 2021.

Rockstar Games doesn't usually kill main characters off-screen, so it's safe to say he's still alive in GTA Online.

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Option B isn't canon

This ending isn't canon (Image via Rockstar Games)

Grand Theft Auto V's only canon ending is Option C, where Franklin doesn't kill any of his old friends and instead teams up with them to take down all their enemies. That means Option B, where Franklin eliminates Michael, isn't canon. It would not be possible for that ending to be the real one since Tao Cheng mentions a country club shooting in GTA Online's Casino - Strong Arm Tactics mission.

That shootout refers to where Franklin gets rid of Wei Cheng in Option C at the Pacific Bluffs Country Club.

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Is Michael De Santa in GTA Online?

He could show up in a future DLC down the line (Image via Rockstar Games)

As of the time this article was written, Michael De Santa is the only Grand Theft Auto V protagonist never to show up in GTA Online physically. There were rumors of a film-based DLC, but Rockstar Games never confirmed such details.

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Is Franklin Clinton dead?

Franklin is still alive (Image via Rockstar Games)

There is nothing to indicate that Franklin Clinton is dead in GTA Online. He was featured heavily in The Contract DLC and appeared healthy then. Even his dog, Chop, was still alive at that point in time.

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Is Trevor Philips dead?

Trevor Philips is likely still alive (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although Trevor Philips hasn't been seen in a while, his existence is still alluded to by various NPCs. For example, the Agency's security guard references a man heavily implied to be Trevor Philips trying to meet with Franklin before attempting to defecate.