Grand Theft Auto V has three playable protagonists in its story mode: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips.
This trio was one of the game's defining innovations. Instead of following one central character, GTA V lets players switch between the three during missions and free-roam gameplay. Each protagonist has a distinct personality, criminal background, set of relationships, and special ability.
Michael is a retired bank robber living an unhappy life in Los Santos. Franklin is a young hustler trying to escape street-level crime and build a future. Trevor is Michael's volatile former partner, whose unpredictable behavior drives much of the story's conflict. Their separate storylines gradually converge around major heists.
The three-character structure also creates mission-specific perspectives: some sequences let players switch rapidly between protagonists to coordinate an escape, attack, or getaway. This is different from GTA IV, which primarily follows Niko Bellic, and it is why answers such as “two” or “four” are incorrect for GTA V's main story.