Random Grand Theft Auto Fan Theories That'll Blow Your Mind (12 items)

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  (#1) The Three Characters in GTA V Represent Three Generations of GTA

  This was a widely enjoyed theory that suggested the entire game was “a celebration of the series’ history.” Redditor CitizenWolfie breaks down Trevor as GTA 1 and 2, Franklin as GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas, and Michael De Santa as a postmodern GTA character. It’s pretty in-depth and was sensible enough to draw attention from gaming sites and GTA fans across the web. Here's how CitizenWolfie explains his idea [sic throughout]:

  "Trevor Phillips: Trevor is the crazy, unhinged, old school maniac of the trio. He represents the original, top-down games from GTA1 to GTA2. Those games were all about the thrill of running wild in an open city and featured a cast of wacky characters to interact with. Trevor is a throwback to these games, even to the point of having his very own rampage missions similar to the "Kill Frenzy" side-missions of old and even his special skill of invincibility reflects that feeling you get when you play those old games. He's angry, brutal and butt-ugly, much like those first few games. Sure, they both have their story missions, but really it's all about having fun.

  Franklin Clinton: Franklin's story is the fairly typical rags-to-riches story that was a common theme in the PS2 generation GTA games spanning GTA3, Vice City and particularly San Andreas. We see a good natured guy who wants to rise above his position in life and move beyond his deadbeat friends who are holding him back. And when he is introduced to a successful career criminal, it's his key to making a better life for himself at the risk of pulling off bigger and badder crimes. This theme is similar throughout the above games, though as mentioned Franklin is most similar to CJ from San Andreas, right down to living in a crappy area at the start to getting hold of a mansion in the hills. It's interesting too that Franklin's special skill is driving - one of the main focuses of the PS2-gen games.

  Michael De Santa: Michael is almost a postmodern GTA character - the aftermath of the "GTA lifestyle;" a man who has risen from the bottom and done it all in the criminal world, done some terrible things in the past and is trying really hard to change his ways only to find that things aren't always so easy. Michael represents the "new" GTA that was started from GTAIV (and DLC stories) - a focus on story-driven, multi-faceted characters who are struggling to make amends in an environment that moves too fast. IV's Niko, while certainly not starting from the top, is nevertheless making a new start in Liberty City, but thanks to his idiotic family and criminal connections can't quite stay out of trouble. Both men find that it's impossible for their loved ones not to end up staring down the barrel of a gun at some point and it's interesting to note that Michael's shooting skill mirrors the more gun-based gameplay of IV and V. And on a purely superficial level, both games feature some awesome heists. Likewise, the GTAIV add-ons feature protagonists who have done most of their criminal work long before their stories begin and are just trying to survive in a changing world."
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  (#2) The Islands In GTA Are A Metaphor

  Redditor angrypuppy points out that, as anyone who plays GTA knows, the world in the game is a huge landmass surrounded by water. This person’s theory suggests that Rockstar is actually using the islands as a metaphor, stating:

  “In GTAV while walking around the streets you hear people consumed entirely by celebrities, media, social media, gossip, etc. In the grand scheme of things these issues aren't at all important, yet the citizens of Los Santos are entirely preoccupied with them. So Rockstar is basically saying that the American people don't really care for what's happening outside of their little world. They don't actually live on an island, but they might as well because they are isolated from the actual problems that plague the rest of the world. They are individualistic, ignorant, and oblivious to the rest of the world, so they might as well live on an island away from it all.”
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  (#3) The Epsilon Group Is A Spoof On Scientology

  At this point, saying Epsilon Group is a spoof on scientology is more of a unconfirmed fact than a ridiculous fan theory, but nevertheless, it is still interesting. Rockstar Games even went as far as to release a hilarious parody site ahead of the game's release. It might not be the most conventional piece of marketing out there but it is certainly unique to the irreverent game developer. 

  The over-the-top spoof website is not shy about asking for money and even has a comical tagline: "Many have been called. Five have been chosen."
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  (#4) Some Rockstar Games Are Set in the Same Universe as GTA

  Redditor DrTatertots suggests that it essentially boils down like this.

  Red Dead Revolver = the 1880s

   Red Dead Redemption = 1911

  L.A. Noir = 1947

  They point out that GTA has multiple universes – 2D (GTA and GTA 2), 3D (GTA 3 and its spin-offs) and HD (GTA IV and GTA V). Red Dead Redemption is tied to HD, through the "Red Dead" book seen in GTA V. They further support this point with great notes such as the fact that Bullworth Academy from the video game Bully is mentioned on the radio in GTA IV.
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  (#5) One GTA V Plot Point Was Written Solely to Encourage Fan Theories

  Could GTA V have been indulging the conspiracy theorists? Redditor Black_Hipster points out the rumors and secrets in the GTA series, from Bigfoot and aliens to Ratman and haunted warehouses. This user also notes that occasionally the game features characters who are big into conspiracy theories, particularly on radio stations.

  The belief here is that Rockstar poked fun at that fan base by incorporating the Mount Chiliad mystery into GTA V. There are ghosts and alien spaceships in the sky, but seemingly no order to the things connected to Mount Chiliad. This user believes that was intentional, to get theorists like himself discussing, debating, and reading about conspiracy theories.
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  (#6) Insurance Companies Are Constantly Monitoring People’s Heartbeats And Locations

  This superb theory by gallagher222 begins by pointing out that killing a civilian in GTA gets an immediate one-star rating – even when you’ve murdered a civilian with no witnesses. The police are alerted even if there’s nobody there to report it, so this idea suggests that life insurance companies monitor their clients’ vital signs and whereabouts through some sort of tracking chip implanted in their bodies. It goes more in depth, but the gist of it is a heck of an idea.
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  (#7) All of Rockstar’s Non-GTA Games Are Just Entertainment in the GTA Universe

  The creator of this theory points to Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne, L.A. Noire, and Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis for support. In this scenario, the fact that there’s a book titled ‘Red Dead’ visible in GTA supports the concept, but the rest is speculative, suggesting L.A. Noire is a TV show, Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis is a sports broadcast, and Max Payne is a movie. It’s an interesting idea, at the very least.
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  (#8) GTA Takes Place In A Dystopia Where FDR Was Successfully Overthrown

  Redditor Zpopee has one extremely in-depth theory as to the dystopian setting of the Grand Theft Auto series. His theory is quite thorough, but here is what you need to know. GTA, according to this theorist, takes place in an alternate universe in which the Business Plot of 1933 was successful. For those unfamiliar with this historical event, the Business Plot was an attempt by wealthy business men at the time to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt because they feared a redistribution of wealth due to FDR's New Deal. Ultimately, the men failed, but Zpopee imagines what it would be like if they hadn't.

  The Redditor theorizes that this overthrow would result in pro-business, anti-consumer practices due to less regulation. With less regulation, big business would promote with subliminal messages and the average consumer would be less savvy. Corporations would be able to monopolize and the common citizen would be less intelligent. This is the world of GTA. 
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  (#9) The Protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V Represent Physical Forms of Money

  Redditor Choppy_LaStatch explained why they think Trevor, Michael, and Franklin are representative of “Gold, Silver and the Greenback, respectively.” He points out that Rockstar Games stated during a GTA V press conference leading up to the game's release that a large focus of the game will be money. From the color that covers the screen when each character’s special ability is activated (Franklin/Green, Trevor/Gold, and Michael/Silver), to other details, like Michael having a few silver hairs and enjoying black and white films. It’s really well-thought out, and the theory isn’t limited to color schemes. It touches on the characters’ personalities as well.
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  (#10) You’re Never Driving Over the Speed Limit

  Gamers regularly wonder why the police officers in the game won’t chase you down for poor driving when you’re blazing up and down roads at a high rate of speed. This theory’s creator suggests that In the GTA universe, every second is one minute, hence why the day turns to night so quickly when playing the game. He says that in actuality you’re driving slowly, which is why coppers never chance after you.
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  (#11) GTA Is so Violent Because Its Universe Is A Collection Of Islands

  The creator of this theory proposes that Island Nations (e.g. Japan and Great Britain) have violent histories because as island nations, they had fewer resources and conquered other places to attain them. He says that perhaps GTA’s world, along with Manhunt and Red Dead Redemption, has so little regard for human life because violence is simply a part of their culture.
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  (#12) The GTA Games Are Just Hollywood Films Being Produced

  Reddit user kitterpup breaks down this concept as follows [sic throughout]:

  "The Cars: if this was meant to be reality, there would simply not be the level of diversity of cars we see in the game. For example, driving around New York (Liberty City) in 2001, you wouldn't suddenly become surrounded by flashy sports cars, even in the most rich parts of town it would probably be mostly SUVs and the occasional luxury vehicle. The only reason you would ever see 17 Lamborghini's at an intersection was if you were watching a movie of tv show that was trying to be perfect looking and eye catching.

  The Weapons: I don't know about you, but I don't find rocket launchers in an backally during my morning commute or jog. While it seems plausible for the occasional knife or even pistol to pop up in a back ally in the Bronx, you will probably never find a mini-gun, flamethrower, or rocket launcher by just strolling into an ally. The reason that these weapons appear in such easy to access places and are available for purchase in every gun store in the game is because a Hollywood movie wouldn't want to have the protagonist battling goons with a glock or knife for the entire time, it just wouldn't be exciting enough.

  The Citizens/Gangsters/Law Enforcement: in GTA, when you kill a ped, chances are you'll see them walking down the street a couple of minutes later completely fine, even after the most brutal of punishments. In real life, there would not be this many similar looking people, even in a big city like New York, Miami, or Los Angeles, and after they were dead, they would stay that way forever and never come back. Simply put, they are just actors on a movie set that never actually get killed, they just act dead until the protagonist leaves and then get up and get to another part of the set to do it all over again. This means that all the weapons are just props and shoot harmless pellets or blanks, the blood is just blood packets that are detonated at the right time, and they are trained to take any punishment that the player dishes out.

  The Characters: in GTA, the characters are people who help the protagonist accomplish goals and occasionally get killed off in some missions. Simply put, these people are just bigger name actors who play criminals, they never actually get killed off, it's just a stunt double of dummy, or they just play dead and never come back onto set as they are not needed.

  The City: in every GTA to date, the city is just a landmass surrounded by water in every direction, why are they always islands everyone asks? Because a Hollywood production wouldn't focus on the entire state or country, they would want to keep it in one central place. This also explains why every GTA takes place in an interesting big city and never a small town in a "boring" state.

  The Protagonist: the protagonist is never a completely normal guy, sure, he may look relatively normal most of the time, but he always has an interesting personality. Normal street criminals are usually not like the GTA protagonists, they are just small time thugs who usually don't kill hundreds of innocent civilians, steal fighter jets, or invade secret military bases. The protagonist is just another actor playing a character, that's why everything always pans out and the protagonist goes on so many interesting and crazy adventures, it's just a movie."

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