GTA V: How To Change Your Character? [Explained]

Switching between characters is relatively straightforward in GTA 5. In this guide, you will learn how to switch between characters in both Online and Offline modes of GTA 5. However, you will need to know a few things before getting there.

For example, you should know about all the protagonist characters in GTA 5 and how to access them. Moreover, when to switch between characters in GTA 5 is also an important question. Additionally, depending on your console, there are different ways to change your character in GTA 5.

We will answer all these questions and more in our guide here. So make sure to read this informative guide till the end.

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Key Takeaways

• GTA 5 is the first in the Grand Theft Auto series to feature three protagonists. Switching between these characters is fun, as they all come with different backgrounds, characteristics, and storylines.
• When signing in to GTA 5 for the first time, Michael De Santa will be your already-equipped character. Michael has been committing crimes since childhood, and his mid-life crisis after his marriage forced him into the criminal world again.
• Trevor Philips is a maniac protagonist with a cold and ruthless heart. He has a military background and knows how to fly any aircraft. However, his primary specialty is his ruthlessness. You would not want to mess with the madman.
• Franklin Clinton is the main protagonist in the Contract DLC update. Born and raised in Los Santos, Franklin also had a criminal background since childhood. Franklin considered Michael a mentor, and they collaborated with Trevor to do some badass earning heists. 
• You can switch between characters to get a rich gaming experience. Moreover, some missions are also character-specific. Each console has a different method to change your character in GTA 5. However, all of these include using the Interaction menu.
• Make sure you have unlocked all the characters before switching between them. Similarly, ensure you are not already in between a mission when switching between characters.

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Switching Character On PC

Interestingly, PC players got the console features of GTA 5 after quite some time. However, these features enabled players to switch between characters in GTA 5.

It is a three-step easy method to change your character in GTA 5 on a PC. Make sure you have unlocked the required character before switching to it.

• Players must press the ALT Key instead because no D-pad is on a PC keyboard. Hold down the ALT Key. A wheel will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen, and you can see all available characters there.
• Move your cursor to the character you want to select.

  

• Release the ALT Key. Congratulations, you have learned how to change your character in GTA 5 on a PC.

Switching Character On PlayStation

PlayStation players can change their character in GTA 5 by pressing specific buttons on their console. As said above, the method is the same on all platforms. However, the only difference is the console buttons. The three-step guide to switching between characters in GTA 5 on a PS4/PS4 is presented below:

• On your D-pad, hold on to the DOWN BUTTON. A wheel will appear on the bottom right corner of your screen, showing all the available characters.

  

• Select the character you want to use by moving the RIGHT ANALOG STICK.
•  Release the DOWN BUTTON, and your character is switched to the selected character in GTA 5.

  

Switching Character On Xbox

An Xbox and a Playstation have the same console buttons. Hence, changing characters on an Xbox is similar to switching between characters on a PlayStation. Here is the 3-step guide to changing your character in GTA 5 on Xbox:

• Hold on to the DOWN BUTTON on your D-pad. A wheel will appear on the bottom right corner of your screen, showing all the available characters.

  

• Select the character you want to switch by moving the RIGHT ANALOG STICK.
•  Release the DOWN BUTTON. You have successfully switched your character in GTA 5.

  

As said above, these are basic features most beginners struggle to master. Similarly, there are other valuable features or techniques often neglected by players.

Although, these techniques come in very handy in GTA 5. Double Clutching is one such technique. Read our guide on How to Double Clutch in GTA 5? to learn more about this technique if you are a beginner.

Switching Character In GTA 5 Online

All the guides mentioned above were to change your character in GTA 5 Offline mode. It was pretty straightforward to switch between characters in the single-player mode. However, players in GTA 5 Online can select two main characters. They are allowed to switch between them whenever they find it necessary.

Follow our guide below to change your character in GTA 5 Online:

• Open the Pause Menu in GTA 5 Online as you play with one of the characters.
• From the Pause Menu, tap on the Online Tab.
• You will see the SWAP option in the available options. You will see the available character there.

  

• Confirm you want to QUIT SESSION. Proceed to use the directional keys on your console to select the desired character. Confirm the selection to finalize changing your character in GTA 5.

  

All Protagonist Characters In GTA 5

There are three protagonist characters in GTA 5. Players can switch between these characters depending on their moods once they have unlocked them. Moreover, some missions are character specific. It means they can only be played with particular characters and are not accessible to other characters.

The three protagonists in GTA 5 are:

• Michael De Santa
• Franklin Clinton
• Trevor Philips

Similarly, when you switch characters, a cutscene appears where your character is shown doing something usual. A brief description of all these characters in GTA 5 is given below:

Michael De Santa

Your character will appear as Michael De Santa once you enter GTA 5 Story mode for the first time. His harsh upbrought made him a criminal since he was a child. Michael retired for a peaceful life after a criminal career in bank robberies. He settled down in Los Santos with his wife and two children.

However, the midlife crisis made him a criminal once again. But this time, Michael decided to achieve more in his life. He befriends Trevor and Franklin, the other two protagonists in GTA 5. Trevor was his partner in crime for a very long time.

Franklin met him in 2013. shortly after, Michael became a father figure to him. That is where his story begins in GTA 5. Once you unlock all three protagonists, you can change your character between them anytime in GTA 5, Online and Offline.

The gang becomes pretty notorious in GTA 5. They did big heists, murdered many people, and fought off other bands together in GTA 5. Heists were the primary source of their income.

Doing heists in GTA 5 requires some side characters that can assist in multiple tasks during the mission. Organizing a new crew every time can be a hefty task. You can check our guide GTA V Best Crew For Every Heist to efficiently complete a heist with the highest payouts.

Most of Michael’s cutscenes show him in his house, sometimes fighting his wife. Following are some of his cutscene appearances when you change your character to him in GTA 5:

• One cutscene shows him getting out of bed in his house after confirming his wife is still sleeping.
• Another cutscene shows him again getting out of bed in his house after confirming his wife is sleeping but this prolonged scene later shows him getting ready for what seems like an important meeting.

  

• In another scene, he could be seen abusing a lifeguard for apparently nothing.
• Our favorite one shows him in between a date, and the girl leaves him while he tries to stop her by offering her some dessert.

Trevor Philips

Trevor Philips is the most intriguing character among all the protagonists in GTA 5. Born and raised in Canada with a complicated childhood, Trevor is a ruthless maniac who tried to serve in the Canadian Airforce. He is also the main protagonist in GTA Online.

Although a professional pilot, he was deemed unfit because of his psychological problems. He can handle any plane or helicopter in GTA 5. Consequently, he is the primary pilot of the team.

He started doing criminal activities after the Airforce rejected him. Trevor met Michael in 1993 while he was delivering cargo across the border. It is when they decided to team up and start doing big robberies.

Trevor also founded Trevor Philips Enterprises, which deals drugs and weapons in GTA 5. They worked together for nine years until they parted ways in the Ill-Fated Heist in 2004.

Michael acted dead in this heist to deceive Trevor. Both believed that the other died after the first heist mission.

Players can change their character to Trevor Philips in GTA 5 after they have unlocked him. If you do not know how to unlock Trevor, you can check our guide: How to Unlock Trevor Philips in GTA 5.

The most interesting cutscenes are for Trevor, the maniac protagonist of GTA 5. Although there are many, here are some of our favorite cutscene appearances of Trevor:

• Sometimes, he would appear dumping a dead body down a toilet.
• Showing his mental abnormality, one cutscene shows him chasing a woman. He apologizes to her because he appears naked in front of her. Pretty funny, right?
• Another cutscene shows him dumping a man into the water from a boardwalk. 

Franklin Clinton

Franklin Clinton is the third protagonist in GTA 5. He is the main protagonist in the Contract update of GTA Online.

Like the other two characters, Franklin has had a criminal background since childhood. He was born in Los Santos and grew up there. He and his best friend joined the gangbangers and lived off their childhood by committing crimes.

He met Michael when he assigned him a repossession job. Later on, Michael became a mentor to him for his future heists. Franklin also befriended Trevor, who was not quite fond of him. The three became a good team and made millions doing heists and thefts in GTA 5.

Players can change their character to Franklin Clinton in GTA 5 and play the Contract missions to earn monetary rewards.

Franklin and Trevor do not go along quite well. Consequently, in one of the three endings of GTA 5, Franklin kills Trevor with the help of Michael. However, players can avoid this ending to save all three characters. In this way, they can change their character in GTA 5 to enjoy their unique qualities and finish missions.

There could be multiple reasons to switch between characters in GTA 5. A few of them are mentioned below:

• Each character features its own uniquely distinct storyline in GTA 5. Players can get a rich experience by switching between characters and observing the game through the eyes of these characters.
• Some missions in GTA 5 are only available for certain characters. Other characters cannot access these missions in any way. Hence, to finish these missions and earn rewards, players can change their characters in GTA 5.
• Moreover, each character comes with some special abilities. For example, Trevor is a professional pilot and a very skilled fighter. Franklin’s unique ability is to slow time when driving a vehicle. On the other hand, Michael can slow time while shooting and can also increase his bullet storage capacity during fights.

As you know most about the available characters in GTA 5, we can discuss how to change your character in GTA 5. The method is the same whether you play on a PC, Xbox, or a Powerstation. However, the problem arises because every medium has its consoles and buttons.

Most of Franklin’s cutscenes show him with Lamar in GTA 5. Following are some of his cutscene appearances in the game:

• His first appearance in the game involves Michael sitting on a sidewalk after some fight with his wife. Franklin and Lamar come looking for someone’s house and ask Michael if he knows anything about the house’s whereabouts. It is an interesting scene and the first interaction between Michael and Franklin.

  

• Another cutscene shows him fighting with Lamar for nothing in front of his house.
• One scene shows Franklin and Lamar fighting again because Franklin got the Employ of the Month award, not Lamar.

Why Can’t I Change Character In GTA 5?

Changing between characters can be useful at various moments in the game. Moreover, it can even save your life at times. However, sometimes players cannot change their character in GTA 5. There could be multiple reasons for it. Some of them are given below:

• In the beginning, when Trevor and Franklin have not been unlocked yet, you cannot switch between characters.
• Accessing the character switch menu will take some time, even after unlocking these protagonists. Therefore, take some time to complete some missions with your unlocked characters and wait for the menu to appear.
• Additionally, there are some character-specific missions. You can only complete these missions with specified characters. Therefore, once you start one such mission, you cannot change your character in GTA 5.
• Moving close to the starting point of a mission will also revoke access to the character-switching menu.
• GTA Online allows you to simultaneously use two characters at a time in some missions. You will not be able to use the third character.

That’s all for our guide on How to Change your Character in GTA 5. Comment below if you have any questions. If you find our guide helpful, then go on to check our other guide, How To Claim Mystery Prize GTA 5.