One of the main features that set GTA 5 apart from the previous installments of the series was the chance to switch between three distinct protagonists during the Story. While the main story quests were locked in terms of which character you had to control most of the time, whenever you were out and about, you could simply switch between Michael, Trevor and Franklin.
Each had their set of special events and side-quests which were unique to them. Trevor had his rampages and hunting, for instance. The trio have been praised universally, by critics and fans alike as a varied and engaging group of anti-heroes — though it has been often said that not one of them is likable. Trevor especially is something of a psychopathic loon with particularly revolting behavioral patterns.
These three have become synonymous with GTA 5. They're pretty much the first thing people think of when the name of the game is mentioned. But is a GTA 5 without them really that hard to imagine? What if they were present, but took the back seat? Who would have the heroes of this story been in their stead?
This question is often discussed by fans in wishful "what if" scenarios. Some wish that they could have taken the helm of another character introduced by the latest game. Others would have gladly seen the return of a beloved classic hero from another GTA game, or a well known character who wasn't playable back when.
Lamar Davis
Lamar is the best friend of Franklin Clinton, one of the actual protagonists of the game. While Franklin is serious, grounded, skilled and thoughtful, Lamar is his comic-relief opposite. Lamar is a silly, short-sighted brash character who somehow always manages to get himself — and others — into tight situations.
He needs rescuing more than once throughout the story, usually due to his most recent "get rich quick" schemes. He often contradicts himself, such as when he outspokenly opposes the on-going war between the Families and the Ballas. Soon after, he kidnaps a member of the Ballas, causing the relative calm between the gangs to escalate once more.
Lamar returns as a main character in GTA Online, being the one to greet the player character at LSIA. He later becomes a prominent contact added in the Lowriders update. Many fans have expressed a desire to have story DLC focusing on him, allowing players to control his actions.
Dave Norton
If Lamar acts as Franklin's stand-in, Dave would be Michael's. In the story, Dave is a corrupt "but in a good way" FIB agent who makes a deal with Michael at the beginning of the story. He ends up being a valuable ally during the story.
The prospect of playing a corrupt cop who is ever bit the criminal as any other GTA protagonist has excited players for quite some time. While for straight-faced police gameplay, PC players have LSPDFR, no opportunity to play as a corrupt cop in a GTA game has ever arisen.
Wade Hebert
Granted, Wade never kills anyone on-screen during the entire course of GTA 5, his association with Trevor as well as his criminal enterprise suggests that he would be readily capable. While considered to have a child-like mind and to be generally dim-witted, Wade is extremely resourceful. Something of an urban tracker, he has become adept at finding people in Los Santos and the surrounding areas with ease.
Players haven't yet been put into the boots of characters considered to be "simple", however as this doesn't affect gameplay, it would be interesting to view a world rife with violence and crime.
What trio of existing GTA characters do you think would have fit GTA 5?
