A Climax is the point in a text with the highest amount of tension. In Grand Theft Auto games, the climax is usually the final mission, or a group of missions towards the end of the game. A climax consists of the player battling a large force of a rival gang and/or mafia members, followed by the player killing the game's antagonist. In most cases, the weather of the climax depends on the player's timing, but in a few cases the weather is predetermined by the game. Some examples are End of the Line in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and The Sicilian Gambit in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
There are two possible endings in Grand Theft Auto IV, each with its own climax. in the "Deal" ending, antagonist Dimitri Rascalov is seen killing Jimmy Pegorino, who Niko planned to kill himself anyway, and is killed himself by the player later in the mission. In the "Revenge" ending, Dimitri is killed two missions prior to the ending, and Pegorino becomes the main antagonist after killing Kate McReary in the penultimate mission. Pegorino is killed by the player in the final mission.
There are three possible endings in Grand Theft Auto V, each with its own climax. When Franklin goes to his house after The Big Score, Devin Weston will pay him a visit and give him three choices. Option A is killing Trevor Philips, triggering the mission Something Sensible. Option B is killing Michael De Santa, triggering the mission The Time's Come. And finally, Option C is "Deathwish", meaning that all the law enforcement agencies will come after the protagonists to kill them. If this option is chosen, the mission The Third Way is triggered, featuring the three protagonists working together, killing all the antagonists and solving the problems with the law enforcement agencies in the state.
Climaxes usually span across several parts of the in-game world during some sort of chase, but finally end in a confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist.
Similar to a climax is a mission that involves a climactic battle of some sort, but earlier in the game, before the actual climax. In these missions, the player usually kills a secondary or tertiary antagonist. The protagonist may have had plans to kill the main antagonist but been unsuccessful. Some examples are Rub Out in GTA Vice City, where Tommy Vercetti kills tertiary antagonist Ricardo Diaz, Pier 69 in GTA San Andreas, where CJ kills tertiary antagonist Ryder and minor antagonist T-Bone Mendez, and the mission High Noon, where he chases and kills major quaternary antagonist Eddie Pulaski. Another example is Light My Pyre in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, where Victor Vance kills one of the two secondary antagonists, Armando Mendez, in his own home.
List of Notable Climaxes[]
Grand Theft Auto[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto | Rasta Blasta - Phone 5 | Brother Marcus | Vice Shores Park | Samuel Deever's House, Banana Grove | Samuel Deever, Vice Squad | This is not the final mission of Grand Theft Auto. This mission, along with the other 14 phone missions, can be completed in any order, and can be started anytime after the introduction sequence of Vice City Chapter 6: Rasta Blasta. The mission will be rendered unplayable if the player fails the mission; however, like all of the other phone missions, it is required for the 100% Completion of the chapter. Also note that this mission ends with the protagonist killing the main antagonist of the game. |
| Rasta Blasta - Ending | Brother Marcus | Crazy Bob's House o' Guns, Greek Heights | None | This mission is the ending cutscene of Vice City Chapter 6: Rasta Blasta, unlocked after the player reaches the target score of the chapter. | ||
Grand Theft Auto: London[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 | Dead Certainty - Ending | Jack Parkinson | Mile End, London | Crisp Twins | This mission is the ending sequence of London Chapter 4: Dead Certainty, unlocked after the player reaches the target score of the chapter. | |
| Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 | When We Were Very Small - Ending | Harold Cartwright | City, London | None | This mission is the ending sequence of London Chapter 1: When We Were Very Small, unlocked after the player reaches the target score of the chapter. The main antagonistic group of this expansion pack, the Greasers gang, are defeated during various moments in this chapter storyline. | |
Grand Theft Auto 2[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Enemies | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto 2 | The Final Job! (Downtown District) | Claude Speed | Downtown District | Johnny Zoo Trey Welsh Elmo |
Note that the gang bosses in Grand Theft Auto 2 are not necessarily considered antagonists. All three are weakened and betrayed by the protagonist, and killed in self-defense after they find out and track down the protagonist in the final mission. | |
| The Final Job! (Residential District) | Claude Speed | Residential District | Billy Bob Bean Dr. LaBrat Red Valdez |
Note that the gang bosses in Grand Theft Auto 2 are not necessarily considered antagonists. All three are weakened and betrayed by the protagonist, and killed in self-defense after they find out and track down the protagonist in the final mission. | ||
| The Final Job! (Industrial District) | Claude Speed | Industrial District | Sunbeam Jerkov Uno Carb |
Note that the gang bosses in Grand Theft Auto 2 are not necessarily considered antagonists. All three are weakened and betrayed by the protagonist, and killed in self-defense after they find out and track down the protagonist in the final mission. | ||
Grand Theft Auto III[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto III | The Exchange | Catalina | Cartel Mansion | Cochrane Dam | Catalina, Colombian Cartel |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Keep Your Friends Close... | Tommy Vercetti | Vercetti Estate | Lance Vance, Sonny Forelli, Forelli Family | ||
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | End of the Line | Sweet Johnson | Grove Street | Big Smoke, Frank Tenpenny, Ballas, Vagos, San Fierro Rifa, Russian Mafia | The Whole Climax doesn't take place in Grove Street, it spans across almost all of Eastern Los Santos going through Idlewood, Jefferson, Glen Park, El Corona, East Los Santos, Los Flores and Ganton, but it ultimately ends with Tenpenny's death at Grove Street, where the climax (and main story) started. Also note that this is the only final mission that ends with protagonist not directly killing the main game antagonist. | |
Grand Theft Auto Advance[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto Advance | Assault Joint | Mike | Wichita Gardens | King Courtney's Warehouse, Cedar Grove | King Courtney, Uptown Yardies | Note that this is the penultimate mission and involves the protagonist defeating the secondary antagonist of the game. The main antagonist is killed five missions earlier in the storyline. |
| Freedom Flies | Mike | King Courtney's Warehouse | Francis International Airport, Shoreside Vale | LCPD, Military | The final mission automatically starts after completing the previous mission. |
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | The Sicilian Gambit | Salvatore Leone | Salvatore's House | Portland Rock | Massimo Torini, Sicilian Mafia |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | Last Stand | Ricardo Diaz | Diaz's Mansion | The Mendez Building | Diego Mendez, Jerry Martinez, Mendez Cartel |
Grand Theft Auto IV[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto IV | ||||||
| A Revenger's Tragedy | Little Jacob | Alderney | Happiness Island | Dimitri Rascalov, Rascalov Mafiya, Pegorino Family | ||
| Out of Commission | Little Jacob | Alderney | Happiness Island | Jimmy Pegorino, Pegorino Family | ||
| The Lost and Damned | Get Lost | Thomas Stubbs | The Lost MC clubhouse | Billy Grey, ASDC, NOOSE | Similar to End of the Line in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the climax spans across Alderney but ends back at the Clubhouse, which is also the starting point. | |
| The Ballad of Gay Tony | Departure Time | Anthony "Gay Tony" Prince | Tony's Pad | Meadows Park | Ray Bulgarin, Timur, Bulgarin Crime Syndicate | The mission takes place on an abandoned carnival in Firefly Island to the airport. Then, to Ray's private jet and skydive to Meadows Park. |
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars | Salt in the Wound | Wade Heston | Steinway Park | Hsin Jaoming's Penthouse at the border of Chinatown and Lower Easton. | Wu Lee, Lee Family, LCPD | The main part of this mission takes place at the Charge Island desalination plant. |
Grand Theft Auto V[]
| Game | Mission | For | Starting Location | Ending Location | Antagonist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto V | ||||||
| Something Sensible | Steve Haines | Murrieta Oil Field, Los Santos | Trevor Philips | Similar to End of the Line and Get Lost, the mission spans across Los Santos, but ends back at the oil field, which is also the starting point.
This ending is confirmed non-canon. | ||
| The Time's Come | Devin Weston | Grand Senora Desert | Palmer-Taylor Power Station | Michael De Santa | This ending is confirmed non-canon. | |
| The Third Way | Lester Crest | Lester's House | Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness | Steve Haines, Stretch, Wei Cheng, Devin Weston, FIB, Merryweather Security, Ballas, Triads, LSPD | ||