The world of Grand Theft Auto is a harsh one, filled with corruption, deceit, and danger from all sides. To survive, the protagonists of the Grand Theft Auto games must be the most dangerous of them all–but now one fan has drawn a picture of these iconic characters’ futures if they keep surviving against all odds.
Redditor XxJOKER87xX shows off detailed edits of 8 of the series’ many protagonists depicting a time when their ages have caught up with them. The results range from slightly wrinklier in-game model edits to intricate, older renditions of official art. Like the fan-created trailer for a theoretical Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas remaster, XxJOKER87xX took great care to keep the designs in line with Grand Theft Auto’s visual style.
Grand Theft Auto’s protagonists are rarely young at the beginning of their games, especially the ones who used to be experienced gangsters, but they rarely show visible signs of aging, either. This fan art changes that by portraying Franklin, Michael, CJ, Trevor, Claude, Niko, Tommy, and Vic as senior citizens. Some of them are really starting to show the effects of hard living, but others appear remarkably well-preserved. Either way, they’re recognizable enough to fit right in with other Grand Theft Auto memes.
The post is captioned “When legends are old :(,” but Trevor of Grand Theft Auto 5 appears to be virtually unchanged, and while Michael and Franklin show a bit more wear and tear, they still look intimidating. However, time appears to have softened Niko’s edges to the point that some fans could mistake him for a kindly old man, and CJ looks almost mummified. In between the two extremes are Claude, Tommy, and Vic, who all look worse for wear but still capable. Odds are good that all 8 of them could still rack up the body count required to clear Grand Theft Auto 5.
The fan response to this art has been decidedly mixed, with some fans celebrating their favorite protagonists in the comments section while others express confusion at the artistic choices–or ask where other deceased characters are since Vic has been represented here despite dying back in 1986. The general consensus seems to be that Trevor is basically unchanged, that CJ looks ancient, and that Michael looks unexpectedly cool as an old man. One fan expressed a desire to revisit Vice City and see Tommy still ruling the city 40 years later, while another compared Niko to their grandfather. Like the CJ mod for Yakuza Zero, elderly mods for Grand Theft Auto protagonists might make the waiting time for Grand Theft Auto 6 a bit more exciting.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions are currently in development.
