Each of the three endings to Grand Theft Auto 5 has wildly different consequences, saving or killing off one or more of the protagonists, so fans of the series naturally want to know which ending Rockstar considers part of the official canon. The developer has not directly stated which GTA 5 ending is "true," but fans have come up with some solid theories about what really happened to Trevor, Franklin, and Michael.
While there are hints as to which ending is the "real" one, it likely won't be officially confirmed until one or all of the GTA 5 protagonists have cameos in the next game, confirming if they lived or died. That is, assuming GTA 6 takes place after GTA 5. Grand Theft Auto 6 rumors place it in an '80s-era Vice City, however, so this might not be the case. If GTA 6 does jump back in time to the 1980s, fans will be left with only hints from GTA 5 and Grand Theft Auto Online as to which GTA 5 ending was true.
At the end of GTA 5, antagonists Steve Haines and Devin Weston ask Franklin to kill Trevor and to kill Michael. The player then has three choices: Listen to Steve and kill Trevor ("A"), listen to Devin and kill Michael ("B"), or forego both options, teaming up with Trevor and Michael to take down all remaining foes ("C"). Many fans argue that not only is C the one ending that makes sense for Franklin's character, it also aligns with past GTA games' endings in that the protagonists all triumph over their enemies. That, plus the fact that it's the ending with the most fleshed-out content, has convinced most fans C is GTA 5's canonical ending. But there are a few more concrete pieces of evidence pointing to option C.
Before GTA 5's 2013 release, Rockstar revealed several pieces of promotional art from the game. Among them was an image called "The Trunk" (seen at the top of this article), which depicts Michael, Franklin, and Trevor standing over the trunk of a black car. This clearly references the final scene of ending C, when the three protagonists push Devin Weston off a cliff in the trunk of his black car. On its own, this wouldn't be too significant, but it's the only piece of official art released before or after the game that specifically references any of the endings. Fans also report scenes from ending C appearing in pre-release trailers.
The most compelling case for ending C, though, comes from the GTA Online Diamond Casino & Resort DLC. GTA Online initially took place before the events of the GTA 5 story, but updates since the mode's release have introduced events after the story. In the Casino update, Los Santos Triad leader Tao Cheng tells the player he survived a shootout at a Pacific Bluffs beach club. This is a callback to an event that only takes place in GTA 5 ending C, where the protagonists track down and kill Tao's father, Wei Cheng, at the beach club. Additionally, if players purchase the Hangar in the GTA Online: Smuggler's Run DLC, an NPC tells them Trevor is still alive, ruling out ending A. The GTA Online timeline is a bit messy, so it's tough to say if any GTA 5 story ending is actually canon, but most evidence revealed so far shows C as the true ending.
Grand Theft Auto 5 released on September 17, 2013, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, on November 18, 2014, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, on and April 14, 2015, for PC.