While it would be atypical of the franchise to do so, it could benefit Grand Theft Auto 6 to bring in some of Grand Theft Auto 5's characters, as they might be too big to ignore. Every player is entitled to their own favorite characters in the franchise, but the triple protagonists of GTA 5 have undoubtedly left one of the biggest collective marks on the series. They've had such an impact on players, it begs the question if GTA 6 can get away with not including them without it being detrimental to the game.
Despite all the GTA 6 leaks have revealed about its story, Grand Theft Auto 5 characters are so far absent, however, the leaks really didn't offer an incredibly in-depth perspective of what the game will contain, only broad strokes of content. There are still many areas of the game players know little or nothing about, and that includes its cast list. This is why the characters of GTA 5 might be too impactful for GTA 6 to ignore.
Franklin, Trevor, & Michael Are Synonymous With GTA
Over the years, the three protagonists of Grand Theft Auto 5 have almost become inextricably linked with the GTA franchise as a whole. While there have been many memorable characters throughout the series' history, and ones that have arguably had better narrative development than those in GTA 5, the bombastic personalities of Trevor, Franklin, and Michael have made them exceptionally memorable. While GTA 5's rereleases have been mocked by fans, the fact the game has consistently been on the market for almost a decade has also cemented its characters into the zeitgeist.
GTA 5's Characters In GTA 6 Aren't Out Of The Question
Considering so much is still unknown about GTA 6's plot, it's certainly not impossible that the protagonists from GTA 5 will make an appearance. One of the biggest hurdles would be explaining why the gang ventured from the Los Angeles-inspired Los Santos to the opposite coast to show up in Vice City, which is based on Miami. However, Grand Theft Auto's satirical tone means that not every narrative choice needs to be deeply explained.
Bringing Michael, Trevor, and Franklin into GTA 6 wouldn't be the first time the GTA 5 characters have ventured out of the title. GTA Online made Franklin playable and added Trevor to the game as well, with rumors suggesting that an addition of Michael is imminent too. While the spin-off nature of GTA Online perhaps makes the bar lower for which characters are included, it sets at least a slight precedent on the matter.
Despite rumors that GTA 6 could take place in the 1980s, leaks rendered that prediction impossible, as some of the footage included an NPC who mentions the death of Lifeinvader CEO Jay Norris. While this is just a passing reference, the inclusion of anything at all from GTA 5 is intriguing, and could perhaps point to bigger things. However, players will likely have to wait at least another year to see if they'll be missing Grand Theft Auto 5's protagonists in Grand Theft Auto 6.
Source: Rockstar Games/YouTube