Did CJ's GTA San Andreas story inspire Franklin's character in GTA V?
(Image via Rockstar Games)
Franklin Clinton might be the face of
GTA V
's future, but let's not forget where that blueprint came from:
Carl 'CJ' Johnson
in
San Andreas
. Two guys, two different generations, same struggle: get out of the hood and make it big.
If you've ever thought Franklin felt familiar, that's because Rockstar definitely sprinkled some CJ DNA into his story.
Here's why we think Franklin's story is a spiritual successor to CJ's in all the best ways.
Both Started with Nothing but Ambition
CJ returns to Los Santos after his mother's death. Franklin's stuck repo-ing cars for a shady boss. They're both at rock bottom, grinding in the hood, surrounded by friends who don't want more out of life. But unlike the people around them, both CJ and Franklin
do
want more.
More power. More respect. More freedom. They're tired of the small-time life. And that hunger is what sets them apart.
GTA V - CJ meets Franklin Part 3
They Both Had Toxic Friends Holding Them Back
CJ had Ryder and Big Smoke—two friends who eventually sold him out. Franklin has Lamar—loyal, but always pulling him into dumb chaos. Both CJ and Franklin had to realize that not everyone from the past deserves a seat at the table in the future. Where CJ had to cut ties to survive, Franklin slowly distances himself from Lamar to move up with Michael and the FIB.
Same vibe, different decade.
Mentorship Changed Their Game
CJ had to deal with conflicting influences like his older brother, Sweet (who wanted to stay loyal to the streets) and Big Smoke (who had secret ambitions). Franklin? He finds a mentor in Michael De Santa, a retired bank robber who opens his eyes to 'real money' and bigger jobs. This is where both characters level up. Their mentors showed them how to survive and thrive in a world way bigger than Grove Street or South Los Santos.
CJ vs. FRANKLIN | Ultimate Face-Off (Side-by-Side Comparison)
From the Hood to the Top
CJ ends
San Andreas
as a millionaire running businesses and owning the streets. Franklin finishes
GTA V
in a mansion, calling shots and possibly killing Michael or Trevor (depending on your choices).
Both characters came from nothing. And both ended up on top—not just through violence, but through smart moves, loyalty to a few, and knowing when to let go.
The Legacy Lives On
Franklin isn't just a new character—he's a tribute to CJ. Rockstar didn't copy-paste his story, but the inspiration is loud and clear. Same struggle, same drive, and the same dream: to break the cycle and take control. In a way, Franklin
is
what CJ could've become in a more modern GTA world. And that's why their journeys still hit hard.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Ex-Rockstar Games developer reveals he worked on early online mode for GTA 3: 'We pushed for multiplayer again in Vice City
Rockstar Games has finally released its second trailer of Grand Theft Auto VI, a.k.a. GTA 6, in May 2025. Since the launch of the video, there has been a spike in speculations and rumours about the game. Amid this, the former Rockstar Games developer Obbe Vermeij on Wednesday, June 18, revealed that Rockstar Games had been planning for GTA to feature a true online mode since the development of GTA 3, which was released in 2001. Vermeij dedicated his 14 years to Rockstar Games as a technical director, working on Grand Theft Auto games including Vice City, San Andreas, and IV before leaving the company in 2009. Revealing about the same on X (formerly called Twitter), 'For GTA 3, I developed an initial prototype of a deathmatch mode where players could kill one another, pull each other out of vehicles, and respawn at different spots around the city. It looked very promising...' Credit: X | @ObbeVermeij "…but we ran out of time. We needed lobbies, scripts working over the network etc. We decided to cut the effort. #ifdef GTA_NETWORK in the source code is a leftover," he added. Obbe Vermeij, a former Rockstar developer, says he worked on the online mode for GTA 3 Following the launch of the trailer, it became the biggest video launch in history, garnering over 475 million views in its first 24 hours across all platforms. According to Vermeij, the developers pushed for multiplayer again in Vice City, and he even hired a couple of network coders. But with tight deadlines, it was stopped once more. GTA1 and 2 had LAN multiplayer. To save bandwidth, they only sent keypresses between machines — assuming the game state was 100% deterministic. That meant every game had to run in perfect sync, at the framerate of the slowest PC. In practice, this wasn't always reliable. I… — Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) June 18, 2025 For San Andreas, they didn't make an attempt. Since it was the last game of the PS2 era, it didn't seem worth the effort. Instead, they focused on adding local co-op. But, of course, it wasn't quite the same, he added. Fans share mixed reactions to GTA multiplayer evolution As soon as the post surfaced on the internet, it grabbed the attention of fans online, and one asked, "When doing local multiplayer on San Andreas with my cousin, the cops will always target player 1, CJ, and leave the second player alone. Was this intentional or an oversight?" GTA1 and 2 had LAN multiplayer. To save bandwidth, they only sent keypresses between machines — assuming the game state was 100% deterministic. That meant every game had to run in perfect sync, at the framerate of the slowest PC. In practice, this wasn't always reliable. I… — Obbe Vermeij (@ObbeVermeij) June 18, 2025 In response to this, Vermeij said, "That sounds like an oversight. The code was initially only written for one player and the coop mode bolted on halfway down the project." it's pretty crazy to think GTA Online was an idea since basically the beginning of GTA but wasn't truly implemented until GTA 5 — Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) June 18, 2025 "Do you have any knowledge on why GTA 5 didn't have local co-op? Seems like a no brainer for a game with 3 playable protagonists who can all be used for a good number of missions and free play," another said. I do remember playing GTA2 multiplayer on a coaxial LAN 10mbps setup and see it always go out-of-sync about 10-20 mins in... *shrugs* — Alex Fuller (@boberfly) June 18, 2025 "It's pretty crazy to think GTA Online was an idea since basically the beginning of GTA but wasn't truly implemented until GTA 5." To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. First Published: Jun 18, 2025, 20:58 IST Sneha is a dedicated writer with a passion for storytelling that enthrals and inspires the readers. With a background in Health and Wellness, she brings a unique perspective to every narrative. As a journalist, she aims to find solutions with authenticity and credibility. Read More 18/6/2025 21:9:58
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Did CJ's GTA San Andreas story inspire Franklin's character in GTA V?
(Image via Rockstar Games) Franklin Clinton might be the face of GTA V 's future, but let's not forget where that blueprint came from: Carl 'CJ' Johnson in San Andreas . Two guys, two different generations, same struggle: get out of the hood and make it big. If you've ever thought Franklin felt familiar, that's because Rockstar definitely sprinkled some CJ DNA into his story. Here's why we think Franklin's story is a spiritual successor to CJ's in all the best ways. Both Started with Nothing but Ambition CJ returns to Los Santos after his mother's death. Franklin's stuck repo-ing cars for a shady boss. They're both at rock bottom, grinding in the hood, surrounded by friends who don't want more out of life. But unlike the people around them, both CJ and Franklin do want more. More power. More respect. More freedom. They're tired of the small-time life. And that hunger is what sets them apart. GTA V - CJ meets Franklin Part 3 They Both Had Toxic Friends Holding Them Back CJ had Ryder and Big Smoke—two friends who eventually sold him out. Franklin has Lamar—loyal, but always pulling him into dumb chaos. Both CJ and Franklin had to realize that not everyone from the past deserves a seat at the table in the future. Where CJ had to cut ties to survive, Franklin slowly distances himself from Lamar to move up with Michael and the FIB. Same vibe, different decade. Mentorship Changed Their Game CJ had to deal with conflicting influences like his older brother, Sweet (who wanted to stay loyal to the streets) and Big Smoke (who had secret ambitions). Franklin? He finds a mentor in Michael De Santa, a retired bank robber who opens his eyes to 'real money' and bigger jobs. This is where both characters level up. Their mentors showed them how to survive and thrive in a world way bigger than Grove Street or South Los Santos. CJ vs. FRANKLIN | Ultimate Face-Off (Side-by-Side Comparison) From the Hood to the Top CJ ends San Andreas as a millionaire running businesses and owning the streets. Franklin finishes GTA V in a mansion, calling shots and possibly killing Michael or Trevor (depending on your choices). Both characters came from nothing. And both ended up on top—not just through violence, but through smart moves, loyalty to a few, and knowing when to let go. The Legacy Lives On Franklin isn't just a new character—he's a tribute to CJ. Rockstar didn't copy-paste his story, but the inspiration is loud and clear. Same struggle, same drive, and the same dream: to break the cycle and take control. In a way, Franklin is what CJ could've become in a more modern GTA world. And that's why their journeys still hit hard.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
'Ah shii, here we go again': CJ teams up with music's biggest names in viral meme
Source: Rockstar Games A recent Complex post swept the internet, merging nostalgic GTA vibes with contemporary celebrity culture. The viral meme presents CJ from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas reimagined in scenes with global music stars such as Billie Eilish, Drake, Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, and Jay-Z. The post jestingly pictures what would happen if Los Santos were governed by Grammy award winners. CJ's latest side quest turns into a celebrity-packed adventure The meme, which reads " Ah shii, here we go again 💰[via: @cjzuero ] " is a combination of GTA's signature low-poly aesthetic with the music world's current most popular stars. CJ, as originally voiced by Young Maylay in the 2004 game GTA: San Andreas, is placed into moments where he's chillin' with artists such as Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande or strolling with Travis Scott and Drake. In one pic, CJ shares a hood moment with Billie and Ariana. In another, he rolls a shopping cart alongside Jay-Z or gets low with Drake like they're old Grove Street homies. The meme comically reimagines each star like they're part of CJ's crazy open-world escapades, giving it the vibe of a trippy GTA side quest filled with music legends. A whimsical mix of gaming history and popular culture This meme is not meant to be taken seriously, it's just another fantastic instance of how internet culture delights in re-mixing familiar symbols. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo "Ah shii, here we go again" is one of the most frequently cited catchphrases in gaming, which gets bandied about online for describing a hassle that's obstinately repetitive or too familiar by half. By placing chart-topping stars into CJ's sphere, the meme plays off how frequently these artists are in the limelight, always dropping something new, trending, or turning up in headlines. Complex, which is known for its fusion of streetwear, hip-hop, and internet trends, just amplified the joke by re-posting it to its huge following. Whether you're a longtime GTA fan or just enjoy a good meme, this viral post hit the sweet spot between nostalgia and pop culture. CJ might've once ruled Grove Street, but according to the internet, he's now rolling deep with music's elite, one 'ah shii' at a time. Also Read: 'I think it's a cool character': Steven Ogg finally puts Trevor rumors to rest
