Claude is a fictional character and the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto III, the first 3D game in the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series by Rockstar Games. He also has a cameo appearance in the prequel . Claude is a silent protagonist, and therefore has no voice actor. In the games, Claude is a small-time criminal with an unknown bakground, who finds himself betrayed and left for dead by his girlfriend during a bank robbery in the fictional Liberty City, leading him to seek revenge as he becomes entangled in a world of gangs, crime and corruption. The game never disclosed Claude's name; it was later revealed in data files. Rockstar never had any specific inspiration when developing Claude. The designers preferred to base the character on a strong and silent killer.
Character design
Rockstar have confessed that there wasn't "any one single inspiration" for Claude, but that they liked the idea of a "strong, silent killer, who would be juxtaposed with all of these neurotic and verbose mobsters in an amusing way." They said that he seems "stronger and in control", while other people seem "weaker and frantic." Claude's name is never disclosed in the game. Although his name can be found within GTA III's text and data files, it is not officially mentioned until . There is much speculation whether or not Claude from Grand Theft Auto III is the main protagonist from Grand Theft Auto 2, named "Claude Speed". This is due to the same first names, manner of attire, and physical appearances. When asked to confirm such debate, Rockstar Games simply stated that his surname "may or may not be Speed," and that it seems "very likely" that they are the same character. Throughout almost the entire story of Grand Theft Auto III, Claude is seen wearing a black leather jacket with a black T-shirt underneath, green cargo pants, and blue trainers with white soles. He also has dark brown hair with his fringe sticking out. Claude is never seen or heard uttering a single word throughout his appearances. When questioned about this topic, Rockstar stated that " had so many other problems to solve and this did not seem like a major issue". At one point during the course of a game, Maria makes a telephone call to one of the in-game radio stations, explaining that she "met a new man" but "he don't talk too much". Claude continues to stay silent during his cameo appearances in San Andreas. Despite rumours, Rockstar "at no point" planned to make Claude a speaking protagonist.
Appearances
''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas''
Very little is known about Claude's background, other than he was most likely born and lived in San Andreas until, when he entered a relationship with Catalina. After losing the deed to his garage in San Fierro in a street race against Catalina's ex-boyfriend, Carl "CJ" Johnson, Claude left for Liberty City alongside Catalina.
''Grand Theft Auto III''
In 2001, Claude and Catalina finally arrive in Liberty City and become involved with the Colombian Cartel. However, during a bank robbery, Claude is betrayed and left for dead by Catalina. Though arrested, he escapes during his transfer to prison when members of the Cartel ambush his transport to abduct another prisoner. During his escape, Claude befriends bomb expert 8-Ball, who then introduces him to the Leone Mafia family, for whom he begins working. At first, Claude does small job for made man Luigi Goterelli, but is eventually introduced to higher-ranking Leones, such as caporegime and the Don's son Joey Leone, whom he assists in their conflict with the Triads. Ultimately, Claude earns the respect of DonSalvatore Leone, who, after discovering that the Cartel are manufacturing a new street drug to fund their expansion into Liberty City, instructs Claude to destroy their floating drug lab with 8-Ball's help. Shortly after, Salvatore asks Claude to deal with a minor problem, but his trophy wife Maria, whom he met during an earlier job for Salvatore, reveals it to be a set-up. Claiming that Salvatore has become paranoid and intends to kill him, Claude takes her with him to Staunton Island. There, Maria introduces Claude to the Yakuza, led by Asuka Kasen and her brother Kenji, who assign him work after he assassinates Salvatore to cut his ties with the Leone family. During this time, Claude also meets corrupt LCPD detective Ray Machowski, whom he later helps flee the city, and media mogul Donald Love, who has him rescue the prisoner abducted earlier by the Cartel, and carry out a hit on Kenji under the guise of a Cartel attack to start a gang war that will allow him to obtain real estate for his businesses. Eventually, Claude encounters Catalina, now the leader of the Cartel, at a construction site during one of Love's jobs, only for her to escape. Following Love's mysterious disappearance, Claude resumes work for Asuka, who has the Yakuza take over the site, blaming the Cartel for her brother's death, and tortures Catalina's partner Miguel, whom she left behind, for information. Under her direction, Claude starts dismantling the Cartel's operations, including their drug distribution network, earning Catalina's wrath. In retaliation, she murders Miguel and Asuka, and kidnaps Maria, ransoming her for $500,000. When Claude meets with her to hand over the ransom payment, Catalina double-crosses him once again, leading to him escaping the trap and killing her when she attempts to escape by helicopter. With Maria saved, she and Claude flee the scene, though as she complains about what happened to her, a gunshot rings out, leaving Maria's fate ambiguous.
Other appearances
An easter egg in Grand Theft Auto IV implies that Claude is dead, though Rockstar clarified that it was a joke. Furthermore, Claude's outfit can be unlocked in the game, if the player gains access to a specific safehouse. In Grand Theft Auto Online, players can choose what their character looks like by selecting between different parents; Claude is one of the special parents available, meaning that players can select him so that their character has a level of resemblance to him. An image of Claude is displayed in high definition.
Reception
The character was well received. Including him in their list of "Grand Theft Auto Favorite Badasses", IGN stated that "the argument is often made that silent characters are easier for the player to identify with. That's certainly true in the case of Claude." CraveOnline placed Claude eighth on their "Top 10 Most Memorable GTA Characters" as "the face of a video game that inarguably changed the shape of the industry forever".
