Claude

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Character
Claude
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Appearances [[Appearance::Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]
Full Name Claude
Aliases Fido
Kid
Status

Alive

Gender Gender::Male
Nationality American
Home San Fierro
Liberty City:
Safehouse in Red Light District, Portland
Safehouse in Belleville Park, Staunton Island
Safehouse in Wichita Gardens, Shoreside Vale
Main Affiliations Catalina (1992 - 2001)
Miguel (until 2001)
8-Ball (2001 onwards)
Misty (2001)
Luigi Goterelli (2001)
Joey Leone (2001)
Toni Cipriani (2001)
Salvatore Leone (2001)
Leone Family (2001)
Maria Latore (2001 onwards)
Marty Chonks (2001)
El Burro (2001)
Asuka Kasen (2001)
Kenji Kasen (2001)
Yakuza (2001)
Ray Machowski (2001)
Phil Cassidy (2001)
King Courtney (2001)
Donald Love (2001)
D-Ice (2001)
Vehicles Pink Elegy
Businesses Doherty Garage (former)
Voiced by None Applicable
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This article is about the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto III. For other characters see Claude (disambiguation)

Claude is a recurring character in the Grand Theft Auto series, appearing as the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto III (set in 2001) and in a minor role in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (set in 1992). There is no voice actor for Claude, as he does not speak in either of his appearances.

Character history

Life until 2001

Claude in 1992 had emerged as a top contender in an illegal racing ring (run by Wu Zi Mu) and owned an abandoned garage in Doherty, San Fierro. He became involved with Catalina, who had recently split up with Carl "CJ" Johnson, before racing CJ in a losing effort. Following the loss, he hands over the pink slip to his black ZR-350 to CJ. When the two end up racing a second time, Claude loses again, and he hands over the deed his garage to Johnson before leaving San Andreas with Catalina. The two head to Liberty City, where Catalina allies herself with the Colombian Cartel. Afterwards, they depart to engage in a series of robberies across the USA. In October 2001, Claude and Catalina return to Liberty City.

2001

Claude and Catalina arrive in Liberty City in October 2001 and immediately robbed a bank. Catalina, however, turns on her boyfriend, shooting him and leaving him for dead, explaining that he is 'small time'. Claude is later arrested by the Liberty City Police Department. He is convicted of all charges and is sentenced to ten years in prison. While being transferred to Liberty State Penitentiary in Portland, Claude escapes from a police convoy after the Colombian Cartel attack the convoy to free the Old Oriental Gentleman. Claude and 8-Ball escape to a safehouse in the Red Light District, before moving on to Sex Club Seven. Luigi Goterelli, the owner, gives Claude his first job in the city, to drive Misty from the hospital back to the club.

Claude, successful in his errand, continues to be employed by Goterelli, who also has him kill a drug dealer and two pimps, before having him drive Misty to Joey Leone's garage. Claude then begins to work for Joey, killing both Mike Forelli and Lee Chong, before chauffering Toni Cipriani, later working for him against the Triads. Claude, impressing the Leone Family hierarchy, is introduced to the Don, Salvatore Leone. Salvatore, 'seeing nothing but bright things' for Claude, has him look after his wife Maria for an evening, kill Curly Bob (who was selling secrets to the Colombian Cartel, now led by Catalina) and later destroy a freighter used as a factory for the drug SPANK. During this time, Claude also works for El Burro, the leader of the Diablos, helping him on various tasks, and Marty Chonks in his attempts to get out of his various problems.

After destroying the Cartel freighter, a paranoid Salvatore attempts to kill Claude by having him enter a bomb-laden car. Salvatore's wife Maria, however, phones Claude and directs him to a small pier where the two meet Asuka Kasen, co-leader of the Yakuza, and flee to Staunton Island after Maria had told her husband that she was dating Claude. Asuka, unconvinced of Claude's loyalty, has him kill Salvatore Leone to prove himself, before having him kill a number of other people causing her problems. She later introduces him to her brother Kenji and Ray Machowski, a corrupt police man working for the Yakuza. Claude helps Kenji with his problems, including settling debts and freeing a man from prison, and helps Machowski in his attempts to remain unnoticed, eventually helping him flee the city by the airport.

Claude continues to look for work and finds employment with King Courtney, who has him attack the Diablos before attempting to kill him on orders from Catalina, and Donald Love, who has him kill Kenji Kasen disguised as a Colombian Cartel gangster, to provoke a war. Asuka, unaware of Claude's role in her brother's death, launches an assault on a Cartel-controlled building site and begins to torture Miguel, Catalina's right hand man, into giving away Cartel secrets. Armed with the information, Asuka sends Claude on various missions to hurt Cartel operations, including stopping the selling of and stealing a shipment of SPANK.

During this period, Claude briefly finds employment with D-Ice, leader of the Red Jacks sub-sect of the Southside Hoods, and attacks the rival Purple Nines into defeat. After this, Claude returns to the building site and finds both Asuka and Miguel dead, while a ransom note for Maria is left for him. Claude goes to the Cartel mansion, escapes an ambush, destroys a helicopter piloted by Catalina (killing her) and rescues Maria. Claude, at the end of GTA III, may have killed Maria as he fires a shot whilst she is talking.

Personality

Claude is a laid-back man that appears almost emotionless regardless of the situation. Provided he is paid for his services, he will take orders from his bosses without restraint and usually gives a nod or two to show that he understands; even when he is getting scolded or shouted at by his bosses for doing something wrong. He also bows down to his bosses if required (as in Kenji Kasen's case when Kenji bows down to Claude). He never speaks, and will only make a slight grunt when he is hurt, or an "Oh!" whenever he is killed.

Claude remains true to his mission of finding and taking revenge on Catalina for leaving him for dead, even showing the slightest bit of pity for Maria when he allows her to live after saving her.

Trivia

  • Claude was not the original protagonist of GTA III but replaced Novy at some stage during the games development.
  • Claude appears on a poster inside of the Ocean View Hotel in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, as an easter egg.
  • In the PC version for GTA III, Claude has two appearances to choose from. There is the default appearance, and there is a slightly modified version of it. The modified version gives Claude a crew cut with a "Zappa" styled mustache, and he wears a brown jacket with jeans and a pair of white sneakers.
  • In the Xbox version: Claude's hairstyle is slightly different, also his eyebrows are closer to his eyes and are slightly downward.
  • Claude does not speak in either of his appearances, remaining silent, and is the only protagonist in the GTA III Era to do so. Maria discusses this with Lazlow on Chatterbox FM, saying that a man she's just met "don't talk too much". However, as radio stations repeat everything over and over again, you can hear her saying that before she even meets Claude.
  • Claude's name is only revealed in GTA San Andreas, having been nameless throughout his appearance as protagonist in GTA III. He is the only protagonist in the series to not be named in the game in which he or she is protagonist.
  • An easter egg in Grand Theft Auto IV paid homage to Claude and all the other GTA III Era protagonists in the form of small scribblings on the wall in random parts of the city.
  • In GTA IV, the player can unlock a set of clothes similar to Claude's style for Niko Bellic. They are obtainable in the wardrobe at Playboy X's penthouse.
  • It was revealed in data files of GTA III that the player was once allowed to enter their own character name, and the "DEFNAM" (default name) value for it was "Claude".

Mission appearances

GTA III
  • As the protagonist, he appears in every mission.
GTA San Andreas

Murders committed

Optional murders

Possible murders

  • Maria it is possible that Claude killed her to shut her up as she kept complaining about how she looked after he rescued her from The Colombian Cartel

Gallery