Claude Speed

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Character
Claude Speed
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Appearances	[[Appearance::Grand Theft Auto III; Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]
Full Name	Claude Speed
Aliases	Fido; Gecko; Jumbo; Kosai; Rooster; THC-303; Grasshopper
Gender	Gender::Male
Place of Birth	America
Nationality	American
Home	Liberty City
Family	Catalina (girlfriend); Possibly Maria Latore (possible girlfriend)
Main Affiliations	Yakuza; Southside Hoods; Catalina; Leone Family; Diablos; Uptown Yardies; Marty Chonks; The Zaibatsu Corporation; Loonies; Yakuza; Rednecks; Scientists; Russian Mafia; Hare Krishna
Vehicles	Various
Voiced by	None
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This article is about the protagonist of GTA III and GTA 2 . For other characters, see Claude Maginot or Claude Wome.

Claude Speed is the protagonist in Grand Theft Auto 2 and Grand Theft Auto 3.Claude also appears in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. After being caught, he was sent to sub-zero rehabilitation and was given parole in the year 2013. During this time, his brain overrode the rehabilitation brain messages and he becomes a stronger, more formidable killer and stealer of automobiles.

At the end of the GTA 2 movie, Claude is shot 3 times by a Zaibatsu Assassin, he is presumed dead.

GTA 2 movie rendition

File:GTA2 ClaudeSpeedLiveAction.jpg

The live-action rendition of Claude Speed, played by Scott Maslen, from the opening cinematic of Grand Theft Auto 2.

Little history is known about the character from GTA 2; however, DMA Design had previously released a promotional movie for the game, which was also compiled into the opening cinematic of the game, depicting a live-action rendition of Claude Speed committing several criminal acts, similar in all Grand Theft Auto games. In the movie, Claude is seen performing jobs for several crime bosses, before being shot by an assassin sent by the Zaibatsu Corporation (presumed dead), whose van and merchandise were previously stolen by Claude.

The movie's version of Claude has a few physical features including his black jacket (made of cloth in GTA 2 and leather in GTA III, GTA San Andreas), t-shirt (white color in GTA 2 and black in GTA III, GTA San Andreas), long pants (black color in GTA 2 and dark khaki in GTA III, GTA San Andreas) and slicked hair. The movie version, however, was also depicted speaking and displaying an array of emotions, a characteristic not seen in either the GTA III or the GTA San Andreas versions.

GTA III

File:GTAIII Claude.jpg

Full body image of Claude

Claude's role as the protagonist of GTA III begins with him being en-route to prison in Liberty City after a bank heist; when the prison convoy is ambushed by the Colombian Cartel. He escapes with the help of 8-Ball, and works his way into the favour of the Leone Family.

He eventually helps destroy a large tanker of SPANK, a fictional drug that Catalina and her new accomplice Miguel are pushing around the city with the help of the Colombian Cartel. His help to the Leones at the beginning is rewarded with a death trap, from which he is saved by Don Salvatore Leone's lover, Maria. She introduces him to Asuka Kasen, who is with the local Yakuza.

To prove that Claude has completely severed ties with the Leones in favor of the Yakuza, Asuka allows him to kill Salvatore. Following the assassination, Claude works his way up the Yakuza ladder, gaining the favor of the Yakuza waka-gashira Kenji Kasen. He also meets a crooked cop named Ray, and media millionaire Donald Love. He is eventually asked to kill Kenji by Donald, and to frame the Colombian Cartel for the job, by driving a Cartel gang car.

With Kenji dead, Asuka takes over the Yakuza, and becomes obsessed with revenge against the Cartel. She sends Claude on a number of missions to slow down the spread of SPANK in Liberty City. Eventually, Asuka is killed, and Maria is kidnapped, with a note from Catalina left behind. Claude confronts her, kills her after a lengthy battle, and saves Maria.

In-game Naming

In GTA 2, Claude Speed's in-game name is simply given as a myriad of nicknames from nine bosses of seven gangs:

"Gecko" by all three heads of The Zaibatsu Corporation (Trey Welsh, Red Valdez and Uno Carb)
"Jumbo" by Elmo, head of the Loonies
"Kosai" by Johnny Zoo, head of the Yakuza
"Rooster" by Billy Bob Bean, head of the Rednecks
"THC-303" by Dr. LaBrat, head of the Scientists
"Comrade" by Jerkov, head of the Russian Mafia
"Grasshopper" by Sunbeam, head of the Hare Krishna

Murders Committed by Speed