The GTA series has been going strong for over two decades now and shows no signs of stopping. During that time, Rockstar has introduced a number of memorable characters over the years such as San Andreas’ CJ. One of the more mysterious characters that the series has brought to us is GTA III’s protagonist, Claude.
Unlike future protagonists who have fully voiced personalities, Claude is silent in all of his appearances so far, which adds a layer of mystique to him that many find fascinating. Despite this, there are a lot of facets about him that many fans might not know about this silent thug.
10 His Exact Background Is Unknown
Other than the fact he owned a garage in San Fierro in San Andreas, virtually everything about Claude’s background is unknown.
While this may upset some, it helps to put Claude in the shoes of the player themselves as it leaves it up to them. Just what made Claude into the quiet but ruthless man he is today? That’s up to you to decide.
9 Claude Is The First Protagonist To Meet Another One
Speaking of San Andreas, the game marks the first time a GTA protagonist has met another game’s protagonist. In this case, Claude meets CJ and races him in the countryside in-between San Fierro and Los Santos.
CJ manages to win the race and Claude gives him his garage in San Fierro as a reward for the race, which serves as a business opportunity for the former. But Claude does manage to steal Catalina from CJ, so he did get something good of his own out of defeat.
8 He Shows Very Little Emotion Over GTA III’s Story
Over the course of GTA III’s story, Claude shows very little emotion in his interactions with others over the course of the game. He only has the usual nod in understanding, a smirk at times or is occasionally taken aback by another character.
While this may be boring to some people, others will notice how it says a lot about him. The guy takes his work seriously and is good at keeping his emotions in check, even during the most stressful of times.
7 His Exact Fate After GTA III Is Unknown
While it is rare to see a protagonist appear in a future game, they do usually give some insight into how they are doing, usually through an Easter Egg like the subway graffiti in GTA IV. Vice City’s Tommy Vercetti for instance is seemingly doing well for himself if the hints in San Andreas are anything to go by.
Claude’s status on the other hand after finally getting revenge on Catalina for betraying him in III’s finale is unknown. Rockstar has said he is very likely still alive but there have no mentions of him in any of the games set after III’s events since.
6 He Pulled Robberies Across The U.S With Catalina In Between San Andreas And III
One thing that made Claude so desperate for revenge is that for years him and Catalina would pull high stakes robberies and heists across the U.S between both III and San Andreas.
In a way, they became the GTA universe’s equivalent of Bonnie and Clyde. Only in this case, Bonnie betrayed Clyde and Clyde would be hellbent on seeking revenge for all the false feelings of love Bonnie gave to him.
5 He Has A Sense Of Humor
Despite his silent, calm and serious demeanor most of the time, Claude has shown on a number of occasions that even he has a sense of humor.
In III, he always gives a bit of an exaggerated bow in all of the Kenji Kasen missions in the game. He also visibly shows enjoyment when he sees that CJ is intimidated by him in San Andreas. Even the quiet ones have to find some humorous things around them.
4 His Actions Speak Louder Than Words
One thing this list has shown is that actions certainly speak louder than words and that is Claude in a nutshell. Though silent, his actions do indeed speak louder than words.
The fact that he is willing to go to any lengths to kill Catalina which shows that when he has his mind set on a goal, he is absolutely determined to achieve that goal which shows that he has a high amount of determination.
3 He Kills A Lot Of His Former Employers
While killing former employers is nothing new in GTA, Claude seems to do it the most out of anyone if not in the most disturbing fashion with his quiet and calm approach to doing it.
In his defense though, the employers he kills have screwed him in some way. Be it betraying him, as is the case with Catalina and Salvatore Leone, or they severely mistreat him, as seen with Kenji.
2 He May Have Killed Maria
During his quest, Claude will meet a woman named Maria while working for the Leone crime family. The two seemingly develop feelings for each other as Maria warns Claude of an attempt on his life by Salvatore Leone and he returns the favor by saving her from Catalina in III’s finale. Despite this, it is possible he killed her in the end.
After killing Catalina, the two will walk away from the scene as Maria then goes on a long tirade. The screen zooms away from them as a news report plays. At the end of the report, a gunshot is heard as the screen fades to black and Maria abruptly stops talking. Did Claude kill her? Hopefully not, but we’ll probably never know.
1 No One In GTA III Calls Him Claude
If you thought that Claude may not have had a name to begin with, you can be forgiven for thinking so since no one calls him by his true name at all over the course of the game. Characters usually only refer to him as “you” or by a nickname. Even Maria only refers to him as Fido.
In fact he was not even called Claude until the end of San Andreas when Catalina calls CJ while getting intimate with Claude and she says “Oh, Claude”. Seems there is no end to the enigma known as Claude.
