How Old Were the GTA Protagonists?
Every GTA hero’s in-game canon age at the moment their game launched — then enter your birthday to see how old you were on each release day, side by side.
GTA protagonist ages at release
Their canonical age in the story, alongside the real-world launch date of each game.
| Protagonist | Game | Released | Canon age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael De Santa Fan favourite | GTA V | September 17, 2013 | 48 |
| Trevor Philips Fan favourite | GTA V | September 17, 2013 | 46 |
| Franklin Clinton Fan favourite | GTA V | September 17, 2013 | 25 |
| Niko Bellic Fan favourite | GTA IV | April 29, 2008 | 30 |
| CJ Fan favourite | GTA: San Andreas | October 26, 2004 | 24 |
| Tommy Vercetti Fan favourite | GTA: Vice City | October 29, 2002 | 35 |
| Lucia | GTA VI | November 19, 2026 | Unconfirmed |
| Jason | GTA VI | November 19, 2026 | Unconfirmed |
| Johnny Klebitz | GTA IV | April 29, 2008 | 30 |
| Luis Lopez | GTA IV | April 29, 2008 | 26 |
| Claude | GTA III | October 22, 2001 | Unconfirmed |
Ages reflect in-game canon during each game’s story, not the present day. Claude, Lucia and Jason have no confirmed age.
How old were you vs each protagonist?
Enter your date of birth — everything is calculated in your browser.
GTA protagonist ages, explained
Ask a room of fans how old the GTA protagonists were and you’ll get an argument — because each hero is frozen at a very specific age in their own story. Michael De Santa is a burnt-out 48, Trevor Philips is a feral 46, and Franklin Clinton is a hungry 25 when GTA V opens in 2013. Rewind to 2008 and Niko Bellic steps off the boat at 30. Go back further and Tommy Vercetti runs Vice City at 35 in 1986, while a young CJ returns to Los Santos at roughly 24 in 1992.
That spread is what makes this comparison fun. Depending on when you were born, you might have been a toddler when CJ was tearing up San Andreas, yet older than Franklin by the time GTA V arrived. The tool above lines up every GTA protagonist’s age against your real age on each game’s launch day, so you can see exactly where you sit on the timeline — and how many of these characters you’ve now out-aged.
A quick note on how old CJ is and the other “derived” ages: some numbers, like Michael’s 48 or Niko’s 30, are stated outright in dialogue. Others, like CJ’s 24, are long-standing community estimates pieced together from the story. GTA 6’s Lucia and Jason don’t have confirmed ages yet, and GTA III’s silent Claude never gets one at all, so they sit in the reference table but stay out of the age-versus-you comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
🧍 How old were the GTA protagonists in their games?
At the moment their games are set: CJ (Carl Johnson) is 24 in San Andreas, Tommy Vercetti is 35 in Vice City, Niko Bellic is 30 in GTA IV, and GTA V’s trio are Michael at 48, Trevor at 46 and Franklin at 25. These are in-game canon ages, not the ages of the actors.
🌴 How old is CJ in GTA San Andreas?
Carl "CJ" Johnson is around 24 years old during the events of GTA San Andreas, which is set in 1992. Rockstar never states it outright, so this is derived from the story and dialogue rather than a hard confirmed number.
💵 How old was Franklin in GTA 5?
Franklin Clinton is 25 in GTA V (2013), making him the youngest of the three playable protagonists. Michael De Santa is 48 and Trevor Philips is 46 in the same game.
🇷🇸 How old is Niko Bellic?
Niko Bellic, the Eastern European war veteran at the centre of GTA IV, is 30 years old during the game, which is set in 2008. His age is confirmed in game dialogue.
❓ Are these GTA protagonist ages official?
Some are stated directly in dialogue (Michael, Trevor, Franklin, Niko, Tommy), while others like CJ are widely accepted community estimates derived from the story. GTA 6’s Lucia and Jason, and GTA III’s silent Claude, have no confirmed canon age yet, so they’re left out of the age comparison.