Claude (Grand Theft Auto)

Claude is the silent villain protagonist in the game Grand Theft Auto III. He also appears as a minor character in the game's sequel Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Very little is known about Claude's past, as Claude himself is mute and never reveals any details about himself.

San Andreas
In 1992, Claude was the owner of a run-down garage in Doherty, San Fierro and a competer in various illegal races. At some point he encountered the small-time robber named Catalina and started a relationship with her after her "break-up" with Carl Johnson. Some time after meeting Catalina, Claude entered a race trough the forests of Red and Flint County where he lost to Catalinas ex-boyfriend CJ. After the loss Catalina and Claude left San Andreas and embarked on a cross-country crime spree.

In the years in-between San Andreas and GTA III Claude and Catalina became affiliated with a Colombian drug cartel and did some errands for them.

Grand Theft Auto 3
In 2001, Claude and Catalina arrived in Liberty City and took part in a bank robbery in the outskirts of Liberty City. While rushing through an alley, Catalina unexpectedly shot their unnamed accomplice, as well as Claude, leaving him for dead. Claude ended up in police custody but broke free when gang members assaulted the police van he was transported in. He encountered a injured fellow convict named 8-Ball who recommended him to Salvatore Leone, Liberty City's most prominent mob boss.

Claude did some odd-jobs for Leone until his wife, Maria Latore developed a fixation on him. Angered by the percieved affair, Leone organized an ambush on Claude who escaped to Staunton Island with Maria and her friend, Yakuza leader Asuka Kasen. During his time on Staunton Island Claude also started doing errands for a cannibalistic businessman named Donald Love. In an effort to get closer to Catalina, Claude and Love orchestrated the death of Asuka's brother Kenji and pushed the blame onto Catalina's drug cartel.

The war between the Yakuza and the cartel intensifies until Claude's actions attracts the attention of Catalina, who has Asuka and Miquel murdered, and abducts Maria. Claude finally confronts Catalina and kills her during a shootout. It is unknown if he killed Maria Latore while the credits roll.

Trivia

 * If the player kills Playboy X in Grand Theft Auto IV they can find Claude's clothes in his safehouse for Niko Bellic to wear. This has led to some fans to speculate Claude's fate by the events of the game or if he is still alive. However, this is most likely an Easter Egg.
 * In Grand Theft Auto Online if the players had preordered a special edition of Grand Theft Auto V they can select Claude as a parent option for their character.
 * A Claude Speed exists in GTA 2 but they are separate characters.
 * It is unknown if Claude is selectively mute or unable to speak. Considering the fact that Claude doesn't even grunt when hurt and CJ calling him a 'mute a**hole' it is possible that Claude is completely unable to speak.