The Boss (Saints Row)

"It's our time now! Let's get this shit started."

- The Boss: Saint's Row

"The Protagonist", originally addressed as "Playa" and later called "The Boss" is the leader of the street gang the Third Street Saints, from the video-game franchise Saints Row. He/she is the player character and an ultra-violent street thug who deals drugs, steals cars, commits insurance fraud, acts of vandalism and general murder on a daily if not hourly basis

During the course of the series, The Protagonist has gone from a simple street thug, all the way to the President of the United States and later ruler of an alien empire spanning across the universe.

Joining the 3rd Street Saints
The character's name and identity is unknown, and their life prior to joining the Saints isn't clear. An abused past has been hinted, as well as that the character may have grown up in Stilwater all their life.

While walking down the streets of Saint's Row, the character is caught in a turf war between 3 rival gangs, the Vice Kings, Westside Rollerz and Los Carnales, who have been plaguing the city of Stilwater with crime. The Protagonist is rescued by Julius Little, leader of the 3rd Street Saints, and his right hand man Troy, and he later joins the Saints in a fight against the gangs of Stilwater.

The Protagonist assists the Saints in taking back the Saint's Row District, before being tasked to help takeover the whole city and bring down all the rival gangs.

Taking over Stilwater
The Protagonist meets lieutenants Johnny Gat, Dex and Lin, and assists them in taking down the Vice Kings, Carnales and Westside Rollerz. During the course of the game the player gets to know other people around the city and earn respect by helping them complete tasks and jobs. During the course of the first game the Protagonist successfully helps defeat the 3 gangs, but with the cost of Gat's leg being injured and losing Lin, who is killed by Westside Rollerz financier and boss William Sharp.

After completing the task, The Protagonist is appointed by Julius as second-in-command. When Julius is arrested, The Protagonist takes over temporary leadership in the gang.

Fight with Monroe and Boat explosion
Corrupt police chief Monroe phones the Protagonist and threatens to kill Julius unless they do some "community service". The Protagonist abides and goes to kill Mayor Marshall Winslow, an enemy to candidate Alderman Richard Hughes, who is Monroe's associate. Despite completing the task, Monroe refuses to release Julius and tells The Protagonist, Johnny and Dex he will be in touch. Dex comes up with an idea to assassinate Monroe, and during Winslow's funeral they kill Monroe by blowing him up with an RPG.

Shortly after Monroe's death, Richard Hughes contacts The Protagonist, telling them to meet on his boat, promising that Julius will be there. The Protagonist goes to meet Richard Hughes on his boat, but Richard's motives become clear. He states that he will be using the events of the game to take down the Saints and redevelop the district of Saint's Row, which was frowned upon before the gang violence got out of control. And he tells the Protagonist that rather than paying them off, he is planning to kill the Protagonist. But before Richard's men takes care of it, the boat is blown up, with the Protagonist still onboard.

Awakening
Several years after the boat explosion, the Protagonist has been housed in a prison hospital, kept alive by life support. The Protagonist reawakens and with the help of a fellow prisoner Carlos, escapes back to a much different Stilwater. Stilwater has been redeveloped by the Ultor Corporation, who are now based in the newly redeveloped Saint's Row District.

The Protagonist breaks Johnny out of jail, and does some catching up, including that Julius is now missing and that Troy, who was an undercover cop, is chief of police.

Playa's Character
"Were the Saints sociopathic killing machines hell-bent on destruction? Or puckish rogues living a life of mirth and whimsy?"

- Narrator

The player can shape almost anything about their character from looks to voice to everyday behavior. But though an avatar for the player, the Boss has displayed several default preferences and the games certainly do encourage the player to follow-up on those base instincts. Many acts of massive destruction are simply respect or point earning activities for The Boss, everything from holding up civilians, to streaking, to spraying houses in fecal matter. The Boss took over the gang after the original leader, Julius Little, sold them out to the police and in the sequel games the Boss is the clear and undisputed leader of the Saints who attains and keeps respect amongst the lesser members by demonstrating her/his skills and depravity with various creative acts of crime.

The Boss's gender is up to the player and continually has access to changing it along with skin tone, hair color, facial features and weight, thanks to plastic-surgery. Though the Boss ussually tries to resolve her/his problems with a stern threat to her/his enemies, when that does not work he/she is more than willing to break into a full homicidal killing spree the second anyone tries to take her/his money, territory, friends or challenges her/his reputation. The Boss has been shown willing to do things like kidnap rival gang lieutenants, steal and fabricate drugs, steal entire buildings, and rob front companies from other gangs that try to make trouble for her/him. He/she has demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice/mercy-kill her/his own gang-members and friends if need be but will hold a cataclysmic vendetta against those that forced such a situation.

As of the events of Saints Row 3, the character has somewhat mellowed and isn't nearly as ruthless, although will still kill and go on a disastrous rampage to get what they want. The mellowed character probably came about due to them become international celebrities and drifting away from the Street gang life. This Anti-hero persona continues more into Saints Row 4, when they become President of the United States and fight aliens to save the world and their homies.