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Template:Infobox character The Protagonist is the main character in the Saints Row series.

In Saints Row 2 and Saints Row: The Third, The Protagonist's gender can be set as either male or female. For simplicity, this article will refer to them as male.

Description

The Protagonist is the main character of Saints Row, Saints Row 2, and Saints Row: The Third. The Saints Row series concerns The Protagonist's adventures as a 3rd Street Saints gang member, starting as an initiate to the gang,Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) second-in-command,Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) and finally leader.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) Throughout this journey, The Protagonist takes the 3rd Street Saints from a small-time gang from the Row to a "household brand name" in Stilwater.

The Protagonist does not have a given name throughout the series, and has been referred to as "playa"Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) , "son"Template:Fact and "boss"Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) throughout the games, and "MC" (main character) by the community.Template:Fact Along with the lack of a name, The Protagonist also lacks any definitive physical appearance, as the player can change The Protagonist's appearance at an Image as Designed plastic surgery. In addition, Saints Row 2 allows the player to change The Protagonist's gender, thus retconning The Protagonist's established gender as a male and further adding to The Protagonist's customizability.

Biography

Background

The Protagonist's past life is unclear and only hinted at through dialogue used from different voices in Saints Row and Saints Row 2. The character grew up in Stilwater, and possibly had a history of violence prior to the events of Saints Row, as Male voice 1 in Saints Row: The Third mentioned that he spent his time killing people in the fresh air when a kid, compared to modern children playing violent video games in doors.

Saints Row

Main article: Saints Row

When walking through the streets of Stilwater, the Protagonist is caught up in a small turf war between the city's criminal factions. Despite trying to keep his distance, a gang member attempts to kill him after the violent battle. Julius Little and Troy Bradshaw, from the small-time street gang the 3rd Street Saints, save him from his execution, with Troy killing the small-time hoodlum. Julius invites him to meet the gang at the church in Saint's Row if he is interested, seeing as they need all the help they can get.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

The Protagonist makes his way to the Saints' hideout at the Saints Row Church, and is initiated into the gang by surviving a beatdown by Saints members. Julius informs the gang that it is time to take the fight to the three rival gangs: Los Carnales, Westside Rollerz, and the Vice Kings.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

The Protagonist gets to know Johnny Gat, Dex, Lin and Troy while helping take down the three gangs, and is appointed by Julius as his right hand man. Julius ends up being arrested by the police, and the protagonist takes temporary leadership.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

Chief Monroe, a corrupt police chief, orders the Protagonist, Dex and Johnny to do a little "community service" or he will kill Julius. The Protagonist must steal a campaign bus with Marshall Winslow inside and park it on a train tracks.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

During Winslow's funeral, the Protagonist kills Monroe.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) Richard Hughes, Winslow's rival, phoned the protagonist to meet him on the Yacht. Richard's plan was to redevelop the Saints Row community, and was given the go ahead after the saints made a name for themselves. The Protagonist was about to get killed by Hughes men, but the boat exploded, killing Hughes and putting the Protagonist into a coma.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

Saints Row 2

Main article: Saints Row 2

Many yearsBroken {{ref}} (blank parameter) after being put in a coma, the Protagonist awakes inside a prison hospital. There he meets fellow convict Carlos Mendoza who claims his brother worked in the saints and wishes to help the Protagonist escape the prison island.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) The Protagonist escapes the prison with Carlos and heads back to the mainland.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) On the way, Carlos informs him that a lot of things have changed while the Protagonist was comatose. Firstly, following the death of Alderman Hughes, the Ultor Corporation, a clothing company had since moved to Stilwater, and began using their riches to restore the crime ridden streets, particularly the Saint's Row District, and over time it has evolved into a powerful company with influence over everything in the city. Carlos explains that the Saints fell apart without nobody to lead them, and dropped their flags before they were killed. He advises the Protagonist to lay low for a while.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

After being reunited with Johnny GatBroken {{ref}} (blank parameter) and AishaBroken {{ref}} (blank parameter) , they plan on taking back their city once again. Three new gangs have taken control: The Brotherhood of Stilwater controlling the south, the Sons of Samedi taking all central Stilwater, and the Ronin having a tight grip up north. Their first move is to get a new hideout. This time, its an old underground hotel in Old Stilwater beneath an abandoned mission house. After "evicting the current tenants" (the homeless and some members of the Sons of Samedi)Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) , they get new lieutenantsBroken {{ref}} (blank parameter) and slowly take back what was once theirs, and defeat the three gangs.
The Protagonist also finds time to sneak into Troy's office in the police headquarters and listens to some wiretaps that confirm Julius' betrayal. He meets up with Julius in the old church, after both were led there by Dex as a trap. They fend off a Masako attack and eventually escape into a Greek Ampitheatre. Julius argues that he saw no other way to end the Saints, believing that the Protagonist would not stop after gaining control, which he confirms. The Protagonist tells him that regardless, Julius should have never tried to kill him, before killing him by shooting him in the head.

Saints Row 2 epilogue

After taking back the city, conflict ignites between Ultor and the Saints, starting when the Protagonist is ambushed at a nightclub by a Masako Unit, and the lieutenants are kidnapped.Template:Fact After escaping the ambush and rescuing Shaundi and Pierce, they all meet up with Johnny Gat and plan to assault The Pyramid, Ultor's secret facility built underneath and in the perimeter of Mount ClaflinTemplate:Fact. They hope that it will expose Ultor's rather dastardly plans for the city, and to destroy their weapons and warheads. The Protagonist and Johnny head there, and the assault goes well.Template:Fact Soon, Pierce gives the Protagonist a hint that a luxury cruise ship in the middle of the ocean is where the Ultor executives are having a meeting. The Protagonist goes there and kills all the executives and guards, and shoots down some attack helicopters.Template:Fact This all happens in front of Dane Vogel's eyes, who watches from his top floor office in the Phillips Building.

Dane holds a press conference outside the Saints Row church about the incident, and the Protagonist and Johnny plan an assassination. Johnny is spotted by a guard who followed him to the rooftop, and accidentally shoots the sniper rife in the struggle, which alerts Dane and his bodyguards. The Protagonist rushes towards Dane with a pistol, while Johnny takes down any resistance after throwing the guard off the rooftop. The Protagonist jumps onto Dane's limo, but is shaken off, and he is forced to assault Dane by hijacking an attack helicopter, taking out the AA Guns on the Phillips Building, and eventually jumping off the Helicopter's fuselage, onto the top floor of the Phillips Building, where he then confronts Dane. Dane tries to bribe the Protagonist, who responds by shooting him in the mouth, sending him backwards through the top floor window. Shaundi and Pierce are late and miss the confrontation, though thankfully Tobias arrives in his helicopter and then flies them away from the scene. Johnny agrees to meet up with them all later on, after he is finished killing the advancing police officers.Template:Fact

Pierce asks the Protagonist "So...What do we do now?", in which the Protagonist responds "This is our city, we can do whatever the fuck we want.", and the game ends.

Ultor Exposed

The Saints attempt to bring down Ultor. Former Ultor employee Tera Patrick decides to help the saints with exposing the darker side of Ultor. The Protagonist helps Tera dig up dead bodies used for experimentation in order to bring down Ultor.Template:Fact When Jane Valderama gives Tera an interview however, she twists things to make it out to be Tera's fault and her doing.Template:Fact

Corporate Warfare

New CEO of Ultor, Eric Gryphon. comes to the Protagonist for protection from Dex who Gryphon fears will make an attempt on his life. The Protagonist agrees and saves him from being killed by a Masako team sent by Dex.Template:Fact Eric tells the Protagonist about toxic waste that Dex is going to sell. Along with some Ultor Cops, The Protagonist destroys the shipment.Template:Fact Dex later flees Stilwater after getting an emergancy transfer to another city. Angry and knowing he can't get Dex, The Protagonist asks Eric for names of people that Dex was close to and then kills them.Template:Fact The Protagonist swears to Eric that he will find out which city Dex fled to and kill him.Template:Fact

Saints Row: The Third

Main article: Saints Row: The Third

Some years after the events in Saints Row 2, the 3rd Street Saints became a household brand name in Stilwater and partnered up with the Ultor Corporation. After many years on the top the Protagonist, Johnny Gat, Shaundi, and Josh Birk decided to rob a bank, unknown to them owned by Phillipe Loren, the leader of Morning Star and the chairman of the Syndicate. The Robbery goes wrong and a SWAT team arrives.Template:Fact They fight their way out and the protagonist attempts to escape by having the vault lifted out by a helicopter, but the helicoper is shot down and he is arrested by the SWAT teams.Template:Fact

Later in prison, Johnny begins to doubt the saints as they once meant something rather than merchandise and movie deals. The Protagonist, Shaundi and Johnny Gat are then taken away by the Syndicate onboard a plane over Steelport. They are given a chance to give a share of their profits to the Syndicate, but refuse and are nearly killed until Johnny broke free and untied The Boss and Shaundi. He takes control of the plane and fights off Phillipe. But he ends up being killed, and Shaundi and the boss fall out the back. After fighting out more members of the Morning Star, they land in Steelport where Phillipe has Matt Miller, leader of the Deckers hack into the saints accounts and clean them out of their money, and Killbane and his gang to hunt the saints and kill them. The Boss and Shaundi raid an armory and call Pierce to bring the saints to Steelport. Template:Fact

Endings

Saving Shaundi

When the Protagonist decides to save Shaundi, the Protagonist travels to the docks to meet Kinzie. Then the Protagonist heads over to the monument. Kia has placed 8 bombs on the statue so the first thing the Protagonist does is remove the bombs with the Sonic Boom. When the Protagonist has removed all bombs the Protagonist heads up to the top of the top of the building. There Kia is ready to meet the Protagonist, holding Shaundi hostage. Viola and Burt Reynolds are tied down on the ground. So the Protagonist uses flashbangs/fart in the jars to force Kia to let go of Shaundi much like the time Veteran Child held Shaundi hostage. Once Kia is dead the Saints head down to the base of the building where they meet Monica Hughes. Cyrus Temple moves in to take the Saints prisoner but Monica Hughes tells him to stand down since the Saints saved the statue and are now heroes. Pierce asks the Protagonist if it's time to go back to Stilwater and the Protagonist answers they have something to do first.

Killbane Ending

When the Protagonist decides to go after Killbane, the Protagonist heads to the airport to meet up with Angel. Angel is being attacked by several Luchadores. So the Protagonist helps him to take them out. After the Luchadores are taken care of they get into a car and head to the airport. Angel is driving the car and the Protagonist uses an Annihilator RPG to take out the airplane Killbane is using to try and escape Steelport. Believing Killbane to be dead, the player inspects the wreckage, only to reveal that Killbane has survived. After a brief argument the two fight, which ends with Killbane being beaten badly and eventually killed. The Protagonist hearing the bomb explode on Magarac Island. Monica Hughes says to Cyrus that it's time to bring in the Daedalus.

Personality

In Saints Row 2 the Protagonist has 6 different personalities for the player to choose. Depending on the voice chosen, the Protagonist may break the fourth wall by randomly mentioning a few aspects of the game during gameplay. For example, Male Voice 3 can be heard saying "You know I never see a dog around here? Weird." Although the Protagonist's dialogue for the cutscences is always the same in Saints Row 2, the in game dialogue differs for each personality. In Saints Row 2, The Boss is portrayed as very power hungry and sociopathic with no remorse in his killings and torturing of people and infact enjoys them which is one of the reasons he has a strong friendship with Johnny Gat. The Protagonist is very strong and durable as well, he was caught in an explosion and only suffered some burns and was in a coma for many years which he woke up out of without muscle astrophy or brain damage. In the trailer for Saints Row he said how life changed for him after meeting Julius but wants more power and money etc, this indicates that despite being the main character and protagonist of the story it shows that he is truly villainous with no heroic qualities except when it comes to saving trusted gang members such as Shaundi and Johnny Gat. The Protagonist also killed his mentor, saviour and friend in cold blood although it was revealed that Julius was the one who planted the bomb, Julius tried to defend his actions and claim that the Protagonist was too power-hungry to give it all up to which the boss confirms and from his personality it proves Julius right. The Protagonist has killed Julius, tried to kill Dex and makes comments about Troy indicating he does not take betrayal lightly.

In Saints Row: The Third, the Protagonist has 7 different personalities. The Protagonist is portrayed as being less power hungry due to already having the power, and more focused on being a celebrity. He is still cleary a psychotic killer, as Male voice 1 says, "These kids with their video games... When I was their age I spent time outside - murdering people in the fresh air;" Male voice 3 shows relief when Pierce tells him he can kill on their current assignment, as the boss thought the mission was going to be blood free, and also when Pierce comments on Shaundi being less crazy than the Protagonist. He still continues to show no emotion for his killings other then excitment, as he will comment on killing people. He still cares for his gang members, since the game is mainly centered around him, Shaundi, and Pierce getting revenge. However, it seems that the Protagonist is not as quick to kill his enemies as before, given he agrees to spare Matt Miller's life when the Deckers leader promises to cut ties with the Syndicate, as well as abandoning his role in the gang war, and leave Steelport, which Matt actually follows through on, so it seems the Protagonist has learned to control himself when the enemy no longer has any desire to fight his gang. Although its possible he spared Matt because he is just a kid and did not take him seriously as a threat.

Quotes

In a trailer for Saints Row, the Protagonist has a small monologue:

I started out with nothin'... just a kid from the streets, with nothin' to lose. Then I met Julius,Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter) and everything changed. Once I joined the 3rd Street Saints, everything started going my way. I'd run some jobs, get paid, and lady luck was on my side. Now I have the women, the clothes, the rides, but it's not enough, I want more, I want it all. That's the great thing about this city, it's there for the taking. If you've got what it takes.

— The Protagonist

In the game itself, the Protagonist has just four lines:

I got ran over by a mothafuckin' truck, what you think?
File:The Protagonist's WSR line.ogg

— The Protagonist in the Westside Rollerz final mission "Semi-Charmed Life"Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

Actually, they're this season's new--"
"Bullshit, that's last year's Fall collection.
File:The Protagonist's LC line.ogg

— Luz Avalos and The Protagonist in the Carnales final mission "What Goes Up..."Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

Hope you don't mind hepatitis.
File:Hepatitis.ogg

— The Protagonist's quip in the Vice Kings final mission "All the King's Men"Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)

} Invalid Audio file

Trivia

File:TheProtagonistpromotion.JPG

The Protagonist's promotional artwork used to promote Planet Saints in Saints Row: The Third, showing the character to be a Caucasian Male,

• In the trailers and screenshots for Saints Row, as well as the default appearance, the Protagonist is Caucasian. In Saints Row 2, his default appearance is that of an African-American male, also used in loading screens. In the official guide book the Protagonist is shown to be an East Asian female. In the released screenshots and trailer for Saints Row: The Third, he is again depicted as Caucasian male. There are other character models demonstrated in the customization screenshots. When in Steelport, advertisments with the character promoting Planet Saints shows the Protagonist as he appears in the promotinal artwork for Saints Row the Third as a caucasian male.
• His Saints Row original costume (default) is a black t-shirt with long jeans. In Saints Row 2, pre-release screenshots as well as the the loading screens show him wearing a white tank top and track pants. In the Saints Row: The Third trailers, he wears a grey jacket, brown vest and purple shirt, with sunglasses on his head. This could also represent how high he has become in criminal life, starting out as a gangster from the streets to a respectable boss.
• In Saints Row 2, he is often called the "Boss" by the other Saints, referring to his status as their leader.
• In a Snatch activity in Saints Row 2, the Protagonist reveals that he grew up in Stilwater and visited a massage parlor often.
• He is considerably taller than most of the other characters in the game in Saints Row 2, but only of average physical size in Saints Row.
• When listening to the radio in Saints Row 2, the Protagonist may begin singing along, see Soprano for more details.
• Civilians and Saints members constantly comment that his clothes smell if he doesn't change them for a few in-game days.
• In Saints Row 2, he wonders if he is in Benjamin King's book, Regicide.
• In Saints Row 2, during the first cutscene for the Brotherhood mission, "Bank Error in Your Favor", he mentions liking a TV show called Bobby and Amber to the point where he almost didn't care about Shaundi's message while the show was on.
• It's somewhat suggested that the Protagonist was raised around guns if the player chooses to have Female Voice 1. Your character will sometimes say in a nostalgic tone "You can never have enough guns...That's what my Daddy always said...".'
• Julius calling the Protagonist "Playa" may be referring to the person playing the game. "Playa" is also street gang slang, similar to "Gangsta".
• A running joke in Saints Row 2 is that everyone apparently fails to notice that the Protagonist underwent surgery to treat his wounds, often just asking him "Did you do something with your hair?".
  • The Saints Row 2 Bonus mission Revelation references this, when Julius begins to ask the infamous question, to which the Protagonist pulls a gun and interrupts him with "I didn't do shit to my hair!".
• Another running joke in Saints Row is that nobody refers to the Protagonist's lack of speech in Saints Row, other than in Saints Row 2 when Male voice 2 may say "That mute shit was getting old."
• Another running joke is that the Protagonist's name is never said by anyone, and that the Protagonist may not want anyone to know it.
  • In Saints Row: The Third, the Protagonist asks Zimos what his real name is, prompting Zimos to reply asking the Protagonist what his name is. The Protagonist replies with a comment about how he asked a stupid question.Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)
  • In STAG Film, rather than showing a name for the Protagonist, a news broadcast labels them as "Local Psychopath."
• The Protagonist is labeled a sociopath by Julius Little and some civilians. Some Brotherhood members call him a "psycho". This is because he comes across as power-hungry and merciless in dealing with his enemies. He does however show great empathy and remorse for those he trusts, mainly his fellow Saints (this is most noticable in his interactions with Carlos).
• The first game takes place during the Autumn and Winter of 2006, early 2007, according to an article in the game manual, meaning that if the second game takes place roughly 5 years after the first and in the summer then the second would be set in 2011 or 2012, although the length of the Protagonists coma is never stated in the second game dialogue.Template:Verify
• In Saints Row 2, the Protagonist can perform multiple actions if the game is left idle.
• In the original Saints Row, the Protagonist holds his guns "Gangster style" (sideways). In Saints Row 2 he holds his weapons normally, possibly to show that he has become much more experienced with using guns.
• The Initiation Station will allow players to customise their Protagonists for free before Saints Row: The Third is released.
• In Saints Row: The Third, one of The Protagonist's voice actors is Troy Baker. Troy Baker also voiced Alec Mason in Red Faction: Guerilla, a game that is set in the same universe as Saint's Row.
• In Saints Row: The Third, The Protagonist has seven voice options. They Include: Caucasian Male (Troy Baker), African American Male (Kenn Michael, who voiced the Protagonist in Saints Row 2), British Male (Robin Atkin Downes), Caucasian Female (Laura Bailey), Russian Female (Tara Platt), Hispanic Female (Rebecca Sanabria, who also voiced the Protagonist in Saints Row 2), and Zombie growls (Steve Blum).
• During Heli Assault in Saints Row: The Third, Kinzie says she knows the Protagonist's real name. The Protagonist interrupts her mid sentence, telling her not to disclose it.
  • During a Trafficking missing located in Espina, the Protagonist will ask Zimos what his real name is. He will in turn ask what the Protagonist's real name is, which Female Voice 1 will reply "Martha fucking Washington", to which Zimos say "That's what I thought.".
• As of Saints Row: The Third, The Protagonist is the only member of the 3rd Street Saints still in the gang since Saints Row.
• During the final mission Three Way, the Player, Pierce and Oleg travel to various locations to kill both S.T.A.G soldiers and Luchadores, the fight continues to the National Guard armory, where Pierce asks if anyone wants to say anything, since they might die there. The Player reveals something based on which voice the Player has at that time, (i.e that they've read Jane Erye thirteen times, that they call chips 'fries', or they're on a coed Curling team).
• A recurring joke is The Protagonist's apparent lack of technical expertise and electronics, this first appears in Saints Row 2 when The Protoganist agrees with Shaundi's plan of hacking the traffic cameras around the city. When the Protoganist leaves, Shaundi wants to join only to be stopped by The Protoganist. When Shaundi asks if he is going to hack the traffic cameras, The Protoganist doesn't immediately answer, to which Shaundi replies; "Yeah, That's what I thought". This also occurs in Saints Row: The Third in the conversations with Kinzie, hinting at an apparent lack of higher education.
  • During The Ho Boat, Male Voices 1, and 2, and also Female Voices 1 and 2 will make a comment about the various BDSM objects reminding them of their freshman dorm, implying that they went to college.
• When Idle, Female voice two in Saints Row: The Third, mentions she hasn't heard from cousin Niko in a while and wonders what he is up to. This could refer to Grand Theft Auto IV protagonist, Niko Bellic.
• The Protagonist has super-human strength, able to throw people through the air with ease and also ripping off any object out of the ground and use them as improvised weapons.
• Male Voice 3 in Saints Row: The Third jokingly says he suffers from PTSD, due to the prostitutes trying to murder him. In the quote, he refers to Zimos as Pierce. Broken {{ref}} (blank parameter)
• The Protagonist (Voice 1) say when the song "What I got" comes on, "Dude, this was like...this was my high school. Right?". The song came out in 1996 so this might be one of the years he went to high school.
• While Car Jacking the Protagonist can sometimes be heard saying " If you lived in Stillwater you would be used to this " .
• When having Male voice 1 in Saints Row: The Third , the Protagonist can some times be heard ranting on about how he does not understand how " Young people could spend so much time on video games " , and that " When I was a kid I used to kill people in the fresh air. "
• Depending on what voice you have in Saints Row: The Third, The Protagonist can be heard saying:"Gat would be proud", or ''Just like Johnny did", and "This one is for you, Johnny" when killing someone.
• As mentioned above, the player may make comments about Johnny. But, he may even make these comments before it is confirmed that he is dead, i.e. when the player first controls the Protagonist and has to beat the Syndicate members to death, he may say "Just like Johnny would've done."
• With Male Voice 2, the Protagonist will admit having "an irrational fear of bees."
• In Saints Row 2, the Protagonist was met with some criticism by fans due to being very uptight.Template:Fact In response to this, Volition made Saints Row: The Third's Protagonist much more hedonistic and lighthearted.Template:Fact
• The Protagonist may of seeked psychiatric help, as female voice 1 in Saints Row: the Third mentions about her telling the physiatrist that she wasn't responsible for killing loads of people and its like someone is controlling her (Breaking the fourth wall by referring to the fact she is in a video game).
• In Genkibowl VII, it shows that the Boss may be a media whore as he kept going on and on about if you stick to your dreams anythings possible.

Gallery

• The three protagonists.jpg
  The Protagonist from Saints Row trailer
• Saints Row 1 protagonist bald.JPG
  Ditto, but bald.
• Saints row 2 protagonist trailer.JPG
  The character as he appears in the Saints Row 2 trailers and on the cover
• Saints Row the third.JPG
  The character as he appears in Promotional artwork for Saints Row: The Third
• Saints Row 3 protagonist trailer.JPG
  As the character appears in Saints Row: The Third trailer and some demos demonstrating the game.
• The boos and shaundi.png
  The Protagonist with Shaundi
• Saints-Row-3-Screenshots.jpg
  Default appearance in SR3
• Protagonist.jpg
  The protagonist seen killing S.W.A.T team members in this early screenshot.
• User-created Protagonist 126189308846862047.jpg
  A user-created Protagonist

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References

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