2. Michael De Santa/Townley
Michael Townley used to be part of a big time gang, pulling off bank heists and getting into ferocious shoot-outs. After he is shot by the police, however, he decides to take the way out; witness protection in exchange for information. Now, Michael De Santa lives in Los Santos with his wife, two kids, and a rather killer swimming pool. Michael is about as far away from the stereotypical GTA protagonist as you could get, and it seems rather fresh to start off the game as a success. You already have the house, the pool, a moderate amount of happiness (at least on the surface), but not all is bright. Michael has regular appointments with his therapist, his old life constantly haunts him and all that greets him at home is shouting. It is not long before Michael's anger gets him tangled back up in the criminal world. Michael is a great character to balance the three protagonist structure. He strikes a balance between Franklin's cool, collected attitude and Trevor's crazy. Michael can be as reasonable as the next guy, but when he's in a bad mood, he can almost be as manic as his old partner. Just ask any balcony.