Claude (Grand Theft Auto)

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Claude refers to a set of characters in the Grand Theft Auto video game series by Rockstar Games. Claude Speed, the first "Claude" introduced, appears in Grand Theft Auto 2 (GTA2) as the player-controlled protagonist, prominently featured in the game's live-action film where his full name is featured in a scene.[1] The second, and later, rendition of the character, known simply as Claude in Grand Theft Auto III, plays the same role in GTA III, and appears briefly in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (GTA:SA) as a non-playable character.

Due to similarities between both renditions' first names, manner of attire, and physical appearances, speculation may occur regarding whether Claude Speed and Claude are the same character. There is no official indication as to whether this is true, however.

Contents

[edit] GTA2 rendition

Claude Speed
Game series Grand Theft Auto
First game Grand Theft Auto 2 (1999)
Motion capture actor(s) Scott Maslen (as real-live rendition of Claude Speed)

Little is known about the main character of GTA2. The plot of the game basically involves him being freed from prison, having awakened from a cryonic sleep but experiences amnesia. The storyline shifts to his goal of becoming the "King of the City" by any means necessary.[2]

DMA Design, the primary producer of the GTA series, had released a promotional movie for the game, which was also compiled into the opening cinematic of the game, depicting a live-action rendition of Claude Speed committing several criminal acts, similar in all Grand Theft Auto games. In the movie, Claude is seen performing jobs for several crime bosses, but has been seen to show no apparent loyalty to any gang as he is seen driving a rival gang of gunners to a hangout of another gang, where a firefight would occur. By the end of the movie, Claude is shot in the back three times by an assassin from the Zaibatsu Corporation, whose van and merchandise were previously stolen by Claude, as he attempted to break into a sports car. Claude collapses, implying he is killed.

The movie's version of Claude shares a few physical appearances with the Claude in Grand Theft Auto III canon, including his attire — black jacket (made of cloth in GTA2 and leather in GTA III, GTA:SA), collar-less undershirt (white color in 2 and black in III, SA) and long pants (black color in 2 and dark khaki in III, SA) — and slicked hair. The movie version, however, was also depicted speaking and displaying an array of emotions, a characteristic not seen in either the GTA III or the GTA:SA versions.

Scott Maslen played the movie rendition of Claude Speed.[3]

[edit] GTA III rendition

Claude

The Grand Theft Auto III rendition of Claude.
Game series Grand Theft Auto
First game Grand Theft Auto III (2001)

An alternative rendition of the character is known simply as "Claude" in the Grand Theft Auto III canon. While his name is never disclosed in GTA III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas hinted "Claude" as his name, as uttered by Catalina during several phone conversations. There is also evidence hidden in the GTA III's data files that the player was once allowed to enter their own character name, and the "DEFNAM" (default name) value for it was "Claude" [1]. In a data file in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the skin used for the character is named "Claude".[citation needed] As a result of this evidence, there is speculation that Claude is the same person as Claude Speed.

Claude's last name is never disclosed in GTA III or GTA:SA, thus it remains unclear whether the GTA III and GTA:SA renditions of Claude is in fact the same individual as the GTA2 rendition of Claude. However, GTA III shares a few elements with GTA2 (among them, the mention of "Zaibatsu Pharmaceuticals" that is similar to the Zaibatsu Corporation gang in GTA2, the Head Radio station, and the distribution of districts in Liberty City), lending at least some credibility to this claim. Although Rockstar Games have yet to fully clarify a connection between the two characters, Rockstar president Sam Houser—discussing the development of GTAIII in an interview with Edge magazine—said: "...there’s been a lot of debate about these things—like whether [the GTAIII lead character's] name is Claude Speed, or whether he’s this or he’s that—and it was a lot less planned out than that."[4]

[edit] Appearances and role

[edit] Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Claude's first chronological appearance in the Grand Theft Auto III-era storyline is a cameo as a thug in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, where he races against, and loses to, Carl "CJ" Johnson, all the while in coitus with Catalina, in 1992. After the race, Catalina informs Carl that the two of them need to keep their car to go to Liberty City, and instead of a pink slip, give him the deed to a run-down car garage in San Fierro.

After leaving for Liberty City, Catalina phones Carl at certain plot points. One phone call seemingly indicates Catalina was intending to speak to Claude, mentioning Claude's first name; another has Catalina in mid-orgasm, screaming the same first name.

[edit] Grand Theft Auto III

In October 2001, Catalina betrays Claude by shooting him shortly after a successful bank robbery in Liberty City, and leaves him for dead. After his arrest by the police, Claude is en route to prison when his prison transport is ambushed by members of the Colombian Cartel (who kidnap an oriental prisoner). Claude escapes with the help of 8-Ball, who takes advantage of the ensuing chaos, and works his way into the favor of the Leone Family of the Liberty City Mafia to help fight against the Triads and Forellis.

He eventually helps destroy a large freighter of SPANK, a drug that Catalina and her new accomplice Miguel are pushing around the city with the help of the Colombian Cartel. His help to the Leone family at the beginning of the game is rewarded with a death trap (as the family had become paranoid of him), from which he is saved by Don Salvatore Leone's adulterous wife, Maria. She introduces him to Asuka Kasen, who is the co-leader of the Yakuza. To prove that Claude has completely severed ties with the Leone family in favor of the Yakuza, Asuka allows him to kill Salvatore.

Following the successful assassination, Claude works his way up the Yakuza ladder, gaining the favor of the waka gashira of the Yakuza, Kenji Kasen. He also assists a corrupt cop named Ray Machowski and the Media millionaire Donald Love. He is eventually asked to kill Kenji by Donald Love, and to frame the Colombian Cartel for the job, by driving a Cartel Car. With Kenji dead, Asuka takes over the Yakuza, and becomes obsessed with revenge against the Cartel. She sends Claude on a number of missions to slow down the spread of SPANK in Liberty City.

Eventually, Asuka is killed, and Maria is kidnapped, with a note from Catalina left behind. Claude confronts her, kills her after a lengthy battle, and saves Maria, if only to (apparently) kill her after having to deal with her whining.


[edit] Silence

In contrast to the verbose protagonists of the later GTA games—Tommy Vercetti, Carl Johnson, Toni Cipriani, Victor Vance and Niko Bellic—Claude in GTA III is never seen or heard uttering a single word throughout his appearances (in GTA III, he can be heard uttering mild sounds of pain when injured or killed). During the course of the game, Maria makes a telephone call to Lazlow's show on Chatterbox FM, saying that she's met a new man but "he don't talk too much." Claude continued to be a silent character throughout San Andreas; Carl Johnson himself also references, and cursed Claude's silence in a rage after seeing the run-down garage he won from him, describing him as a "mute asshole" and a "mother fucking snake without a tongue."[5]

[edit] Alternate names

In GTA III, Claude is only referred to as "Fido" by Maria and "Kid" by other characters. In GTA2, Claude Speed's in-game name is simply given as a myriad of nicknames from nine bosses of seven gangs:[6]

  • "Gecko" by all three heads (Trey Welsh, Red Valdez and Uno Carb) of the Zaibatsu Corporation.
  • "Jumbo" by Elmo, head of the Loonies.
  • "Kosai" by Johnny Zoo, head of the Yakuza.
  • "Rooster" by Billy Bob Bean, head of the Rednecks.
  • "THC-303" by Dr LaBrat, head of the SRS Scientists.
  • "Comrade" by Jerkov, head of the Russian Mafia. also "Pal" by Russian Mafioso in intro movie, but eventually it was muted by music.
  • "Grasshopper" by Sunbeam, head of the Hare Krishna.


[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ In GTA2's live action movie (Part 2 (QuickTime, 20.6 MB. URL accessed on June 15, 2006)), Claude Speed's name appeared once on a computer screen as the Zaibatsu Corporation examined his rap sheet, attempting to identify him and order an assassination on him. Claude's name is also featured in GTA2's manual credits on the movie.
  2. ^ Grand Theft Auto 2 Information. GOURANGA!. Retrieved on July 21, 2006.
  3. ^ In both GTA2's live action movie (Part 8 (QuickTime, 6.72 MB. URL accessed on June 15, 2006)) and manual, Scott Maslen is credited for playing Claude Speed.
  4. ^ Grand Theft Auto: the Inside Story. Edge magazine (2008-03-16). Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  5. ^ Carl "CJ" Johnson: (Upon entering Claude's run down San Fierro garage) "Mother-fucker! That mute asshole! That fucking snake without a tongue! Gave me this shit-hole instead of a pink slip! I must be the biggest fucking idiot in the whole fucking world!" (Opening cut scene of "Wear Flowers In Your Hair", Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.)
  6. ^ In GTA2, Claude Speed was given nicknames by multiple bosses as he received phone calls from them to perform missions. Upon receiving a phone call, the bosses tend to refer Claude's nickname first, before introducing themselves and, lastly, provide an overview and instructions on the mission.
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