"Mike" redirects here, for other uses, see Michael. For one of the protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V, nicknamed Mike, see Michael De Santa.
Mike is a character in the Grand Theft Auto series who appears as the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto Advance.
Mike is a small-time criminal working with his partner and best friend Vinnie. The two of them make plans to leave Liberty City with all the money they earned over the years, but when Vinnie is seemingly killed by a car bomb along with all their money, Mike begins working for various criminals in the city's underworld who might provide him with answers in his search for Vinnie's killer. Mike eventually learns the truth about Vinnie's apparent death and, after defeating all his enemies, flees to Colombia to start a new life with his newfound wealth.
History
Background
The only things which tells about Mike's background is that he was a homeless kid in Liberty City and joined with Vinnie to perform small time crimes. It is implied that they have committed many crimes, having a dirty background. Mike also has intentions to leave Liberty City for good with his associate Vinnie, an initial plot point in GTA Advance's storyline.
Events of GTA Advance
In the beginning of the game, the two had earned enough money to leave Liberty City, but Mike was been coaxed by Vinnie to take a few more jobs from the Mafia before leaving. After Vinnie was thought to be killed by a car bomb, Mike attempted to trace the killer, while attracting negative attention from all gangs in the city.
Mike's first boss is 8-Ball who finds Mike no closer to finding the killer, but 8-Ball recommends a bartender named Jonnie, who has several connections in Liberty City. Mike is initially annoyed by Jonnie's paranoia, but it rings true when Jonnie is found killed while Mike is on an errand. Mike stalks the assailant to Staunton Island, which leads him to King Courtney.
Mike suspects King Courtney to be behind the death, but King Courtney explains that he is also after the killer because Jonnie is in debt with the Yardies. Mike and King Courtney agree to work together; King Courtney would help Mike with his hunt for the killer in exchange for his services. Mike finds himself no closer to finding Vinnie's killer. Eventually, Mike loses his patience and confronts King Courtney who tells him that the Colombian Cartel leader, Cisco, is behind everything. When Mike attempts to kill Cisco, he discovers King Courtney was merely using him. With this in mind, Mike cuts ties with the Yardies.
Mike works for Cisco at first and soon Asuka Kasen, both of whom were at war. Cisco has Mike abduct Asuka's neice, and later Mike undoes this action under Asuka's orders. Whilst working for the Cartel and Yakuza, it becomes apparent to Mike that Vinnie was still alive and was responsible for killing some of his bosses, as well as this he was intending to leave with Mike's share of the money. After the confrontation, Mike killed Vinnie. Before his death, Vinnie warns Mike that he is now a gang target.
Afterwards, as Vinnie warned, Mike becomes a target for the Yardies, who get the Cartel to do their work at first. After a police raid during a gang war with the Cartel, 8-Ball is arrested. Mike soon decides to get even with King Courtney, and after organizing an attack on the Yardies, Mike fights King Courtney alone, but allows him to escape due to a sudden police raid. Mike eventually escapes the police and leaves the city with a private aircraft owned by Cisco, to Colombia.
After GTA Advance
Not much is known about Mike after the events of GTA Advance, but on the lines during the final mission Freedom Flies, it is known that he escaped Liberty City and United States of America to settle a peaceful life in Colombia with Vinnie's money.
Personality
Due to the lack of character and story development in the game, Mike, like Claude, lacks much personality. However, Mike is very loyal to his bosses; he will go through with any job they give him and in the event of their deaths he would go out of his way to avenge them. He is also shown to not take betrayal lightly, as seen when he kills Vinnie.
He also exhibits a somewhat macabre/dark sense of humor, making snide comments when killing or injuring enemies and sarcastic remarks. There are times, though, when Mike shows standards: He shows concern for the safety of Yuka during her time in the Cartel's custody, and expresses distaste towards Asuka's sexual obsession with him, as well as the more questionable jobs that she gives to him, and sometimes ponders whether he should go ahead with killing/harming a person or take another route to accomplishing a task.
Physical Appearance
Mike is a Caucasian male, presumably in his late twenties to early thirties. He has short black hair, and is known for wearing a shabby outfit consisting of a light gray jacket, white T-shirt, tan pants, and brown shoes.
Mission Appearances
GTA Advance
- As the protagonist, he appears in all missions.
Characters murdered by Mike
- Federico - Killed on Vinnie's orders.
- Unnamed Valet - Killed on Vinnie's orders, to steal a getaway vehicle without witnesses.
- Scorelli's goon - Killed on 8-Ball's orders for avenge his friend.
- Georgie - Killed for trying to protect Pat.
- Rafael - Killed for trying to protect Pat.
- Tomas - Killed for trying to protect Pat.
- Pat - Killed for trying to kill him.
- Unnamed pimp - Killed on Asuka's orders.
- Xox - Killed for trying to kill him.
- Vinnie - Killed for betraying him.
Optional
- Freddy - If Mike waits, Freddy betrays Mike and sends his associates to kill him, but Mike kills all of them, before killing Freddy as well.
- Biff Rock - If the player chooses to.
- Unnamed actress - If the player chooses to.
- The Technician - If the player chooses to.
- Corrupt Police Officer - If the player chooses to.
- Asuka's goon - If the player chooses to.
- Unnamed Truck Driver - If the player chooses to.
- Colombian Cartel Lieutenant - If the player chooses to.
Crimes committed by Mike
- Killing Federico.
- Stealing a Banshee.
- Delivering three briefcases full of money to the Mafia.
- Killing three criminals.
- Collecting fake IDs from 8-Ball.
- Stealing Vinnie's car with his "corpse" for 8-Ball.
- Driving three of 8-Ball's prostitutes.
- Delivering 8-Ball's explosives to his customer.
- Killing some of Scorelli's men and stealing his car for 8-Ball.
- Killing the men threatening Jonnie.
- Killing four criminals for not paying their debts to Jonnie.
- Collecting five mysterious (and possibly illegal) ingredients for Jonnie's "brew".
- Using a car rigged with a bomb to destroy the Diamond Sky bar.
- Stealing a rocket launcher and killing the smugglers guarding it.
- Beating a senator trying to ban smoking in bars.
- Collecting Freddy's debt to Jonnie (and, optionally, killing him and his associates).
- Taking part in an illegal street race.
- Collecting several cans of coffee from the Colombian Cartel for King Courtney.
- Ambushing a meeting between two Cartel lieutenants and killing them.
- Assaulting Cisco (and, optionally, killing his guards).
- Delivering Cisco's shoes designed to hide drugs from metal detectors to his shops.
- The destruction of a surveillance equipment factory.
- Kidnapping Yuka for Cisco.
- Killing several members of the Colombian Cartel in order to rescue Yuka.
- Torching a casino / Killing a corrupt police officer.
- Assaulting a Vice City Mambas quarterback and injuring him with a baseball bat.
- Assaulting Biff Rock, killing his guards, and stealing his shoes for Asuka Kasen (and, optionally, killing him).
- Convincing three truck drivers to deliver their supplies to Asuka, by beating one of them and threatening / killing another.
- Kidnapping Maifa members for Asuka's sex slave operation.
- Killing a pimp and his bodyguards, and escaping from the Mafia and the LCPD.
- Killing Xox and his men.
- Chasing and killing Vinnie and his guards.
- Killing numerous Colombian Cartel members that ambush him and 8-Ball.
- Damaging the new Cartel boss' car and beating him for information on who else is after him (and, optionally, killing him afterwards).
- Killing 10 Yardies.
- Assaulting King Courtney's warehouse and killing all his guards.
- Escaping from the LCPD by fleeing Liberty City aboard Cisco's private jet.
Other crimes (player-determinant)
- Grand Theft Auto
- Carjacking
- Manslaughter
- Mass Homicide
- Violating Gun Control laws
- Looting
- Dangerous Driving
- Assault
Gallery
Trivia
- Mike commits the fewest canonical murders in the 3D Universe, with a total body count of 10.
- Mike is the only protagonist who was originally homeless.
- Mike is one of the seven protagonists in the GTA series after Grand Theft Auto III who do not appear outside their respective games, the others being Tommy Vercetti, Carl Johnson, Huang Lee, Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and the GTA Online Protagonist.
- Mike is also the only protagonist of the 3D Universe to never encounter another protagonist.
- Mike's name was not included in the graffiti easter egg in Grand Theft Auto IV.
- He is the one of six protagonists that shares name with another protagonist. In this instance, it is Michael De Santa from Grand Theft Auto V. Others are Claude Speed and Claude from Grand Theft Auto 2 and Grand Theft Auto III, and Johnny Hawtorn and Johnny Klebitz from GTA London and The Lost and Damned, respectively.
- Mike's sprites and animations were later reused in the Grand Theft Auto Online arcade game Street Crimes: Gang Wars Edition, added as part of The Diamond Casino & Resort update.