The Boss

The Playa is the player character and the main protagonist of Saints Row, Saints Row 2, Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV. The Saints Row series largely concerns Playa's adventures as a 3rd Street Saints gang member, starting as a nobody initiated into the gang,[40] second-in-command,[41] and finally leader.[42] Throughout this journey, the Playa takes the 3rd Street Saints from a small-time gang from the Row to a "household brand name" in Stilwater and then Steelport.

In Saints Row, the Playa is a new recruit for the Saints, remaining quiet for the majority of the game not questioning any orders given to him. the Playa is too timid to speak with rival gangs or other Saints until towards the end of the game.[50]

In Saints Row 2, the Playa has 6 different personalities for the player to choose. Depending on the voice chosen, the Playa may break the fourth wall by randomly mentioning a few aspects of the game during gameplay.[Reference needed] For example, Male Voice 3 sometimes says "You know I never see a dog around here? Weird." Although the Playa's dialogue for the cutscenes is always the same in Saints Row 2, the in-game dialogue differs for each personality.[Reference needed] In Saints Row 2, the Boss is portrayed as extremely vicious, showing no mercy, hesitation, or remorse in killing and torturing enemies.[Reference needed]

The Playa has a strong friendship with Johnny Gat, having known him the longest of any of the Saints since his initiation into the gang.[Reference needed] The Playa displays literally superhuman strength and durability throughout the series, shrugging off violent, deadly attacks with ease and ripping stop signs and parking meters out of the ground bare-handed. During the conclusion of Saints Row he was caught in a point blank explosion and only suffered minor burns, though his coma lasted five years.[51][52] Neither Mayor Hughes nor his men survived.[Reference needed] In the trailer for Saints Row, the Playa said his life changed after meeting Julius, desiring more and more power and money.[53] While typically the Playa reserves the bulk of their wrath for rival gang members or other foes, they still display a comical disregard for human life, not unlike most inhabitants of the Saints Row universe.[Reference needed] The Playa does have a few heroic qualities despite their sadistic nature, such as going to extreme lengths for friends, leading by example and feeling regret for several actions such the burning of Shivington or if they allow Shaundi and Viola to die during the climax of Saints Row: the Third.[54]

The Playa kills his mentor Julius in cold blood.[55] The former leader of the Saints tries to defend his actions and claims that the Playa was too power-hungry, a charge which the Playa confirms. However, Julius' motives remain questionable.[Reference needed] The social engineering by Dane Vogel left the original inhabitants of the Saints Row district homeless and destitute, and the betrayal of the Saints saw the majority of them dead or serving prison sentences while Julius lived a comfortable lifestyle.[55] In the Playa's eyes, Julius crossed the only line they ever had, betraying one's friends.[Reference needed]

In Saints Row: The Third, the Playa has 7 different personalities.[Reference needed] the Playa is portrayed as being, arguably, less susceptible to random bursts of violence, due to already having the power and wealth they desired.[Reference needed] In fact, the Saints' success in crushing the gangs of Stilwater and partnering with Ultor led to the Playa's rise to celebrity status, complete with a Planet Saints franchise and movie offers.[56] They are still psychotic killers, as they show little emotion while killing other than excitement.[Reference needed] This is tempered by their loyalty to their fellow gang members, since Saints Row: the Third is mainly centered around them, Shaundi, and Pierce taking revenge after the death of Johnny Gat.[Reference needed] However, it seems that the Playa is not entirely as merciless as before, agreeing 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 leaving Steelport, which Matt honours, even going on to become an ally in the war against Zin.[57] Despite having tendencies of a psychopath, their loyalty to their friends and concern for their well-being is not a trait of psychopathic killers.

The Playa's past life is unclear and only hinted at through dialogue, and each voice gives different details of their past.

The character was born in Stilwater,[58] and visited a local massage parlor since junior-high school.[59]
Despite already living in Stilwater, he does not have a home at the beginning of Saints Row[60]
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 indoors.[61]
The Playa mentions having lived in a college dorm when he is reminded of that experience during a mission on a boat importing prostitutes and sex toys.[62]
Female Voice 1 also admits during Three Way that she is in a coed curling team.
The female voice 2 claims that when she was young, her father would make her fight the dogs for food.[63]
    Female Voice 1 has a similar idle line, claiming that her father always used to say, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em... and then betray them in a horrible murder orgy".[64]
In the Gangstas in Space DLC, Male Voice 3 shows his disappointment with the fake building set by stating, "This is worse than finding out the Tooth Fairy was just my drunk uncle with a pair of pliers".[65]
In the Saints Row IV mission "The Case of Mr. X", the Playa informs Asha that they don't see the point in talking about their past after jokingly blaming their behavior on their parents, stating, "who cares what I did before I joined the Saints?" When Asha asks if they had "daddy issues", the Playa replies, "Naw, just... forget it".
Nolan North voice says during the Zin invasion of the White House "I am just an actor, how many of you are there".
When the Playa was six years old they were into robots.[66]
Female Voice 3 in Saints Row IV is sometimes reminded of being "back on the farm" when killing someone in game.
    This line replaces the original "it's like I'm back on the Row" kill quote made by Female Voice 3 in Saints Row: The Third.
    She also says "well this sure ain't Georgia" in an idle line, all implying that this Boss was on a farm in Georgia at one point in their life.

When walking through the district of Saint's Row in the city of Stilwater, Playa ignores a watch seller and walks up to a prostitute, but soon, he is caught up in a small turf war between the city's criminal factions. Despite trying to keep his distance, a Vice Kings 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.[67] Canonized - Julius welcomes Playa to the Saints

The Playa welcomed into the Saints

At the Saints Row Church, the Playa is initiated into the gang by surviving - or winning - 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.[40]

Though before the Playa gets to do any serious work done, he has to build up the Saint's Rep and showing they mean business, such as causing mayhem[68], holding-up stores, borrowing money from loan sharks[69], hijacking vehicles for money, collecting CDs,[70] tagging places, assassinating people just for cash, stealing vehicles so he can take them to a chop shop, holding civilians hostage in their cars for money, killing pimps, stealing their hos, and taking them to a brothel, driving hookers around while avoiding paparazzi, IRS, significant others, and private investigators while the hooker has sex with a client, competing in illegal street races, and protecting drug dealers while they sell their product.

While trying to take the three main gangs out of commission, the Playa mainly works with the 4 Saint Lieutenants: Johnny Gat, who's a shoot first ask questions never kinda guy. Dex, who usually likes to plan 3 moves ahead. Lin, who somewhat unhappily uses her feminine side to her advantage. And Troy, who makes up his lack of expertise by his enthusiasm.

During the campaign against the Carnales, the Playa takes down Hector[71] and Angelo Lopez[72]. While fighting the Vice Kings, the Playa saves Benjamin King from Anthony Green[73], then helps him overthrow Tanya Winters[74]. In the campaign against the Westside Rollerz, both William Sharp and Joseph Price meet their ends at the hands of the Playa.

The Playa 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 soon thereafter ends up being arrested by the police, and the Playa thus becomes the de facto leader of the gang.[41] Salting the Earth Yacht explosion close

The Playa is caught in an explosion after a meeting with Richard Hughes, which puts him in a coma.

Chief Monroe, a corrupt police chief, orders the Playa, Dex and Johnny to do a little "community service" or he will kill Julius. The Playa steals a campaign bus with Marshall Winslow inside and parks it on the train tracks.[75]

Yo, can you speed this shit up? I wanna go to Freckle Bitch's...

    — The Playa, in reply to Hughes' exposition and just prior to the explosion.

During Winslow's funeral, the Playa kills Monroe.[76] Richard Hughes, Winslow's rival, phoned the Playa 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 Playa was about to get killed by Hughes' men, but Julius pressed the remote setting off the explosives he planted, killing Hughes and putting the Playa into a coma.[77] Saints Row 2

Main article: Saints Row 2

Loading screen tss01 02 Jailbreak

The Playa and Carlos escape prison to a completely new looking Stilwater (from loading screen).

Five years[52] after being put in a coma, the Playa awakes inside a prison hospital. There he meets fellow convict Carlos Mendoza who got himself shanked to meet the Playa and helps him escape the prison island.[78] On the way, Carlos informs him that a lot of things have changed while the Playa was comatose. Carlos explains that the Saints fell apart without anyone to lead them, and dropped their flags before they were killed, and the chaos allowed for new gangs to take control of the city, as well as the rise of the Ultor Corporation that practically took control of the inefficient and corrupt police force. He advises the Playa to lay low for a while.[79]

While having a beer in Tee'N'Ay, the Playa watches a news broadcast about Johnny Gat,[80] who is about to be executed for 387 murders as well as the attempted murder of Troy Bradshaw, who became chief of police. After breaking him out of his court appearance, he drops Johnny off at his girlfriend, Aisha's house, where they have a beer[81] and plan on taking back their city once again by first taking over the condemned hotel under a mission house. 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, it's an old underground hotel in Old Stilwater beneath an abandoned mission house. After "evicting the current tenants"[82], they get new lieutenants[42] and slowly take back what was once theirs, and defeat the three gangs. The Saints in the Saints Hideout

"The Boss", with his new lieutenants.

During the conflict with the Ronin, the Playa defeats the lieutenant Jyunichi in a sword fight[83] for killing Aisha, helps Johnny Gat to get revenge on Shogo Akuji[84] and leaves Kazuo Akuji to die on a burning boat[85]. As part of the struggle against the Brotherhood, the Playa is infamously forced to mercy-kill Carlos[86] to put him out of his misery. He murders Matt[87], as well as Maero[88]in a final showdown in the Stilwater Arena. While battling the Sons of Samedi, the Playa murders DJ Veteran Child[89], Mr. Sunshine[90], and The General[91]. Revelation

Julius: "You owe me, playa - if it weren't for me, you woulda died on that street corner."
The Playa: "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been in a goddamn coma."
Julius: "Then I guess that makes us even..."
The Playa: "Not really."

    — Last moments before the Playa shoots Julius the first time

Loading screen em01 01 Revelation

The Playa gets his revenge on Julius. Note this screenshot is taken from the loading screen for the mission Revelation, depicting the default Playa of Saints Row 2.

The Playa sneaks into the police station and listens to recorded wiretap conversations between Troy, Dex, and Julius, and discovers that Julius planted the bomb on the yacht. After discovering Dex's phone number in Julius' file, he calls Dex, who tells him to meet him at the Saints Row Church.[92] At the church, Julius is waiting, who was also told to go there by Dex. As the Playa is about to kill Julius, the Masako attack them both.[93] After fighting waves of Masako, they escape to the Thalia Amiptheatre and fight more Masako.[55] After defeating all of the Masako, the Playa shoots Julius in the chest, wounding him. They argue about what the Saints became, before the Playa shoots Julius in the head.[94] Epilogue

After taking back the city, the Playa is ambushed at Club Koi by Masako, and Shaundi and Pierce are kidnapped.[95] 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 Mount Claflin.[96] They hope to expose Ultor's plans for the city, and to destroy their weapons and warheads. The Playa and Johnny head there, and destroy the facility.[96] Pierce gives the Playa a hint that Ultor executives are meeting on a yacht, so the Playa goes to the yacht and kills the executives and guards.[97] Dane Vogel watches the assassination of the Ultor executives from his top floor office in the Phillips Building. ... and a Better Life outro - Dane falling out the window

The Playa executes Dane Vogel.

Vogel holds a press conference outside the Saints Row Church about the incident, and the Playa and Johnny plan an assassination. Johnny is spotted by a guard who followed him to the rooftop, and accidentally shoots the sniper rifle in the struggle, which alerts Vogel and his bodyguards. The Playa rushes towards Vogel with a pistol, while Johnny takes down any resistance after throwing the guard off the rooftop. The Playa jumps onto Vogel's limo, but is shaken off, and is forced to assault Vogel by hijacking an attack helicopter. The Playa takes out the power stations on the Phillips Building, and eventually jumps out of the helicopter, onto the top floor, where he confronts Dane. Vogel tries to reason with the Playa, who responds by shooting him in the mouth, sending him through the window to fall to his death.[98]

After Tobias arrives in his helicopter to pick up Shaundi, Pierce, and the Playa, Pierce asks "So...what do we do now?", to which the Playa responds "This is our city, we can do whatever the fuck we want to do." and they fly off into the city.[99] Ultor Exposed

In Ultor Exposed former Ultor employee Tera decides to help the Saints with exposing the darker side of Ultor. The Playa helps Tera dig up dead bodies used for experimentation in order to bring down Ultor.[100] After, the Playa is instructed to hijack a truck that has classified Ultor chemicals to try and persuade Jane Valderamma to run the story. However all the effort turns out to be for naught as Jane purposely claims Tera the one responsible with the reasoning that Ultor would just bury the story anyway.[101] Corporate Warfare Ultor Family Fun Day - end cutscene - Playa and Eric

The Playa assures Eric that the hostilities with Ultor is over, and that he will find where Dex has fled to get his revenge.

In Corporate Warfare New CEO of Ultor, Eric Gryphon, comes to the Playa for protection from Dex, who Gryphon fears will make an attempt on his life. The Playa agrees and saves him from being killed by a Masako team sent by Dex.[102] Eric tells the Playa about toxic waste that Dex is going to sell. Along with some Ultor security team members at the power plant, the Playa helps Gryphon capture the shipment.[23] Dex later flees Stilwater after getting an emergency transfer to another city. Angry and knowing he can't get Dex, Playa asks Eric for names of people that Dex was close to and then kills them.[103] The Playa swears to Eric that he will find out which city Dex fled to and kill him.[103] The Playa also assures that the hostilities between the 3rd Street Saints and Ultor are over, as long as Ultor don't try to come after them.[104]

Some years after the events in Saints Row 2, the 3rd Street Saints became a household name in Stilwater and partnered up with the Ultor Corporation. This began in Saints Row 2, with the activities Fuzz, Trail Blazing and Crowd Control introducing the Playa to entertainment industry figures, and his notoriety as a gang leader is enough that Stilwater pedestrians quickly recognize him and commented on his activities.

After many years on the top, the Playa, Johnny Gat, Shaundi, and an actor named Josh Birk rob the Stilwater 1st National Bank as a publicity stunt. The robbery goes wrong and they are arrested by SWAT.[105]

Unbeknownst to them, the bank is owned by Phillipe Loren, the leader of Morningstar and the chairman of the Syndicate, so the Saints are taken to meet Loren onboard his Gawalek A36 jet over Steelport. After being given a chance to give a share of their profits to the Syndicate, they refuse and break free. Johnny takes control of the plane and fights off Phillipe, being killed in the process, allowing Shaundi and the Playa time to jump out the plane. After fighting more members of Morningstar in the air, they land in Steelport where Phillipe has Matt Miller, leader of the Deckers, hack into the Saints' accounts and empty them.[56]

The Playa and Shaundi raid the local Guard Armory and call Pierce to bring the Saints to Steelport.[106] The Playa and Pierce drive to get acquainted with Steelport, and end up in a battle with a group of Morningstar members and their Brute.[107] The Playa later parachutes into a Morningstar penthouse to take it over, then chases a fleeing gang member with an Oppressor in order to disarm a bomb.[108] After taking the Penthouse, the Playa and Pierce buy property belonging to Morningstar using deeds recovered from their lockbox.[109]

After multiple encounters with Morningstar, the Saints strike at their headquarters, the Syndicate Tower, and Phillipe is indirectly killed by the Playa. In the tower, they meet a test subject named Oleg that the Syndicate were using to clone Brutes, and he joins the Saints.[110]

The Playa and the Saints return to Stilwater to bury Johnny, but are attacked by Luchadores working for Killbane, who destroy the Hughes Memorial Bridge before the Saints can get across, causing the Playa, Shaundi, Pierce and Oleg to end up in the river.[111] Oleg reveals the Saints are not ready to fight the Syndicate and he knows people that can help. When the Playa arrives back in Steelport along with Pierce and Shaundi, he finds ex-FBI agent Kinzie Kensington who is being held by the Deckers, Zimos who was being held at Safeword in the "Pony Barn", and rescues ex-Luchador member Angel De LaMuerte from Killbane's Luchadores.[112]. Return to Steelport - It's our time now speech

The Playa gives a speech to the Saints.

After recruiting the three new lieutenants, the Playa gives the 3rd Street Saints a speech that the Syndicate will have to answer for what they have done. At the same time, Killbane takes over the Syndicate.[113]

The Playa is called to the Saints HQ by Shaundi when Pierce throws a party, which angers her due to Johnny's recent death, though the Playa agrees with Pierce that they can't mourn Gat forever.[114] During the party its revealed that the strippers are working for the Morningstar and try to kill the Saints, but the Playa manages to fight them off[115]. After, Playa goes to see Zimos at his crib and says its time to take down the Morningstar[116]. The Playa poses as a sex slave to be auctioned off at Safeword and once the Saints and Zimos get in, they disable the security to allow more Saints to takeover and wipe out the remaining Morningstar, and then claim Safeword as their own[117]. After getting a tip off from Viola DeWynter, who was Loren's right hand, the Playa and Zimos invade a Morningstar cargo ship to collect prostitutes being smuggled in[62]. After gathering the prostitutes, the Playa receives a phone call from Matt Miller offering to buy back the prostitutes, and the player has a choice to either keep them or bring them to the brothel at Saints HQ.

The Playa and Oleg go to meet Viola at the park who offers to help the Saints in order to make Killbane suffer, but the meeting is interrupted by STAG who have been sent to take down the gangs of Steelport[118]. The Playa escapes back to the Saints HQ while Oleg fights off the STAG who are attacking[118]. The Playa starts destroying STAG bases[119] and kidnaps Josh Birk whose character Nyte Blayde is being used as a mascot for STAG[120]. The Playa attracts STAG to the Saints HQ for a massive fight, and at the end is approached by STAG commander Cyrus Temple who asks for them to return Birk to STAG and they will keep the attention off the Saints for the while[121]. Whatever choice the Playa makes, STAG begins destroying the Saints HQ[121][122]. When Shaundi is captured by Cyrus' second-in-command, Kia to be taken for question,[123] The Playa uses Image As Designed to take on the appearance of Cyrus and takes Pierce and Viola as prisoners to the STAG's aircraft carrier, the Thermopylae, where they rescue Shaundi and destroy the carrier[124]. However this increases STAG presence as they declare martial law in Steelport[125]. When the Playa hijacks a plane containing new weapons that STAG is flying in, the Playa accidentally destroys the cockpit, so they escape in a tank out the back.[126]. After hijacking a second tank in midair, the Playa crashes onto Arapice Island, but falling corpses and debris destroy containers in the Ultor Chemical and Waste Disposal Plant, which releases a green gas that turns the dead corpses into zombies[127]. The Playa and Viola go to see Steelport Mayor Burt Reynolds, who asks for the Saints help in dealing with the zombie problem, which the Playa happily accepts[128]. After arriving back on Arapice Island, the Playa submerges three containers in the water, and is told to destroy a chemical truck by Reynolds. The Playa is given a choice between either destroying the truck or returning it to Oleg.[129]. Whatever choice is made, Cyrus arrives along with STAG to deal with the remaining zombies[130].

The Playa and Shaundi find out from Kinzie that Killbane framed the Saints for the attack on the memorial bridge back in Stilwater and begins badmouthing the Saints name on air[131]. The Playa and Shaundi travel around Steelport to track down where the broadcast is coming from and then chase down Killbane's car in a helicopter, but before Shaundi can take a shot at him, the helicopter malfunctions and crashes, causing Killbane to escape[132]. The Playa steals a powerful computer from STAG before Matt Miller's Deckers get a hold of it[133] and then a chair from the Deckers in order to go up against them[134]. After this, the Playa enters into the Decker's usernet and defeats Matt Miller's avatar, but spares Matt's life when he offers to hack into a company to give the Playa discounts, and will walk away, which the Playa accepts.[57] Playa defeats Killbane

The Playa defeats and humiliates Killbane at Murderbrawl.

The Playa meets with Viola, Shaundi and Pierce, and Viola reveals the best way to defeat Killbane is to unmask and humiliate him at Murderbrawl. The Playa kills off Killbane's upcoming opponents in order for the Playa to enter into Murderbrawl and face Killbane[135]. Using a RC Possessor to control vehicles, the Playa uses them on cars, boats and a helicopter containing wrestlers to kill them and make it look like an accident[136], which leaves the Playa as the last opponent for Killbane. After getting Angel's mask back at the 3 Count casino and taking it over for the Saints[137] The Playa helps Angel defeat Killbane at Murderbrawl, humiliating him[138].

During the Playa's remaining takeover of Steelport, he manages to take over the Downtown[139], New Colvin[140], Carver Island[141] and Stanfield[142] districts, finally taking control of Steelport.