- For other characters with the same name, see Jimmy.
James "Jimmy" De Santa, formerly James Townley, is a character in the Grand Theft Auto series who appears as a main character in Grand Theft Auto V.
Biography
Background
Jimmy is the son of Michael, one of the game's main protagonists, and Amanda and the brother of Tracey. Jimmy is a 20-year-old whiny and lazy pot smoker who has a very confused relationship with his father. He was put into the Witness Protection Program with his sister, father, and mother in 2004, after Michael faked his death during a failed heist in Ludendorff, North Yankton.
Events of GTA V
Jimmy is first introduced at the end of the Franklin and Lamar mission where he purchases a yellow BeeJay XL SUV from Simeon Yetarian's dealership. Later in the mission Complications he is heard playing a first person shooter game when Franklin breaks into Michael De Santa's home to repossess the BeeJay XL that Jimmy bought earlier.
In the mission Father/Son Jimmy calls his father to inform him that the family Marquis yacht has been stolen and he is trapped inside the boat. Jimmy tried to sell the boat for drug money but the "buyers" decided to steal the boat instead of buying it. Michael and Franklin race after the yacht which is being transported on a trailer down the freeway they manage to rescue Jimmy who was hanging on the boom but they lose the yacht.
In the mission Daddy's Little Girl Jimmy is playing his video game which annoys his father so he comes upstairs, they get into an argument which ends with Michael smashing Jimmy's television with a chair. Michael attempts to bond with Jimmy by going on a bike ride. When they arrive at Vespucci Beach, Jimmy challenges his father to a bike race with the condition that if Michael loses he has to replace the TV he broke. After Michael wins the bike race Jimmy tells his father that Tracey is partying on the Dignity yacht with her friends and porn producers, Michael dives into the sea and swims towards the yacht.
Later on in the mission Fame or Shame Michael finds a block of cannabis in the fridge which belongs to Jimmy, he later comes into the kitchen to get his weed and he has a dispute with his father which abruptly ends when the arrival of Trevor interrupts. Jimmy tells his father that Tracey is auditioning for the TV talent show Fame or Shame so Michael and Trevor rush off to get Tracy.
In the mission Did Somebody Say Yoga? Jimmy is playing his video game when Michael comes upstairs after his unsuccessful yoga session to bond with his son, Jimmy decides to go meet a drug dealing friend at Burger Shot, and Michael insists on coming along, despite Jimmy's discomfort. Regardless, Jimmy picks up a supply of Cannabis as well as a "special drink". During the trip home Jimmy tricks Michael into taking a sip of the drink, claiming that it is not really special at all. But as Michael soon starts feeling dizzy, Jimmy tells him that he had anticipated that Michael would come along, and had his friend spike the drink with PCP. Jimmy then proceeds to throw the strung-out Michael onto the street, and announces that he is moving out and plans to keep Michael's car before driving off, even taking some of his money.
Jimmy later sneaks back and returns Michael's car, explaining in a text that despite his "improvements" (a really tacky set of rims and a "La Cucaracha" tune horn) it is still an uncool "old man car", and he can't allow himself to be seen in one, also implying in an aside comment that the Hispanics in his new neighbourhood was starting to give him angry looks over his choice of car-horn.
When Michael returns home following the mission Cleaning Out the Bureau, Michael passes out drinking whiskey. He is woken by Jimmy, who has returned alone and makes a clumsy attempt at reconciliation. Michael reacts apathetically, saying that he will likely be dead in a couple of weeks, though does enquire about Amanda. Jimmy informs his father that Amanda remains angry at Michael though is also bored, and is waiting for her husband to turn up and prove that he is still committed to his family. Jimmy then accompanies Michael around Los Santos picking up Amanda and Tracey, who join Jimmy and Michael in an ill-fated therapy session with Dr. Friedlander. Despite the clear tensions which remain, the De Santas agree to reunite and are driven home by Michael.
Personality
Dan Houser has described Jimmy as a 20-year-old, whiny, pot smoker with the actor capturing the story of him brilliantly, but he is also prominently very lazy, and addicted to video games, as he is seen on a console in his bedroom during Michael's character trailer. When he plays video games he shouts insults at other players down the headset about their mothers, sexuality and how bad they are at the game.
Jimmy seems to be bold enough to stand up to his father, Michael De Santa, but when Michael comes back at him with aggression, Jimmy backs down. He blames his dad for all of his own failings and is quick to shift blame for any of his poorly thought actions onto his father's own loose morals and shady past. He even drugs him and steals his car and takes some of his money to get his own place. However, Jimmy saves his dad after a Merryweather goon knocks him down and prepares to shoot him by hitting the goon with a bong. Also, if Franklin chooses to kill Michael, Jimmy will mourn his father's death.
Appearance
Jimmy is a redhead, overweight man of medium size and height. He has a tattoo with the word "entitled" on his neck. He wears a red and black jersey, with "07" on the back and a white undershirt, a pair of grayish blue jeans with red, black and white sneakers and a silver necklace to match. Because of the way he acts and dresses, he appears to be mimicking the appearance and personality of a gangster. He has many tattoos, one of them reads "Edifica adversario tuo aureum pons ad receptum trans.", which translates to "Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across."
Mission appearances
- GTA V
- Franklin and Lamar
- Complications
- Father/Son
- Daddy's Little Girl
- Fame or Shame
- Did Somebody Say Yoga?
- Derailed (Post-mission message)
- Reuniting the Family
- Meltdown
- Parenting 101 (Boss; optional)
- Something Sensible (Option A; Post-mission phone call)
- The Time's Come (Option B; Post-mission phone call)
Trivia
- His favourite radio station is most likely West Coast Classics, as when he changes the radio station during Daddy's Little Girl, he changes it to this station.
- Sometimes, Jimmy can be heard watching pornography in his locked bedroom. If Michael tries to enter, Jimmy will tell him to go away.
- After the mission "Reuniting the Family" Jimmy can be seen in the living room of Michael's house doing a resumé for a job, at times he will say, "Should I put my K/D ratio on my resumé?" If the player looks closely or zooms into the laptop screen, Niko Bellic's Lifeinvader profile is visible. He also starts to do exercises. Also, whenever Jimmy is playing video games, he can be seen sitting upright on his bed rather than slouching back. He also no longer shouts profanities and keeps quiet.
- Jimmy used to play baseball, as seen on a photo in the De Santa residence.
- If you play as Michael and go into Jimmy's room on the table where the TV is placed you will see a Madd Dogg and OG Loc CD cover.
- Jimmy, like his sister, has a huge fondness for Trevor. This is shown during the course of the game as he calls him "Uncle T" and is happy to see him during the Fame or Shame mission. Also, if you choose ending A, he will call both Michael and Franklin, talking sadly about him being dead and saying that Trevor was like his real uncle. While hanging out with Trevor, Jimmy tells him he wishes he was his real father.
- When switching to Michael, he might sometimes be playing a video game with Jimmy, though it seems that Michael was losing, as he furiously throws his controller at the TV. Michael will then leave the room, but if the player takes a closer look at Jimmy's "controller", one will notice that Jimmy has no controller in his hands, though he will still act as if he was playing the game.
- Jimmy has a tendency to call his father by his name, as he calls Michael by his name in Daddy's Little Girl and refers to him as Mike on Life Invader.
- There is a pretty common glitch of him being cloned. (This is most common when he is cycling back home, or during the mission "Did Somebody Say Yoga?" if the player keeps driving back and forth, preventing Jimmy from entering the car, making another Jimmy spawn.)
- When Franklin hangs out with Jimmy, he says "so, we're a set now, is this what's going on?" and Franklin tries to convince Jimmy they are only two guys hanging out, but Jimmy requests going to Davis and shooting some Ballas before yelling "Families for life!" Then Franklin tells him he better knock him out to save him from himself, because shouting "families for life" will cause controversy, especially for him.
- Jimmy is the only friend all three protagonists can hang out with.
- Unlike Trevor, Michael and Amanda Jimmy will not change clothes while playing tennis.
- Jimmy appears to be much shorter than the other characters.
Gallery
References
- GameInformer December issue.
- Grand Theft Auto V - Second Trailer .