Hello, fellow Saints!
Back in early 2024, give or take, I had put together a video that gives my thoughts on who I believe is the most important character in Saints Row, predominantly the first two games and The Third respectively (The Third is only briefly mentioned here). I've also given my reasons for this across these three games, with the obvious exclusion of the Playa/Boss in mind as they're the main protagonist. I've linked the video here for you all.
I decided to put this thread in the Saints Row (2006) section as Troy is explored the most as a character in this game. I'd be happy to migrate this info to another section where requested, or this can be done by the site mods. Either way, I'd be happy to oblige.
I've also attached my notes from the video, written in bold, for those who'd like to give them a read.
**Notes and video dated to 01/04/2024.
Below is everything I've noted down on this subject while making this video.
This video largely covers Saints Row, Saints Row 2 and some minor parts of Saints Row: The Third. Any Saints Row games that follow these, including the 2022 release, have not been covered as they do not pose any relevance to this topic.
The contents and information presented in this video assume that viewers have at least beaten Saints Row and Saints Row 2, and at least played through the first mission of Saints Row: The Third (Troy is absent in this game, but he is mentioned), all while having in-depth knowledge on the plot of the first two games. To viewers who haven't done all of these things, some parts of this video might not make any sense to you.
Some oddities may occur in cutscenes (i.e. the player having certain items of clothing) as the cutscenes in this video were captured by replaying them (done via the player's cribs).
At no point does Troy attempt to go after the player character or the Saints. The Stilwater Police Department only appear to go after the player if they (of course) commit any crimes such as murder, vandalism, etc. However, despite Troy's powerful position as the chief of the Stilwater Police Department, he still does not attempt to hinder the Saints' progress in any way, largely due to the Saints being made up of his (former?) friends and the Saints' goal of wiping out the other gangs in Stilwater. As such, it's beneficial for Troy to do his best to cover for the Saints by not drawing attention to them or attempting to wipe them out, but also maintain at least a neutral relationship with them from a distance to keep up appearances.
Troy also had no intention of arresting or killing the player character, or any of the Saints, as heard by him reluctantly (and somewhat angrily) asking Julius if he thinks he "likes arresting his friends". Following the ending of Saints Row, with the player character being blown up and falling into a coma, Troy could've easily used his resources to prevent the Saints from never seeing the light of day again, but he chose not to. This shows that he had formed a strong bond with members of the Saints during his time working with them, even if he was working with them as an undercover cop (while the Saints were oblivious to this). The fact that he kept the player character alive while he was in a coma, the fact that it is implied (and more than likely to be true) that he protected Johnny during his time in prison and is even shown to have left Dex and Julius alone (due to them working for Ultor following the events of Saints Row) shows that he did indeed value them as friends, even if he was tasked with bringing down the entire group as an undercover cop at one point.
If the player hadn't broken out of prison at the start of Saints Row 2, I am certain that (based on what Johnny Gat says after you first rescue him) the player character would've been questioned by Troy personally about the events that transpired at the end of Saints Row.
Furthermore, I believe that based on Troy's attitude towards the Saints across Saints Row, Saints Row 2, and from what is mentioned briefly at the start of Saints Row: The Third, the player character's questioning would've had one of two outcomes:
1) MORE LIKELY: The player character would be encouraged to not pursue the gang lifestyle, instead encouraging the player character to pursue a life away from a life of crime. As shown in this video, the player character would be reluctant to do this, which could cause great conflict between the two. The player character may even accept Troy's request to stay away from a life of crime, as to not cause conflict between the two as Troy still appears to be a somewhat distant friend of his, only to still reform the Saints and take down the other gangs in Stilwater (all while not going after Troy).
2) LESS LIKELY: The player character is somehow placed into a position where they are, due to their talents and combat experience, legally able to join the efforts of the Stilwater Police Department (not the police force itself, but at least work alongside them) in taking down the other gangs in Stilwater. This, of course, is less than likely and does not match with the overall attitude and motives of the player character. This'd also be hurtful for Troy; yes, the player character would be a valuable ally, but it'd largely hurt the Stilwater Police Department's publicity to be working alongside the player character due to their past and present life of crime. For this reason, I'd label it as being a lot less likely than the former outcome (borderline impossible, if not impossible, if you want my two cents on this).
Also, if Troy was able to steer police attention away from the Saints in Saints Row 2, what's to say that he didn't have anything to do with Johnny Gat being protected (presumably by Troy himself) in prison? I find it hard to believe that he would go through all that work making sure that Johnny Gat was safe in prison, then have him executed for his past crimes. The only thing I can think of is if the decision for Johnny Gat to be placed on death row was out of Troy's hands. The same could also be said for the player character's case (though there's no indication, to my knowledge, that they were due to be placed on death row). Perhaps any law experts can chime in here, though this is Saints Row 2 we're talking about, a game where every single police officer in Stilwater doesn't immediately go after the player after they complete the first mission (which involves them breaking out of prison). It's still a great game, though (along with the first).
Completing the instance of the Fight Club activity that is located on the prison island in Saints Row 2 will allow the player to call up Troy as a homie during regular gameplay to help the player in combat and roam around Stilwater with them. This is just an easter egg and does not have any story significance, not does it contribute towards the plot of the games in any way.
Aside from a brief mention of him in Saints Row: The Third, Troy is never really properly explored as a character beyond the first mission in this game.
I hope this made for an interesting read. In Saints Row 2, I do feel that Troy should've been explored more as a character, especially after his promotion.
Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to discuss who you believe is the most important character in the series. I've only handpicked the first three games since it's been years since I've played any of the ones after these.
Have a good one and happy chatting!
Jacob. x
Back in early 2024, give or take, I had put together a video that gives my thoughts on who I believe is the most important character in Saints Row, predominantly the first two games and The Third respectively (The Third is only briefly mentioned here). I've also given my reasons for this across these three games, with the obvious exclusion of the Playa/Boss in mind as they're the main protagonist. I've linked the video here for you all.
I decided to put this thread in the Saints Row (2006) section as Troy is explored the most as a character in this game. I'd be happy to migrate this info to another section where requested, or this can be done by the site mods. Either way, I'd be happy to oblige.
I've also attached my notes from the video, written in bold, for those who'd like to give them a read.
**Notes and video dated to 01/04/2024.
Below is everything I've noted down on this subject while making this video.
This video largely covers Saints Row, Saints Row 2 and some minor parts of Saints Row: The Third. Any Saints Row games that follow these, including the 2022 release, have not been covered as they do not pose any relevance to this topic.
The contents and information presented in this video assume that viewers have at least beaten Saints Row and Saints Row 2, and at least played through the first mission of Saints Row: The Third (Troy is absent in this game, but he is mentioned), all while having in-depth knowledge on the plot of the first two games. To viewers who haven't done all of these things, some parts of this video might not make any sense to you.
Some oddities may occur in cutscenes (i.e. the player having certain items of clothing) as the cutscenes in this video were captured by replaying them (done via the player's cribs).
At no point does Troy attempt to go after the player character or the Saints. The Stilwater Police Department only appear to go after the player if they (of course) commit any crimes such as murder, vandalism, etc. However, despite Troy's powerful position as the chief of the Stilwater Police Department, he still does not attempt to hinder the Saints' progress in any way, largely due to the Saints being made up of his (former?) friends and the Saints' goal of wiping out the other gangs in Stilwater. As such, it's beneficial for Troy to do his best to cover for the Saints by not drawing attention to them or attempting to wipe them out, but also maintain at least a neutral relationship with them from a distance to keep up appearances.
Troy also had no intention of arresting or killing the player character, or any of the Saints, as heard by him reluctantly (and somewhat angrily) asking Julius if he thinks he "likes arresting his friends". Following the ending of Saints Row, with the player character being blown up and falling into a coma, Troy could've easily used his resources to prevent the Saints from never seeing the light of day again, but he chose not to. This shows that he had formed a strong bond with members of the Saints during his time working with them, even if he was working with them as an undercover cop (while the Saints were oblivious to this). The fact that he kept the player character alive while he was in a coma, the fact that it is implied (and more than likely to be true) that he protected Johnny during his time in prison and is even shown to have left Dex and Julius alone (due to them working for Ultor following the events of Saints Row) shows that he did indeed value them as friends, even if he was tasked with bringing down the entire group as an undercover cop at one point.
If the player hadn't broken out of prison at the start of Saints Row 2, I am certain that (based on what Johnny Gat says after you first rescue him) the player character would've been questioned by Troy personally about the events that transpired at the end of Saints Row.
Furthermore, I believe that based on Troy's attitude towards the Saints across Saints Row, Saints Row 2, and from what is mentioned briefly at the start of Saints Row: The Third, the player character's questioning would've had one of two outcomes:
1) MORE LIKELY: The player character would be encouraged to not pursue the gang lifestyle, instead encouraging the player character to pursue a life away from a life of crime. As shown in this video, the player character would be reluctant to do this, which could cause great conflict between the two. The player character may even accept Troy's request to stay away from a life of crime, as to not cause conflict between the two as Troy still appears to be a somewhat distant friend of his, only to still reform the Saints and take down the other gangs in Stilwater (all while not going after Troy).
2) LESS LIKELY: The player character is somehow placed into a position where they are, due to their talents and combat experience, legally able to join the efforts of the Stilwater Police Department (not the police force itself, but at least work alongside them) in taking down the other gangs in Stilwater. This, of course, is less than likely and does not match with the overall attitude and motives of the player character. This'd also be hurtful for Troy; yes, the player character would be a valuable ally, but it'd largely hurt the Stilwater Police Department's publicity to be working alongside the player character due to their past and present life of crime. For this reason, I'd label it as being a lot less likely than the former outcome (borderline impossible, if not impossible, if you want my two cents on this).
Also, if Troy was able to steer police attention away from the Saints in Saints Row 2, what's to say that he didn't have anything to do with Johnny Gat being protected (presumably by Troy himself) in prison? I find it hard to believe that he would go through all that work making sure that Johnny Gat was safe in prison, then have him executed for his past crimes. The only thing I can think of is if the decision for Johnny Gat to be placed on death row was out of Troy's hands. The same could also be said for the player character's case (though there's no indication, to my knowledge, that they were due to be placed on death row). Perhaps any law experts can chime in here, though this is Saints Row 2 we're talking about, a game where every single police officer in Stilwater doesn't immediately go after the player after they complete the first mission (which involves them breaking out of prison). It's still a great game, though (along with the first).
Completing the instance of the Fight Club activity that is located on the prison island in Saints Row 2 will allow the player to call up Troy as a homie during regular gameplay to help the player in combat and roam around Stilwater with them. This is just an easter egg and does not have any story significance, not does it contribute towards the plot of the games in any way.
Aside from a brief mention of him in Saints Row: The Third, Troy is never really properly explored as a character beyond the first mission in this game.
I hope this made for an interesting read. In Saints Row 2, I do feel that Troy should've been explored more as a character, especially after his promotion.
Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to discuss who you believe is the most important character in the series. I've only handpicked the first three games since it's been years since I've played any of the ones after these.
Have a good one and happy chatting!
Jacob. x