Saints Row: The Third: Complete Guide

A complete guide to the original 2011 PC release of Saints Row: The Third: how Respect and upgrades work, what to buy first, every activity type, taking over Steelport, the story's two big decisions and both endings, DLC, co-op, and an achievement plan.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the Steam release (with the April 2016 Linux/SteamOS update). This is a finished game; the separate Saints Row: The Third Remastered is also on Steam. Check the linked sources if something differs.

Original vs Remastered: Saints Row: The Third (app 55230) is the 2011 original. Saints Row: The Third Remastered (released 22 May 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on Steam in May 2021) rebuilds the visuals and includes all DLC. Gameplay, missions and choices are the same, so this guide works for both.

Quick Start

• Respect is XP. You earn it for almost everything: missions, activities, stunts, "Challenges" and diversions. Respect levels unlock new upgrades and let you buy them with cash.
• Buy cash upgrades first. Upgrades that raise hourly income, plus property purchases, snowball your money. Buying shops and properties raises both income and district control.
• Then buy survivability. Health, sprint, and the immunity upgrades (no fall damage, fire, explosion, and bullet resistance tiers) make the late game trivial.
• Do activities between missions. Activities pay out cash and Respect, reveal the map, and take over neighbourhoods. The story alone will leave you under-powered.
• Upgrade one gun per slot. Weapon upgrades at Friendly Fire stores add effects (explosive rounds, incendiary, extra damage). "Cowboy Up" wants one weapon fully upgraded in every slot.
• Call your homies. Unlocked allies can be phoned in to fight with you or bring vehicles. Homies and gang backup upgrades make hard fights easy.
• Store vehicles in your garage. Stolen or customised vehicles can be kept and called later; customise them at Rim Jobs.
• Co-op is drop-in, drop-out. A friend can join your campaign at any time. There is even an achievement for five hours of co-op.

Respect, Upgrades and Money

Category | Examples | Priority

Income | Money-making upgrades, owning properties | Highest early; pays for everything else

Health and stamina | More health, faster regeneration, more sprint | High

Immunities and resistances | No fall damage, fire, explosion and bullet resistance tiers | High once affordable

Combat | Better melee, more ammo capacity, better aim | Medium

Gang and homies | Stronger gang members and more backup | Medium; great for Takeover fights

Vehicles | Nitrous and vehicle toughness upgrades | Low to medium

Money loop: buy properties in districts you already control, run activities for cash payouts, and let hourly income build up. Collectibles (drug stashes, sex dolls, money shots and similar pickups) also give cash and Respect.

Steelport: Districts and Takeover

Steelport has four main districts, each with a takeover achievement:

District | Takeover achievement

Downtown | "Hanging With Mr. Pierce"

New Colvin | "Mourning Stars"

Stanfield | "Hack the Planet"

Carver Island | "You're the Best..."

Completing takeover in all of Steelport earns "Bright Lights, Big City". Takeover progress comes from buying property, finishing activities, clearing Gang Operations ("Flash the Pan" wants every one) and completing diversions like Hitman targets and Vehicle Theft.

The Gangs

The Syndicate runs Steelport through three gangs, and a government force enters later:

Faction | Leader and notable members | Style

Morningstar | Phillipe Loren, with lieutenants Viola and Kiki DeWynter | Organised crime; guns and sex trade

Luchadores | Eddie "Killbane" Pryor | Wrestler-themed; casinos and steroids; heavy "brute" enemies

Deckers | Matt Miller | Hackers controlling the cyber black market

S.T.A.G. | Cyrus Temple | Military response unit with high-tech gear

Activities

Every activity comes in multiple instances around the city, each with an achievement for completing all of them.

Activity | What you do | Achievement

Insurance Fraud | Throw yourself into traffic for damage payouts | "Ouch."

Mayhem | Cause property damage within a time limit | "Fence Killa 2011"

Tank Mayhem | Mayhem, but with a tank | "Tank You Very Much"

Heli Assault | Protect a target from a helicopter gunner seat | "And Boom Goes the Dynamite"

Trafficking | Ride-along drug deals with fights | "Tune In, Drop Off"

Snatch | Rescue hos from rival gangs and deliver them | "Double Dose of Pimping"

Escort | Drive a VIP around while avoiding press | "Your Backseat Smells Funny"

Guardian Angel | Sniper overwatch for an ally | "Go Into the Light"

Trail Blazing | Tron-style vehicle run with fire trail | "Porkchop Sandwiches"

Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax | Game show shooting gallery | "Have A Reality Climax"

Diversions: Hitman assassination targets ("Everything is Permitted"), Vehicle Theft targets ("Hi-Jack It"), collectibles ("Life of the Party" for 100%), and Challenges (stat-based tasks; "You're My Hero!" for all).

Weapons

The game is known for its absurd arsenal on top of standard pistols, SMGs, shotguns, rifles and explosives:

• The Penetrator — the infamous oversized melee bat ("Stay Classy Steelport" pairs it with the Fart in a Jar).
• Apoc-Fists — giant novelty fists that send enemies flying.
• Reaper Drone and Air Strike / satellite targeting — guided strikes from above.
• RC Possessor — take remote control of vehicles.
• Sonic Boom and other sci-fi weapons unlocked through the story.

Weapon upgrades at Friendly Fire unlock alternate fire and elemental effects. Fully upgrading one weapon per slot is both an achievement and a big power spike.

Story Walkthrough Outline

The campaign runs in three acts. Early missions include "When Good Heists..." (the bank job), "I'm Free - Free Falling", "We've Only Just Begun" and "Party Time". Act 2 covers the war against each Syndicate gang, including the Deckers finale "http://deckers.die" and the "Zombie Attack" mission.

Decision 1: End of Act 1

Act 1 ends with a choice involving the Syndicate's tower. Each option finishes Act 1 "in one way" or "in another way" and unlocks a different achievement: "Tower Defense" or "Kuh, Boom." The choice changes the immediate outcome and some rewards, not the overall direction of the story.

Decision 2: End of Act 3

Near the end the Boss must choose between chasing Killbane and stopping S.T.A.G.:

Path | Outcome | Achievement

Stop S.T.A.G. and save your allies | The Saints save their friends and the city's monument; this is the canon ending and leads into the "Gangstas in Space" film ending | "Gangstas... In Space!"

Chase Killbane | You kill Killbane, but S.T.A.G. destroys the monument and your allies are lost; the Boss then goes after S.T.A.G.'s aircraft carrier | "Too Close to the Son"

Tip: Make a manual save before the final decision so you can play both endings and grab both achievements. Saints Row IV follows the canon ending.

DLC

DLC | Content | Achievement

Genkibowl VII | New activities: Sexy Kitten Yarngasm, Apocalypse Genki, Sad Panda Skyblazing, Super Ethical PR Opportunity | "Genki Bowl Champ" plus several activity-specific ones

Gangstas in Space | A sci-fi film shoot with Space Amazons, Space Brutina and the Aegean spacecraft | "C-List Celebrity" and space-themed achievements

The Trouble with Clones | A mission pack about a clone of Johnny Gat | "My Pet, Monster"

Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package (November 2012) bundles the base game with all post-release content.

Co-op

Story missions and activities support two-player drop-in, drop-out co-op. Co-op achievements: "Bromance in the Row" (five hours), "Partners in Crime" (every mission in co-op) and "Crew of Two" (every activity instance in co-op). Invite a friend from the Steam overlay or the in-game co-op menu.

Achievement Plan

Saints Row: The Third has 83 Steam achievements, including those from the three mission packs. A sensible order:

Phase | Achievements | Notes

Story (automatic) | "Dead Presidents", "The Welcome Wagon", "Opulence, You Has It", "We're Takin' Over", "Gotta Break Em In", "I Heart Nyte Blayde", "kill-deckers.exe", "Once Bitten... Braaaaaaains", "Titanic Effort", "Murderbrawl 31" | Come naturally with the campaign

Branching choices | "Tower Defense" / "Kuh, Boom." (Act 1), "Too Close to the Son" / "Gangstas... In Space!" (Act 3) | Save before each decision and reload for the other outcome

Mission-specific | "Public Enemy #1" (destroy 45 police and SWAT vehicles while protecting Jimmy's car), "The Johnnyguard" (keep Johnny Tag from taking damage on the Magarac Bridge), "B.A.M.F." (hold your position at Technically Legal using only melee) | Replay the mission if you miss them

Activities and takeover | One per activity type, four district takeovers, "Bright Lights, Big City", "Flash the Pan" | Clear each district fully before moving on

Long counters | "Haters Gonna Hate" (1,000 gang members), "Who Loves Ya Baby" (50 brutes), "Bo-Duke-En" (hijack 50 vehicles Dukes style), "Third and 30" (30 hours in Steelport) | Tick up over a completionist run

Easy to forget | "Gender Equality" (two hours each as a male and a female character; change at Image As Designed), "Pimped Out Pad" (fully upgrade one Stronghold), "Ow My Balls!" (a nutshot and a testicle assault), "Shake and Bake" (first Challenge) | Knock these out whenever convenient

Co-op | "Bromance in the Row", "Partners in Crime", "Crew of Two" | Plan a full co-op playthrough with a friend

Mission pack highlights: Gangstas in Space has "Xenaphobe" (kill Space Brutina), "Pew! Pew! Pew!" (35 Space Amazons with the Laser Pistol), "Warrior Princess" (7 Space Amazons with melee), "Revenge of the Navigator" and "Do a Barrel Roll!" (Aegean challenges) and "Lights! Camera! Action!" (six hidden clapboards). Genkibowl VII has score and stunt achievements for each of its four activities, such as "C-C-C-Combo Breaker" ($150,000 of damage in one Sexy Kitten Yarngasm combo) and "Flame On" (every ring in one Sad Panda Skyblazing run).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring property. Property is the backbone of your income and district control.
• Spreading upgrades across every gun. Focus one weapon per slot first.
• Doing the story without activities. You will be broke and fragile in Act 2.
• Forgetting to save before the final choice. Two endings, two achievements.
• Leaving Gang Operations for later. They are part of takeover and easy Respect when you are already in the area.

Advanced Tips

• Insurance Fraud and Mayhem are the fastest early cash sources.
• Fall damage immunity turns rooftops and aircraft into safe travel.
• Use Saints Flow (the energy drink power-up) for challenge achievements like "Supaa-Excellent!" and "Send in the Clones".
• Taunt and compliment gang members as you go for "Love/Hate Relationship" (50).
• Customise ten vehicles early at Rim Jobs for "The American Dream".
• Explore every hood for "Gellin' Like Magellan"; flying vehicles make it quick.

FAQ

Should I play the original or the Remastered? Either works. The Remastered has better visuals and includes all DLC; the original runs on lower-end PCs and is often very cheap.

Which ending is canon? The ending where you stop S.T.A.G. and save your allies; Saints Row IV continues from it.

Can I play both endings? Yes. Save before the final decision and reload.

Is co-op still possible? Yes, the campaign supports two-player co-op; both players need the game.

What order should I play the series in? Saints Row 2, then The Third, then Saints Row IV and Gat out of Hell. The 2022 Saints Row is a reboot.

How many achievements are there? 83 on Steam, including DLC achievements.

Sources

• Steam store page: Saints Row: The Third
• Steam news: Saints Row series announcements
• Steam global achievements: Saints Row: The Third
• Wikipedia: Saints Row: The Third