Having defeated all their rivals in Stilwater at the end of Saints Row 2, the Saints have turned their street gang into a media empire after merging with the Ultor Corporation. They have since become icons across the world, with their own energy drink, a large fanbase, and a movie deal in the works. But when they attempt to rob a bank with Josh Birk (a well-known TV actor who is "researching" his part for the Saints' movie) in tow, their everyday routine takes an unlikely turn when the bank tellers fight back. The Saints attempt to airlift the vault out of the building, but when Birk sets off the alarm, it alerts the Stilwater P.D. and the Saints are incarcerated.
In prison, Johnny Gat dawns on what the Saints have become, expressing disappointment at having strayed from their roots. At that point, an international crime organization called The Syndicate bribes the police to release the Saints' leader (henceforth referred to as Boss), Gat, and Shaundi. The three are taken to the Syndicate's leader, Phillipe Loren, to try and negotiate a business plan with them aboard Loren's private jet. While in-flight, Loren tells them they will be allowed to live if they turn over two-thirds of their revenue made in Stilwater. Boss rejects this offer and a gunfight breaks out, with Boss and Shaundi escaping from the jet as Johnny Gat holds back their enemies, only to be killed in the process.
Upon landing, the two find themselves in the Syndicate controlled city of Steelport, a Pittsburgh-esque city described by Shaundi as "Bangkok's abusive father". The Saints invade Steelport in an attempt to profit off the city, and also take control of organized crime away from the Syndicate as revenge for killing Johnny Gat. The game revolves around removing the three gangs that the Syndicate is composed of. These gangs consist of the Morning Star, a group of European businessmen that manufacture arms and genetically engineered, albeit flawed, superhumans called Brutes, the Deckers, a group of elite hacktivist that launders money for the Syndicate, and the Luchadores, a group of Mexican wrestlers who control gambling in Steelport.
After calling Pierce into Steelport, the player siezes a Morning Star penthouse for the Saints' new headquarters and begins attacking the Morning Star's businesses. Finally the player attacks Loren's headquarters, killing him and freeing the Brutes' genetic basis Oleg Kirrlov. Killbane, leader of the Luchadores, takes charge of the Syndicate, destroys Stilwater's Hughes Memorial Bridge, and frames the Saints for it.
To retaliate, the player seeks out anti-Syndicate talent, recruiting ex-FBI hacker Kinzie Kensington; Zimos, a pimp who speaks with an autotune electric voice box due to a tracheotomy; and Angel De La Muerte, Killbane's vengeful former tag-team partner. They are later joined by Viola DeWynter, one of Loren's twin lieutenants, after Killbane kills her sister Kiki; her defection, however, coincides with the arrival of the paramilitary STAG force in Steelport, created after the bridge's destruction to end gang violence once and for all. The player takes on STAG regardless, culminating in the destruction of their aircraft carrier base, Steelport going under martial law, and a zombie outbreak.
After providing Kinzie with the appropriate technology, the player enters the Deckers' mainframe, defeating Matt Miller's avatar in a virtual reality fight and driving him out of town. At Angel's insistence, the player opts to take on Killbane by killing the other contestants in his Murderbrawl XXXI pay-per-view to gain entrance, and then, with Angel's help, defeating Killbane and his Luchadores. An enraged Killbane responds by directing several attacks throughout Steelport to cause chaos.
Once the Luchadores are put down the player is simultaneously imformed that Killbane is escaping while STAG lieutenant Kia is holding Shaundi at a Steelport monument rigged to blow to frame the Saints. If the player opts to kill Killbane, the destruction of the monument is used as a pretext by STAG to attack Steelport with the airborne aircraft carrier Daedalus; the final mission consequently sees the player destroying the Daedalus, killing STAG leader Cyrus Temple in the process, and declaring Steelport an independent city-state under his control. If the player saves Shaundi the Saints are hailed as heroes for saving the monument and STAG is disbanded. The final mission instead has the player track Killbane down to Mars and kill him in what is ultimately reveled to be a scene from the Saints sci-fi film Gangstas in Space.
In prison, Johnny Gat dawns on what the Saints have become, expressing disappointment at having strayed from their roots. At that point, an international crime organization called The Syndicate bribes the police to release the Saints' leader (henceforth referred to as Boss), Gat, and Shaundi. The three are taken to the Syndicate's leader, Phillipe Loren, to try and negotiate a business plan with them aboard Loren's private jet. While in-flight, Loren tells them they will be allowed to live if they turn over two-thirds of their revenue made in Stilwater. Boss rejects this offer and a gunfight breaks out, with Boss and Shaundi escaping from the jet as Johnny Gat holds back their enemies, only to be killed in the process.
Upon landing, the two find themselves in the Syndicate controlled city of Steelport, a Pittsburgh-esque city described by Shaundi as "Bangkok's abusive father". The Saints invade Steelport in an attempt to profit off the city, and also take control of organized crime away from the Syndicate as revenge for killing Johnny Gat. The game revolves around removing the three gangs that the Syndicate is composed of. These gangs consist of the Morning Star, a group of European businessmen that manufacture arms and genetically engineered, albeit flawed, superhumans called Brutes, the Deckers, a group of elite hacktivist that launders money for the Syndicate, and the Luchadores, a group of Mexican wrestlers who control gambling in Steelport.
After calling Pierce into Steelport, the player siezes a Morning Star penthouse for the Saints' new headquarters and begins attacking the Morning Star's businesses. Finally the player attacks Loren's headquarters, killing him and freeing the Brutes' genetic basis Oleg Kirrlov. Killbane, leader of the Luchadores, takes charge of the Syndicate, destroys Stilwater's Hughes Memorial Bridge, and frames the Saints for it.
To retaliate, the player seeks out anti-Syndicate talent, recruiting ex-FBI hacker Kinzie Kensington; Zimos, a pimp who speaks with an autotune electric voice box due to a tracheotomy; and Angel De La Muerte, Killbane's vengeful former tag-team partner. They are later joined by Viola DeWynter, one of Loren's twin lieutenants, after Killbane kills her sister Kiki; her defection, however, coincides with the arrival of the paramilitary STAG force in Steelport, created after the bridge's destruction to end gang violence once and for all. The player takes on STAG regardless, culminating in the destruction of their aircraft carrier base, Steelport going under martial law, and a zombie outbreak.
After providing Kinzie with the appropriate technology, the player enters the Deckers' mainframe, defeating Matt Miller's avatar in a virtual reality fight and driving him out of town. At Angel's insistence, the player opts to take on Killbane by killing the other contestants in his Murderbrawl XXXI pay-per-view to gain entrance, and then, with Angel's help, defeating Killbane and his Luchadores. An enraged Killbane responds by directing several attacks throughout Steelport to cause chaos.
Once the Luchadores are put down the player is simultaneously imformed that Killbane is escaping while STAG lieutenant Kia is holding Shaundi at a Steelport monument rigged to blow to frame the Saints. If the player opts to kill Killbane, the destruction of the monument is used as a pretext by STAG to attack Steelport with the airborne aircraft carrier Daedalus; the final mission consequently sees the player destroying the Daedalus, killing STAG leader Cyrus Temple in the process, and declaring Steelport an independent city-state under his control. If the player saves Shaundi the Saints are hailed as heroes for saving the monument and STAG is disbanded. The final mission instead has the player track Killbane down to Mars and kill him in what is ultimately reveled to be a scene from the Saints sci-fi film Gangstas in Space.
