Victor Vance or Johnny Klebitz: Which GTA protagonist had the more tragic ending?

There aren't many GTA protagonists that got the shorter end of the stick than Victor Vance and Johnny Klebitz.

They're noteworthy as the two GTA protagonists that players actually see perish on-screen. It's incredibly bittersweet for fans of the two characters, yet there's often a comparison for which of the two got it worse.

Victor Vance is the protagonist of Vice City Stories, but his tragic ending occurs in GTA Vice City at the start of the game. Here, he's an extremely minor character who dies in a shootout with Diaz's hitmen.

By comparison, Johnny Klebitz is the protagonist of GTA 4's The Lost and Damned. Trevor Philips disposing of him in GTA 5 was more controversial, especially since Johnny was a pale reflection of the man he used to be.

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Why GTA's Johnny Klebitz has the more tragic ending compared to Victor Vance

Official artwork of the two protagonists (Image via Rockstar Games)

Both protagonists had it rough, but there are several reasons why Johnny Klebitz's death was sadder, as he was:

• A protagonist in one game, before dying in the sequel (Victor is the reverse)
• Skinnier and weaker-looking by the time of his death
• Addicted to m*th
• Killed by Trevor Philips after he was with Ashley

Not to mention, the ending of The Lost and Damned is more bittersweet compared to Vice City Stories. Victor Vance is wealthy and gets the money for his sick brother, whereas Johnny Klebitz murders an old friend and has to burn down the Lost MC's old home.

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Why Victor Vance's death is less sad by comparison

When GTA Vice City first came out, Victor Vance was nothing more than a minor character related to Lance Vance. Most gamers weren't going to be disappointed seeing a character with a few lines get mowed down in front of them.

Vice City Stories came out a few years later, but players would either know he already died in the previous game or be unaware that he died then. There's also nothing to indicate that he became addicted to his drugs, and he seems to be in overall good spirits before his death.

While getting shot at isn't a pleasant way to go out, he wasn't constantly humiliated in the moments before his death.

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Johnny Klebitz's sad death

Moments before Trevor kills him (Image via Rockstar Games)

Johnny Klebitz has it rough for a protagonist (even rougher than Victor Vance). His portrayal from The Lost and Damned to GTA 5 is like a night and day difference. In the former game, he was a tough biker who criticized Ashley for her rampant drug use. He becomes weak and addicted to that very same drug in the latter game.

That alone would be a sadder fate than what most other protagonists in the series suffer through, but that's not the only thing that happens. He gets back together with Ashley, only for her to constantly cheat on him with Trevor Philips.

He voices his concerns about this problem and gets a nasty boot to his head for his troubles. It's more graphic than Victor's death scene, and it doesn't help that Trevor Philips continues to humiliate The Lost MC after this incident.

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Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.