Why did Lance Vance betray Tommy Vercetti in GTA Vice City?

In one of the more surprising moments of GTA Vice City, Lance Vance betrayed Tommy Vercetti for petty reasons.

Lance originally started as a mysterious partner for Tommy. At the start of GTA Vice City, they wanted to take out Ricardo Diaz. He was the main suspect in the botched deal at the introduction. Tommy lost his money and influence, while Lance lost his brother Victor.

However, Lance became increasingly erratic. He went from a confident, smooth talker to a resentful crybaby. GTA Vice City players may wonder why he decided to turn on Tommy. There are several reasons why Lance did what he did in the final mission, Keep Your Friend Close.

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Lance Vance may have finally avenged his fallen brother in GTA Vice City

Lance let success defocus and derail him. When he starts to screw up his missions, Tommy calls him out for it. This plants the seeds of Lance's eventual betrayal.

He constantly failed while Tommy succeeded

Nothing ever goes right for Lance in GTA Vice City. When Diaz and his men captured him, he was nearly tortured to death. Tommy barely saved his life in the mission Death Row. It can be argued that Lance felt second rate to Tommy. He always had to rely on him for everything.

Lance was never the same afterward. He loses his confidence once Diaz gets killed. In the mission Bar Brawl, Lance fails to get protection money. He spends his time drinking instead of taking care of business. Tommy yells at him and goes on to handle it himself. Once again, it's up to Tommy to do everything.

Tommy will receive a call from Lance shortly afterward. The latter felt humiliated after Tommy berated him in front of the boys. Lance refuses to admit his mistakes and says he can't take them anymore. GTA Vice City players knew something was wrong with him.

Lance felt he was treated like a kid

Vice City Stories is set two years before GTA Vice City. It's revealed that Lance always had an inferiority complex. This is best seen on the White Lies mission. Victor calls out Lance for his repeated failures. In response, Lance tries to throw away their cocaine shipments.

Lance suffered from several crippling addictions and a thirst for power. He always thought of himself as a leader. But in reality, he was better suited to be a follower.

In the end, Lance only had himself to blame

Over the course of GTA Vice City, Tommy continues to grow in power. He eventually controls over half the city. There is no doubt that Lance felt powerless by comparison. He wanted a bigger slice of the pie.

Lance makes the fatal mistake of siding with Sonny Forelli. Despite their numbers advantage over Tommy, the latter kills them all. Lance should've known better than to think he could take on Tommy. His ego got in the way.

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This article reflects the writer's personal views.