Pulp Fiction revitalized John Travolta’s career, as he was struggling to get lead roles in the early '90s. His part as Vincent Vega is one of the most three-dimensional roles in the movie and it put him back on the map, as the hitman has a drug addiction and a short-temper and cuts corners in any way he can.
And because of this, he is not always good at his job, to say the least, and possibly the worst on-screen assassin in cinema history. Between accidentally shooting a man, causing his boss’s wife to overdose from his drugs, and getting bailed out by other better hitmen, Pulp Fiction's Vincent would be better in an office job than as an assassin.
He Accidentally Killed Somebody Who Wasn’t A Target
Though some Redditors talking about Pulp Fiction have the unpopular opinion that “The Bonnie Situation” is dumb, the catalyst for this very situation made for one of the most surprising plot turns in the movie. After retrieving Marsellus’ briefcase from Roger and miraculously surviving what should have been some fatal gunshot wounds, Vincent and Jules' luck was on another level.
But that luck ran out when Vincent accidentally shot Marv and killed him. It was the dumbest mistake Vincent could have made. Considering the primary requirement of his occupation is to know how to handle a gun, the blunder is more than embarrassing too.
He Wasn’t Armed When He Should Have Been
Vincent is a walking embarrassment, as the way he died showed that not only was he a failure as a hitman, but he was killed after letting his guard down in the bathroom too.
While ordered to wait at Butch’s property, Vincent left an automatic weapon on the kitchen unit in favor of a magazine to read when he went to the toilet. When Butch entered, he picked up the weapon and slaughtered Vincent as soon as he opened the bathroom door. Vincent’s murder is Pulp Fiction’s most shocking death, but that doesn’t mean Vincent didn’t have it coming. He was killed due to his own ignorance.
He Gets High On The Job
It’s no secret that Vincent’s substance abuse caused a lot of problems in the movie, but as an assassin, the issue could have majorly hindered his judgment. The fact that Vincent has a drug addiction could be the reason why Marsellus gave him "easy" jobs to do, such as simply looking after his wife.
There’s no knowing if Vincent was under the influence of heroin when he accidentally killed Marv or when he didn’t think to bring the gun with him when he went to the bathroom. But assuming that he was, both he and Marv could still be alive if he wasn’t high, and it could have changed the entire course of the movie.
Flirting With His Boss’s Wife
It’s evident throughout the whole movie that Marsellus Wallace is a dangerous man, and several instances prove this, most notably when he sent everyone on a manhunt for Butch. Vince was even warned by Jules about what Marcellus has done to men who have tried it on with Mia, but Vince couldn’t help himself.
When the two went out to dinner together, it went from being awkward to fairly flirtatious, and Mia and Vince’s dance-off was not only one of the best music moments in Pulp Fiction, but reason enough for Marsellus to throw Vince off a balcony. Although nothing happened between them, if Mia hadn't have overdosed, who knows where the night would have gone, as he still accepted the invitation into her home after dinner at Jack Rabbit Slims.
He Needs Other Better Hitmen To Bail Him Out
Vincent is like a lousy younger brother who always needs his big brothers to bail him out. In fact, without Jules, Vincent would be a mess, and he would have probably gotten himself killed a lot earlier in his career.
During “The Bonnie Situation,” he had to call on The Wolf for help. The Wolf is a "cleaner" who has a much wider skill set than both Vincent and Jules put together. And the reason why Vincent was so angry at Jules for claiming that he’s retiring at the end of the movie could be because Vincent knows he needs him.
He Is A Terrible Driver
Though he unmistakably has a license, as he is seen driving on several occasions, Vincent is a terrible driver, and it often gets him into trouble while doing his job. When racing to Lance’s place to save Mia, he crashes the car into the house.
On top of that, driving a car into a house is barely the inconspicuous nature a hitman should have, and it would surely raise the neighbors’ attention. His terrible driving skills might be why Jules is seen driving every time after that event.
He’s Responsible For Mia’s Overdose
Mia’s past relationship with drugs is unknown, but given how quick she was to use the heroin she found in Vincent’s coat pocket, her stance on them is clear. However, she mistook the heroin for cocaine, snorted it, and almost killed herself.
In fairness, Vincent does deserve credit for saving her life, as he was able to drive her to Lance’s house just in the nick of time and brave enough to stab her heart with an adrenaline shot. But the whole situation was inadvertently instigated by Vincent, and it would never have happened if he was more careful. And, once again, it all happened when he was in a bathroom.
He Makes Enemies Too Easily
Michael Keaton almost played Vincent Vega, and as great as that would have been, Travolta played the role brilliantly, especially when the character was hilariously stroppy. There was no reason for the hatred between Vincent and Butch, but as soon as they first met in Marsellus’ club, they instantly despised each other.
It could have been that Butch was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as Vincent could simply have been upset about “The Bonnie Situation,” which had just happened if looking at the scenes chronologically. But regardless of why Vincent instantly hated Butch, it was yet another proponent that led to his death.
He Slows Jules Down
Jules could have done everything by himself and the jobs would have been pulled off cleaner and with much more precision. But Jules spends most of his time cleaning up after Vincent, sometimes quite literally, as he cleans the car after Marv was shot, and it hardly seems fair.
What’s worse is that Vincent doesn’t even think about how his actions may affect his partner in crime, and that’s why Jules and Vincent are really frenemies instead of best friends.
He’s Responsible For Everything That Goes Wrong In The Movie
As mentioned, Marv, an innocent civilian, was accidentally shot by Vincent. Mia almost overdoses on heroin when she thought it was cocaine, which belonged to Vincent.
On top of all this, Pulp Fiction is all about chain reactions, and most of those chain reactions start with Vincent. If it wasn’t for the confrontation with Vincent, Butch would have been faster in finding the watch, and he wouldn’t have bumped into Marsellus. Most of what goes wrong in the movie can be traced all the way back to Vincent.
