Ryder

Background

Lance "Ryder" Wilson is a hot-headed Grove Street Families member and a childhood friend of Carl Johnson. He is known for his short temper, his love of weed and his unpredictable behaviour. Like Big Smoke, he has secretly turned on the gang before CJ returns, working with the Ballas and the Loco Syndicate.

Events of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Ryder first appears in Sweet & Kendl and gives CJ a ride to the barber shop in the mission Ryder, before suddenly robbing a pizza restaurant and forcing a getaway. He then recruits CJ for weapon-stealing jobs: Home Invasion, where they rob a retired army officer's house, Catalyst, where they steal crates from a freight train, and Robbing Uncle Sam, where they break into a National Guard depot.

In The Green Sabre CJ catches Ryder working with Big Smoke, the Ballas and C.R.A.S.H. Ryder's role in the betrayal is later traced to San Fierro, where he is dealing with T-Bone Mendez and the Loco Syndicate. In Pier 69 CJ and Cesar interrupt a meeting between Ryder and the Syndicate. After CJ and Cesar kill T-Bone, Ryder tries to escape by boat, and CJ chases him across the water and kills him.

Ryder's missions are built around getting guns for the gang. In Home Invasion he relies on a tip from LB about Colonel Fuhrberger's stockpile. In Catalyst Tenpenny walks into his kitchen to tip him off about the munitions train, a detail that looks very different once his ties to C.R.A.S.H. are known. In Robbing Uncle Sam he boasts to CJ that he dropped out of school because he was too intelligent. In Photo Opportunity, CJ and Cesar photograph him meeting the Loco Syndicate in Angel Pine, confirming that he is dealing with Big Smoke's suppliers. After his death, Cesar tells CJ that Ryder once tried to sleep with Kendl, which eases CJ's guilt.

Personality

Ryder is aggressive, paranoid and quick to insult people, yet he can be funny in his own abrasive way. He relies on bluster rather than planning and is easily drawn to easy money.

Ryder constantly mocks CJ's driving, clothes and haircut, and he is quick to pick fights. He makes his own mixture of drugs, which he calls water, and is often seen digging up his backyard looking for his stash. Under the bravado he resents being overlooked, which may explain why Big Smoke's offer appealed to him.

Relationships

He grew up with CJ, Sweet and Big Smoke. Big Smoke is his partner in the betrayal, and T-Bone Mendez is his contact in San Fierro.

Trivia

• Ryder is voiced by the rapper MC Eiht.
• He often wears a hat and sunglasses and is rarely seen without a joint.
• He drives a Picador in several of his missions.