The moment it hit the scene back in 2013 on the PlayStation 3, The Last of Us was hailed as a masterful achievement and big step forward for narrative possibilities in gaming. The theme was familiar, taking place in a post apocalyptic world with legions of infected creatures being nothing new to pop culture. However, what made the PS3 game special was the memorable characters within the story, each fully realized and well developed, with complete character arcs. Alongside Ellie, the other star of the show was Joel, a broken, rugged man trying to make it day to day in a harsh new world.
Joel, even prior to the outbreak, seemed to have lived a life of hard knocks. The man carries the weight of every hardship and personal loss on his shoulders, something exceptionally well performed by actor Troy Baker. While aggressive and ill-tempered, Joel is also full of compassion and willingness to help others, making him a three dimensional character with plenty of depth. He undergoes a lot in the span of the two The Last of Us games which Naughty Dog has created so far, a character arc which will be examined below.
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The Death of Sarah/20 Years Later
When audiences were first introduced to Joel in the opening moments of The Last of Us, he seemed like a hard working man just trying to make ends meet. Seemingly a single father with no sign of his child's mother in the picture, Joel lives day by day with his daughter, with whom he clearly has a strong connection. It doesn't take long before the game kicks into high gear and the viral outbreak spreads throughout Joel's hometown in the suburbs of Austin, Texas.
While trying to escape, Joel's daughter Sarah is tragically killed, an event which would forever shape his personality and outlook on the world. It is unclear what exactly happened to Joel in the 20 years that passed from this moment, to when the rest of the game takes place, but it isn't hard to fill in the gaps. Now much older and more bitter than ever, Joel almost seems numb to the world around him, having little reason to feel alive after the traumatic death of Sarah. This is of course until Joel accepts a smuggling job with his friend Tess, a decision which would forever change his life.
Meeting Ellie
As stated, Joel was a grizzled and reserved man at this point in the story. The last thing he wanted was to get close to people, let alone escort a teenage girl to a rendez-vous point. The young girl in question is named Ellie, and immediately sports a spunky, rambunctious attitude with sarcastic remarks to boot. At first, Joel seems at wits end with Ellie, dodging her questions and mostly brushing off her constant attempts at conversation. It's not until Tess is killed, leaving Joel and Ellie to travel alone, that the two truly begin to bond. It is here that Joel slowly but surely begins to open up and show he can care for someone again.
The Last of Us organizes its storyline by dividing events across the four seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. With each passing season and further trials and tribulations, it becomes evident that Joel had become more comfortable around Ellie and has even grown to enjoy her company. He will begin to bring up past memories to share with her and even respond to her jokes, something which never would have happened at the beginning of their union. Ellie's wit and charm slowly chipped away at Joel's tough exterior, making him genuinely care for her throughout their year long journey across most of the United States. This newfound love in Joel's heart would be tested however upon finally reaching their intended destination: the hospital in Salt Lake City.
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Joel's Choice
The entire purpose of the journey was to deliver Ellie to the Fireflies in Salt Lake City. The reason for this is that Ellie is somehow immune to the virus plaguing the world, so the hope was to harvest her DNA in an attempt to create a cure. The twist is that this process will kill Ellie, something which Joel was not aware of prior and a revelation he cannot live with. Throughout their travels, Ellie has grown to be a newfound daughter in Joel's eyes. Joel pleads the leader of the Fireflies, Marlene, to find someone else. He is quickly restrained, not being given any say in the matter. Not wanting to lose two daughters in his lifetime, Joel brutally murders dozens of people, fighting his way to Ellie before escaping from the hospital.
Consequences of Joel's Choice
While Joel's decision to save Ellie was one fueled by love, it sadly had long lasting implications on the rest of his life. Ellie is immediately suspicious of Joel's explanation for them having to leave the hospital, and when she does learn the truth, it permanently damages their relationship. Ellie no longer views Joel as a father figure and exchanges become awkward and tense, something which has clearly affected Joel's emotional state. The narrative structure of The Last of Us 2 only makes this more painful by shifting between happier moments of Joel and Ellie, then back to their splintered relationship in the present.
Aside from emotional turmoil, Joel's decision also yields fatal, physical ramifications. One of the men which Joel kills to save Ellie in the hospital had a daughter named Abby, who grows and makes it her life goal to avenge her father. She succeeds, killing Joel right in front of Ellie, removing the chance of them ever mending the damage done to their relationship. While Ellie has to live with that chance she never had, Joel seemed to be content for the first time in a long time, simply for the reason that he did have a chance. In a flashback scene, the last conversation between the two reveals that Ellie was willing to try and move forward, which is all Joel needed to hear after so long. In essence, it comes down to the core of who Joel was in The Last of Us: a damaged man with many challenges to face, but always hopeful and eager to find happiness.
The Last of Us: Remastered and The Last of Us 2 are now available on PS4.
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