The Last Of Us surged in popularity upon its 2013 release, captivating audiences with the action-packed storyline and complex characters. Gamers around the world quickly fell in love with the hardened smuggler and the spunky, teenage girl who might just save the world. Its highly anticipated sequel finally arrived in June of 2020.
The Last Of Us Part II received plenty of criticism from long-time players due to some emotionally devastating and controversial story decisions, but the game still broke sales records by leaps and bounds. Though Joel and Ellie don’t have as much screen-time together, both beloved characters still manage to make fans laugh and cry. Take a look at some of Joel’s best quotes alongside some of Ellie’s.
10 Joel: “If I Ever Were To Lose You, I’d Surely Lose Myself”
The outbreak hit Austin in September of 2013. “Future Days” by Pearl Jam debuted in July of that same year. Fulfilling an old promise, Joel plays this song for Ellie at the beginning of The Last Of Us Part II.
The lyrics are beautifully reminiscent of their relationship and all of the hardships that they went through since meeting each other. Though he may have discovered the song after the outbreak, it’s possible that this is one of the last “new” albums that Joel ever listened to before his daughter died and his life went up in flames. That makes him sharing it with Ellie even more meaningful.
9 Ellie: “I’m Just A Girl…Not A Threat”
The reveal of Ellie’s sexuality and her relationship with Dina is a sweet detail amidst tragedy. Ellie has a moment of vulnerability at the dance in Jackson when she’s unsure if Dina likes her, or if Dina is even attracted to women.
This scene is a tender reminder that Ellie is still just a 19-year-old, experiencing all the emotional sensitivity that anyone would at that age. She’s survived countless Infected and she’s an expert with a bow, but she also has everyday insecurities, like what her crush thinks of her.
8 Joel: “Why Don’t You Say Whatever Speech You’ve Got Rehearsed And Get This Over With”
Joel’s shocking death is a primary criticism of The Last Of Us Part II. Fans were less than happy to watch the painful loss of their favorite anti-hero, especially before they knew why it happened. Despite the controversy surrounding the scene, it can’t be said that Joel acted out of character.
His leg is a bloody mess from Abby’s shotgun, and Tommy is knocked out cold in the corner. He knows this isn’t going to end well for him, and he isn’t going to give Abby the benefit of crying or begging for mercy. Joel growls through the pain and tells them to just get on with it.
7 Ellie: “I Can Make It Quick…Or I Can Make It So Much Worse”
Grief changes people. Just like Joel became cold and withdrawn after his daughter’s death, Ellie has lost what she had left of her empathy for people she doesn’t know. Set on revenge after Joel’s murder, Ellie chases Nora through the hospital straight into a room full of spores.
Coughing and spluttering, Nora realizes who Ellie is, and swears that she won’t give up her friends. “I’m f***ing dead anyway. Why would I tell you anything?” Blinded by her rage, Ellie crouches down to her level and calmly threatens to torture her to death.
6 Joel: “Tell You What, When We Get Back… Movie Night”
Joel takes Ellie to the Wyoming Museum of Science and History in a wholesome flashback to Ellie’s 16th birthday. He feigns annoyance at her excitement as she gleefully explores the museum office, and lets the dinosaurs “try on” a hat she found from the gift shop.
Always the “dad,” Joel pretends he knows all about dinosaurs, even though his knowledge comes exclusively from Jurassic Park. It only takes a couple of movie references before Ellie is desperate to see what the fuss is about, and he promises that they can watch it next movie night.
5 Ellie: “If You Lie To Me One More Time, I’m Gone”
Ellie runs away to find out the truth about the cure and what happened with the Fireflies. When Joel finds her, it’s too late. All she wants is for the person that she loves and trusts the most to tell her the truth. “Making a vaccine would have killed you. So I stopped them.” She dissolves into sobs, weighed down by the full impact of his choice.
Ellie has always felt she shouldn’t be alive. In the first game, she tells Joel that she was supposed to die with Riley, and she’s still waiting for her turn. She wanted to save the world, and despite his good intentions, Joel took that from her.
4 Joel: “Did I Do Good?”
Leaving the dinosaur exhibit, Joel leads Ellie up to a section all about space. Shocked and amazed, she lights up even more than when she saw her first dinosaur and excitedly rattles off facts about astronauts and space travel.
Climbing into an old space capsule, Joel gives her a cassette tape – her “real” present. Ellie closes her eyes and listens to the recording of a launch as she imagines herself zooming into space and out of the pain of this world. When Joel asks if he “did good,” it’s so sincere and heartfelt. He’s done bad things, but all he wants is to give Ellie a good life.
3 Ellie: “I Have To Finish It”
A peek into the domestic farm-life that Dina and Ellie share after they get back from Seattle makes the rest of the story all the more tragic. Jesse and Tommy are dead, and Ellie was unable to avenge Joel’s death. Wracked with guilt, she packs her bag and tries to leave quietly in the middle of the night. When Dina finds her, it isn’t a fight. She just asks her to stay.
It’s an intriguing comparison to Abby and Owen’s relationship. Abby’s obsession with avenging her father’s death led to the loss of friendships and the man she loved, and Ellie’s quest for revenge breaks up her own little family.
2 Joel: “I Would Do It All Over Again”
Ellie gives Joel chance after chance to regret what he did, but he just can’t. “If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment… I would do it all over again.” It’s an incredibly selfish line, but it’s a perfect representation of all of Joel’s issues stemming from the loss of his daughter.
Joel grew from hardened and bitter to a point where he was able to open his heart again. This is one selfish part of him that he isn’t willing to change. He can’t let her go. If she dies, it can’t be his fault. He can’t feel that type of loss again.
1 Ellie: “I Don’t Know If I Can Ever Forgive You… But I Want To Try”
Ellie struggles with the knowledge that the world is the way it is because Joel saved her life. “I was supposed to die in that hospital. My life would have f***ing mattered, but you took that from me.” Instead, she’s alive and wracked with guilt, knowing that she could have stopped this.
She still loves Joel and wants him to be a part of her life, but she’s just too much like him. Just like Joel can’t change that he doesn’t regret what he did, Ellie is afraid her resentment over his decision is a part of her that she can’t change either.
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