Naughty Dog needs no introduction, with its impressive and varied library of games ranking among the most iconic in the entire industry. Both The Last of Us and Jak and Daxter have become synonymous with the PlayStation brand, often referenced as two of the most memorable exclusive franchises on the system. However, what many players may not be aware of is that the connection between these two aforementioned franchises runs deeper than both games being made by Naughty Dog.
The Last of Us initially began its development as a Jak and Daxter reboot, with the project later morphing into the post-apocalyptic action adventure players eventually received. Despite this huge tonal shift, elements of Jak and Daxter’s DNA and overall style can still be seen sprinkled into The Last of Us, influencing some aspects of its design. One key similarity in particular is in how both games focus on two primary characters, travelling together as companions with a larger goal in sight. From this perspective, Ellie is essentially to The Last of Us what Daxter was to his own trilogy, which is a fun yet bizarre notion to consider.
Although one is an action platformer and the other a survival horror game, both Naughty Dog games follow the perilous journey of two main characters that stick together through thick and thin. Both Jak and Joel tackle much of the heavy lifting and combat-focused encounters, whereas Daxter and Ellie both serve as NPC support in some sections and bring levity to the darker subject matter of the experiences. While Jak and Joel are mostly rough and gruff, tough guys, Ellie and Daxter boast tons of personality and deliver some of the most memorable and iconic lines and moments from each respective series.
The similarities don’t just stop at these characters being the heart of each game, but run much deeper into motivations and personalities as well. Considering that Daxter predates Ellie’s inception by over a decade, much of his legacy can be seen as a precursor to her behavior and place as a character. Daxter’s personal struggle in dealing with absorbing an excessive level of dark eco can be seen as an inspiration for Ellie’s own inner conflict as being immune to the Cordyceps virus. Both the first Jak and The Last of Us heavily revolve around a quest to discover a cure for each character’s condition, and it’s increasingly clear that Naughty Dog may have re-used older game ideas.
Narrative comparisons aside, Ellie and Daxter share similarities in how they are featured in gameplay as well. Occasionally breaking away from controlling Joel and Jak, the player is given control over Ellie and Daxter to change up the experience. While both characters technically fill the position of being the video game sidekick, they are anything but the lesser to the other half of the duo. In many instances, Daxter and Ellie are tasked with objectives that better suit them, with The Last of Us: Left Behind showing Ellie’s capacity to hold her own.
If the connection between these two is to be stretched even further, the growth of each character experiences a similar arc early on in each respective storyline. At the beginning of Jak 2, Jak is arrested by the Krimzon Guard and incapacitated, leaving Daxter to fend for himself and ultimately rescue Jak. This is similar to in The Last of Us when Joel is injured at the end of the ‘Fall’ segment of the game, forcing Ellie to be more independent throughout the ‘Winter’ chapter. Both characters buck the trend of the sidekick being the less capable counterpart to the main hero, and Daxter may have played a strong part in what makes Ellie such an iconic video game heroine.
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