There are few games that make one invested in their story so deeply, with The Last of Us having the honor of being one of these offerings. The Last of Us Part 2 brought new stories for fans to be invested in, but for that one needs to remember how the main characters work.
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Joel was a supporting character in the second game, but he had enough characterization for fans to know what kind of man he was. He let his actions speak more often than not, but Joel did have quotes for the fans to remember him by now that he’s breathed his last.
Updated on December 24, 2024, by Gerardo Molina: If players analyze the character of Joel closely, it’s easy to see that he has the classic antihero formula. A family man who’s lost it all and is trapped in a merciless world changes after an innocent girl becomes his responsibility. This story is as old as time, yet it’s still very interesting, and Naughty Dog managed to present it wonderfully.
Although many fans would have loved to see more of Joel in the second game, his actions, quotes, and love for Ellie left a mark on fans of the franchise that won’t be erased. Even when his absence from most of the second installment of the franchise is felt greatly.
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“I Think It’s Time We Quit This Place. Come On, Let’s Go.”
Chapter 6: The Suburbs (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Joel tells the group they have to keep moving, despite their recent encounter with danger.
Joel has always been known for being calm and collected during life-or-death situations. Perhaps part of it is due to the trauma of losing his daughter in such a violent way so many years ago, or maybe it’s a result of the dark, unforgiving world he and the rest of humanity have been living in for decades.
Whatever the case, this quote is the perfect reflection of how Joel’s mind works. Sam, Henry, Ellie, and himself had just escaped yet another life-threatening situation, and instead of taking his time to let reality sink in, he immediately tells the group to get a move on. No time lost, no hesitance—just pure, raw survival instincts. Fans who’ve watched the show will have probably noticed that Pedro Pascal’s version of Joel, while still rugged, serious, and emotionally stunted, is a bit more human than the one we get to see on the video game. The virtual version of Joel seems to act more out of reflex, than thought and empathy.
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“I’ve Struggled A Long Time With Survivin’, But No Matter What, You Keep Finding Something To Fight For.”
Chapter 12: Jackson (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Joel tells Ellie there’s always something to fight and survive for
Near the end of the game, as Joel and Ellie are making their way through an open prairie, Ellie questions his decisions and is tormented by her survivor’s guilt, and the thought of all the people who died trying to get her back to the Fireflies. Joel then explains that while surviving while others they care about have died, she will always find a reason to keep fighting and moving forward, no matter how hard it is.
This scene and Joel’s quotes not only show that he still feels like he should have died with his daughter, but also that he lives in duality. He frequently wants to give up, but the stronger side of him won’t let him—especially now, with Ellie around.
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“Now Ellie, That Ain’t For Kids.”
Chapter 5: Pittsburgh (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Joel feels awkward when Ellie rifles through an adult magazine
After taking Bill’s help, Joel and Ellie head towards the Firefly Hospital. Apparently, while she was combing over Bill’s lair, she stumbled upon a rather interesting magazine that she ended up stealing.
The contents of the magazine are quite suspect, and Joel is quick to point that out. Ellie takes this opportunity to make fun of him for a while before the story progresses and more dangers head their way. This scene was perfectly recreated in the series, sticking to the dialogue almost word for word, which was something that many of the franchise’s fans loved. This scene shows a peek of what Joel and Ellie’s relationship will become later on, and makes for a heartwarming adoptive father-daughter moment that is very interesting.
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“Do You Even Understand What That Means?”
Chapter 5: Pittsburgh (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Questioning if Ellie even understood one of her jokes
As time passes, Ellie finds a joke book where she keeps on reciting horrible puns to Joel time and time again. In its own way, this helps the two characters bond, even if Ellie herself doesn’t understand some of the jokes.
Joel calls her out when she makes a joke that is clearly something she’s not familiar with. It’s a simple interaction, but it shows how the grizzled survivor is slowly warming to the influence of a person who’s more like his daughter than he’d care to admit.
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“It’s Called Luck, And It Is Gonna Run Out.”
Chapter 3: The Outskirts (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- After Ellie is amazed by Joel and Tess’ capable nature in combat
While escorting Ellie, both Joel and Tess show just how adept they are at tackling the many hazardous situations people would encounter in this post-apocalyptic world. This impresses Ellie to no end, who compliments both of them and says how their skills are truly astounding.
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Joel doesn’t let this statement get to his head and outright states that all of this just boils down to luck. It’s a statement that is called back in a chilling fashion after Tess reveals that she’s been bitten by the Infected in one of the more chilling moments in the story.
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“I Swear.”
Chapter 12: Jackson (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- In response to Ellie’s queries about what really happened at the Firefly Hospital
By the end of The Last of Us, Joel had developed a strong bond with Ellie and simply couldn’t let her die for the sake of humanity. This led to him shooting up the entire Firefly hospital, killing innocents, and saving Ellie at the cost of his own humanity.
Given how suspicious her circumstances are, Ellie asks Joel to promise that he didn’t lie to her about the Fireflies. Joel swears to his account of events, which Ellie accepts before the game ends on a rather bitter note. Joel saving Ellie from the Fireflies has been a source of controversy and debate among players ever since the game was first released. Some say that even if the Fireflies had killed Ellie, they would not have been able to extract a cure for the Cordyceps pandemic, making her death happen in vain. Others claim that it was possible for the pandemic to end and that Joel basically doomed humanity and condemned millions of people to die out of his selfish love for Ellie. Whatever the case, Joel’s actions were a display of fatherly love that was heartwarming, whether players agreed with his decision or not.
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“Yeah, Well, Just Try Not To Let Your Guard Down.”
Chapter 5: Pittsburgh (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Joel’s awkwardness makes it hard for him to take a compliment
It’s clear that Joel hasn’t interacted with a halfway-decent human being ever since the epidemic. So, when Ellie actually commends Joel for his grit and skills, Joel reacts as awkwardly as one would expect.
Instead of thanking Ellie for complimenting him, Joel just tells her to stay alert and not let her guard down. It’s one of their many endearing interactions, with Ellie outright saying that she’s praising Joel for being such a reliable person.
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“Don’t You Have A Plan B?”
Chapter 4: Bill’s Town (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- When Bill’s plan to contain the Infected becomes less viable
After meeting Bill, Joel and Ellie go through a series of events that leads to a ton of Infected chasing them down. After thwarting their approach, Joel asks if Bill has any other plans other than the one they botched.
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However, it was clear that the majority of Bill’s defenses had been triggered during the Infected ambush. He responds by saying that all their routes had been decimated by this assault, and anything else they’d do would be on the fly instead of being meticulously planned out.
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“I’m Glad I Didn’t Get My Head Blown Off By A Goddamn Kid.”
Chapter 5: Pittsburgh (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Showing the tense nature of Ellie and Joel’s relationship in the early going
It’s clear that Ellie is pretty young and not suited for massive firefights, prompting Joel to ask her to hang back while he takes care of things. However, after things went south, Ellie came to Joel’s rescue and killed a hunter who was about to end his life.
Instead of appreciating this, Joel admonishes Ellie and says that her inexperience could’ve led to his death too. This causes Ellie to get angry at Joel, who seemed thankless despite having his life saved just a few moments back.
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“And Just So We’re Clear About Back There… It Was Either Him Or Me.”
Chapter 5: Pittsburgh (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Commending Ellie for using the rifle properly in combat
Joel lived in a world that had gone back to its savage roots. All of a sudden it was either kill or be killed, and Joel was thrust into several situations time and time again where he needed to end a person’s life to save his.
When this happened in front of Ellie, even a stone-hearted fellow like Joel knew that she needed to learn the truth of this situation. It’s one of the many moments where the duo slowly starts bonding over time.
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“Endure And Survive.”
Chapter 5: Pittsburgh (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- An iconic line that has become a series staple
When Joel and Ellie start bonding, Ellie mentions this line before telling Joel it’s from a comic called Savage Starlight, where the hero says it at the end of every battle. This line also reflects the torrid world Joel and Ellie found themselves in.
Killing dozens of beings, Infected or not, is not an easy task… but it’s a necessity that needs to be carried out. So, when Joel kills all the Infected in the underground tunnel near the end of the game, the fact that he repeats this line is pretty poignant indeed. It’s a moment that was added in the remastered version too, showing that Naughty Dog really knew their title inside out.
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“You Sacrifice The Few To Save The Many.”
Chapter 5: Pittsburgh (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Explaining the vile nature of a world ruined by the Infected
After the Infected took over the world, the United States went into a state of military control. This prompted them to only let certain survivors in and let the unlucky rest die in dangerous areas.
This is a conversation that Joel engages in with Ellie, finally stating the need to sacrifice the few to save the many. It’s a cruel act, but a necessary one during a time when humanity is on the brink of extinction.
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“You Have No Idea What Loss Is.”
Chapter 7: Tommy’s Dam (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- A tense exchange between Joel and Ellie
The Last of Us has one of the saddest beginnings in gaming history. After the plague starts affecting the world, Joel’s daughter is shot down in cold blood by the military during a fatal moment rife with misunderstanding.
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It’s a horrible thing for any father to have to deal with, and turned Joel into a cold and cruel being over time. This leads him to spit this line out during a verbal argument with Ellie, to which the girl replies that she’s lost her fair share of friends too.
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“You’re Right. You’re Not My Daughter- And I Sure As Hell Ain’t Your Dad. And We Are Going Our Separate Ways.”
Chapter 7: Tommy’s Dam (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- A nerve-wracking line that adds to the tension between the lovable duo
Joel and Ellie weren’t really on the best of terms when they started out. Their relationship eventually built up over time… but a part of Joel was scared that he had started building a warm and familiar relationship with Ellie — a bond that was similar to the one he had with his own daughter, Sarah.
So, when Ellie brings her up, Joel feels a mixture of fear and anger and utters this cold line. While they eventually make up over time, it’s an indication of just how much Joel was hurt by the passing of his daughter.
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“Why Don’t You Just Say Whatever Speech You’ve Got Rehearsed And Get This Over With.”
Chapter 1: Jackson (The Last Of Us Part 2)
- Joel’s final words that cement his hard-broiled nature
Joel was never a man who would go out begging for his life and he proved this in his final moments. Abby wanted to gloat about killing him before she did so, but Joel realized it was a lose-lose situation and opted to die without getting into Abby’s games.
It was the last act of defiance by a man who had lived by his rules. Even in death, he chose to go out being the one in control of the situation as Abby didn’t get the satisfaction of killing him.
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“Happy Birthday, Kiddo.”
Chapter 2: Seattle Day 1 – The Birthday Gift (The Last Of Us Part 2)
- One of the best moments shared between Joel and Ellie
Joel had fully embraced being a father the second time around. In a flashback scene, Ellie remembered how they had celebrated her birthday, with Joel giving her the first celebration in her life to commemorate her birth.
It was the first time that Ellie was made to feel grateful to have lived, as Joel’s birthday greeting made her feel safe that there was someone who was glad that she was in his life.
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“If Somehow The Lord Gave Me A Second Chance…I Would Do It All Over Again.”
Chapter 11: Santa Barbara (The Last Of Us Part 2)
- When Ellie flashes back to her final conversation with Joel
One of the ways the sequel referenced the first game was when Joel faced the truth about what he did to Marlene. Ellie found out that Joel had essentially sacrificed humanity for her sake and blamed Joel for making her decision.
Joel had no remorse over his actions, arguing that he felt justified to do so as Ellie was innocent and Joel didn’t feel she or even he owed anything to humanity. He may or may not have been wrong but his sentiments were absolute.
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“What Is The Downside To Eating A Clock? It’s Time-Consuming.”
Chapter 1: Jackson (The Last Of Us Part 2)
- A hilarious joke showing how much of Ellie has rubbed off on Joel
If there was ever any doubt on the dad skills that Joel possessed then look no further than this moment. Here, Joel went full-on dad mode by making the cheesiest joke one can think of.
It was the kind of stuff that only those happy in the dad life could make, which proved that Joel had started to become as he was before the apocalypse. He’d been seen as a hardened personality for so long that this quote came as a surprise but a welcome one for sure.
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“If I Ever Were To Lose You, I’d Surely Lose Myself.”
Chapter 1: Jackson (The Last Of Us Part 2)
- While singing Future Days, showing the theme of the game
The demise of Joel became even more tragic once the scene of him playing the guitar was shown. This song was initially supposed to be something Joel sang at the moment but takes a sad turn when it’s seen in the context of his death.
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It proved that Joel would very much rather die than have to see Ellie meet the same fate. He would have become broken beyond repair had that been the case. He had already lost himself after his daughter had died and the song could be seen as a way for him to reconcile this grief.
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“…No Matter What, You Keep Finding Something To Fight For.”
Chapter 12: Jackson (The Last Of Us Part 1)
- Indirectly stating his reasons for fighting against the Fireflies and saving the girl who’s like a daughter to him.
Throughout the twenty years he spent on his own, the viewer would have wondered what the reason was for Joel to even be fighting to live since he didn’t seem to be happy.
He answered this for us in the closing moments of the game, where Joel admitted he also had feelings of guilt over surviving while others had died; the only way he saw life was worth living was by finding things to fight for. By the end, he had more than enough reason to live now that he had Ellie.
