The Last of Us is the world of Ellie and Joel & how their father-and-daughter-like relationship blossomed and shattered throughout the apocalyptic years. The two might not have always had the easiest and smoothest road along the way, but they always had each other’s back.
With Part II officially hitting your nearest game store shelves now, it is the best time to look back at some of Ellie and Joel’s relationship facts. Please be informed that this will be full of major spoilers, so feel free to back off if you haven’t played The Last of Us or Part II yet!
10 Joel & Ellie Had a Not-So-Nice First Encounter
Before meeting Ellie, Joel worked as a smuggler to make ends meet and survive the apocalyptic years. After Joel and Tess found out that his weapons were being sold to the Fireflies behind their back, they asked them back from Marlene, the ‘Firefly Queen.’
Marlene, instead, strike a deal. They could have their weapons, doubled, in exchange for smuggling 14-year-old Ellie to their base at St. Mary Hospital. When Joel and Tess took Marlene into a kitchen to treat her wound, Ellie unexpectedly showed up and tried to attack Joel with a switchblade, thinking that they hurt Marlene.
9 Originally, Joel Had a Girlfriend Named Esther
Yes, you’ve read that right. Initially, Joel had a girlfriend named Esther. She’s never made an official appearance, but she was mentioned on the PlayStation musical night event, titled The Last of Us: One Night Live. As reported by The Washington Post, she almost made an appearance on Part II.
Halley Gross, per the Washington Post, said: “We wrote so many scenes that did not make it into this game. Joel had a girlfriend in the original concept of this game. Her name was Esther.”
That would be a good idea to have Esther on Part II, who could serve as Ellie’s mother-like figure, but Naughty Dog decided to scrap the idea.
8 Ellie’s Monophobia Might Play the Key Part of Their Relationship
As told to Sam during the 2013 Last of Us, Ellie has a fear of being alone, or also called a monophobia. It actually makes total sense, because growing up, Ellie had lost people she loves from her estranged parents, Riley, her guardian Tess, and Sam, soon later.
This might be one of the key reasons why Ellie never gave up on Joel and always pushed the un-push-able for him, especially during the Winter chapter when Joel was severely wounded, leaving Ellie no choice but to hunt for food on her own.
7 At First, Ellie Trusted Tess More Than Joel
Having shared a not-so-great first impression with Joel, in the beginning, Ellie seemed to have a better understanding of Tess. During their trip to the Capitol Building, Tess would spend time talking to Ellie, while our character, Joel, roamed around and observed the place. Even after Tess died, Ellie would mention her name to Joel and bring up her death, much to her survivor’s guilt.
6 Joel Might Not Be a Fan of Jesse, But He Did Give His Blessing to Dina
Over the years, Joel always acted as Ellie’s only parental figure. He always thought that Jesse and Ellie were a thing, which he wasn’t a fan of. Instead, Joel gave his green light to Dina.
After Ellie felt embarrassed by Joel’s overprotective act at the party when Seth scolded her and Dina for kissing, Ellie visited Joe at his place while he was killing some time with his six-string and coffee. He asked if Dina was her girlfriend, which Ellie denied, and later gave his blessing, saying, “She would be lucky to have you.”
5 How Future Jam By Pearl Days Served as the Peak Point of Their Relationship
Remember when Jackson’s life for Ellie and Joel was just about getting each other gifts and movie nights? At the early point of Part II, Joel gave Ellie a guitar (or gee-tar in his own Texan accents), which he promised on the original Last of Us.
Then, he sang a touching rendition of Future Days by Pearl Jam. The song itself describes the pain of losing the loved ones, much to the game’s main topic. Neither of them knew that the song would somewhat shape their fate in the upcoming years.
4 Ellie & Sarah Could be ‘Good Friends,’ Said Joel
Sarah passed away in Joel’s arms when she was only 12, and during his first encounter with Ellie, he thought that Ellie was 12 even though she’s 14. Later on, he would make numerous comparisons between her and his beloved daughter and also felt warmed up when Ellie met a giraffe on their way to the hospital because it reminded him of Sarah.
According to Joel, despite the considerable age difference, Ellie would make a good friend for her. He even called her his ‘baby girl,’ the same thing he called Sarah during her last seconds in his arms.
3 If the Theories Were Right, Joel Might’ve Met Ellie Before
Grieving from the death of Sarah, Joel turned into a cynical & violent person. Soon, he became a hunter from one place to another with Tommy to make a living, showing no sign of mercy for killing innocent people to loot their supplies.
Eventually, Tommy and Joel reached Boston, Ellie’s city, but Tommy despised Joel’s idea of surviving so much that he decided to leave his brother to join the Fireflies. Many fans had theorized that, upon reaching Boston, there’s a chance that Joel and Ellie might have crossed paths before even though they didn’t speak to each other.
2 Ellie & Sarah Shared the Same Sense of Humor
Another thing that Joel might see as an uncanny resemblance between Ellie and Sarah is how they both have a sarcastic sense of humor. When Sarah gave Joel a watch on his birthday, she sarcastically joked that she made money off ‘selling hardcore drugs’ to pay for the watch. As you can see here on the birthday giftcard, she often playfully made fun of her old man, pretty much like Ellie (minus the profanities, maybe).
1 Closing And Opening Acts
At the very beginning of the original Last of Us, Joel had to carry Sarah’s body before a soldier was ordered to eliminate them both, leaving Sarah dying in her father’s arms. The same game also ended with him carrying Ellie, his new daughter-like figure, and leaving the Fireflies’ base at St. Mary Hospital. Coincidence? I think not, but even if it was, then it was, indeed, an eerie coincidence.
