The Last of Usand its sequel are not your usual kind of game, and arguablyone of the most polarizing gameswe have ever witnessed.
Throughout the game, Joel Miller and Ellie, with their flaws and imperfections, had developed a turbulent, unique, and fluctuated father-and-daughter-esque relationship. Before the event of the original 2013Last of Us, Joel’s just a brutal smuggler who was never afraid of crossing the line to survive. Months and seasons of traveling the country with young Ellie has somewhat reminded him of his late daughter and subsequently changed his view of the world.
Related:10 Unanswered Questions We Still Have After Playing The Last Of Us 2
To celebratePart II’s release, we’re counting down some of the most memorable moments of how Joel & Ellie’s relationship changed between thetwo games. Please bear in mind that this will be full of major spoilers. You have been warned.
10When Ellie Nearly Holds Joel at Knifepoint
Joel and Ellie have a not-so-easy first encounter. During the first chapter of the originalLast of Us, Joel and Tess are after Robert, the man who betrayed them and sold weapons to the Firefly without them knowing. Unbeknownst to them, Marlene, the Fireflies' “queen,” unexpectedly shows up and strikes a deal to be her courier in exchange for more weapons.
After fighting off a couple of soldiers, the two take the wounded Marlene to a safe place, before a little kid we know today as Ellie shows up and tries to attack Joel with a switchblade.
9When Ellie Reminds Joel of The Music from His Old Time
Joe and Ellie need to get to the Capitol building to meet the Fireflies swiftly, so he decides that the best bet is to visit his old pal, Bill, to get a working car. Before heading out from Bill’s, Ellie steals an x-rated magazine, a Savage Starlight comic book, and an old tape of music to accompany them as the two drive their way through the dead city of Pittsburgh. This scene is always hard to look back, knowing what Joel’s fate is going to be like inPart II.
8When Ellie Shoots An Armed Hunter In Joel’s Defense
At some point, Joel and Ellie get separated at a hotel ruin after an elevator shaft breaks down, plummeting Joel to the bottom. After Joel makes his way through, he finds himself in an uneasy and intense battle against a deadly hunter. Ellie disobeys Joel’s order to stay put and decides to climb down to help him. She appears at the very last minute of the fight and shoots the hunter right in the face, saying, “Man, I shot the hell outta that guy, huh?”
Related:10 Impressive Open-World Games That Came Out Before Grand Theft Auto III
But instead of thanking Ellie for “saving (his) a**,” Joel scolds her for not listening to his order, “I’m glad I didn’t get my head blown off by a goddamn kid.”
7When Joel Calls Ellie His “Babygirl”
Joel has to spend some time off during the cold, harsh winter to recover from his uneasy wound, so Ellie is the one who looks after him. Desperate for medicine, she runs into a cannibalistic & predatory survivor, David, and his crew. He holds her captive in their cell before Ellie fiercely bites him and tells him he is now infected.
After a jittery game of cat-and-mouse at a restaurant, Ellie brings her predator to justice by stabbing him in his neck and his face numerous times. Joel shows up just in time to give her the warmest hug and reassurance, calling her “baby girl.”
6When Joel Saves Ellie at the Firefly Lab
This is the most critical moment that changes their relationship forever. After months of traveling the dead cities, encountering herds and bad guys, and having each other’s backs all the time, Joel finds a new meaning of Ellie’s presence.
Related:Skyrim Vs. Fallout 4: Which Game Is Better?
During the final showdown ofThe Last of Us, Joel manages to get Ellie to St. Mary Hospital, the Fireflies' base, but instead of letting the doctors operate on her, he wipes the entire building of the Firefly soldiers, killing both the head surgeon and Marlene in the process, to save Ellie.
5When Joel Takes Ellie to the Zoo
After the event ofLast of Us, Ellie and Joel relocate to Jackson, where they live quietly for a couple of years. During one of the flashback scenes ofPart II, Joel takes Ellie on her birthday to the zoo to witness the world of dinosaur and space exhibit. Joel gives Ellie a recording of the space shuttle launch for her Walkman and a pin for her bag as a gift. She clearly still has no idea about what happened at the Firefly’s base.
4When Joel Gives & Teaches Ellie How to Play a Guitar
Joel gives Ellie a guitar, as he promised it once during the timeline of the originalLast of Us. Joel picks his six-strings and shows Ellie how it’s done while singing a beautiful rendition of Pearl Jam’s “Future Days.” The song perfectly captures what the two have been going through and how much it means for him to have each other.
“If I ever were to lose you / I’d surely lose myself,” he sings. “Everything I have found here / I’ve not found by myself.”
3When Joel Tells Ellie The Truth
Joel and Ellie’s wholesome relationship turns sour and fractured when Ellie makes her way back to the St. Mary Hospital and begs Joel to confess about the truth. She tells him that if he lies to her one more time, he will never see her again in Jackson. Joel then tells Ellie the truth, but it hurts her so much that she starts sobbing and feels physical pain in her chest. For years to come, Ellie would ignore Joel, despite his best effort to restore everything they once had.
2When Ellie Turns On Joel At The Party
After the moment of truth was unveiled, Joel would try to talk Ellie out again, but none of it would work. During the party scene, Ellie and Dina share the dancefloor before kissing in the middle of the crowd and get scolded by Seth. Seth makes a homophobic remark, calling them slurs and provoking Ellie & Dina to turn on him.
Joel sees the situation and tries to be the best father-like figure he could by shoving Seth out. Ellie’s still upset with Joel and says that she doesn’t “need (his) f*cking help” in front of everyone.
1When Ellie Sees Joel Getting Beaten To Death In Front Her
Joel and Ellie are still on bitter terms, but they’re settling down bit by bit. Sloppy Joe and his brother Tommy fall into the trap of Abby and her WLF people. Seeking vengeance for her father’s death, the same surgeon Joel killed during his journey to save Ellie, Abbie lures Joel and Tommy into her base.
Ellie manages to track them to their base, where he later witnesses Abby repeatedly murder Joel with a golf club. With that, the half piece of Ellie is gone, and she’s hungry for revenge.
Next:10 Must-Play Games If You Love The Last of Us 2
