The Last of Us 2: Is Joel a Villain? | Game Rant
The game won’t be out until a few months from now, but trailers for The Last of Us 2 haven’t given fans any concrete details as to the current dynamic between Ellie and Joel, and the degree to which it is potentially strained. The ending of The Last of Us certainly marked a turning point in their relationship which is why many have questioned how Ellie and Joel’s future will turn out. Even after developer Naughty Dog released more trailers over the years since its announcement in December 2016, fans still aren’t sure if there’s going to be beef between Ellie and Joel or not.
When TLoU was released in 2013, it was met with massive praise among critics and went on to become one of the most successful games in Sony’s history. Many people felt the narrative of the game featured some of the best storytelling in the medium, and a lot of praise was directed at the game’s ending specifically. There were a lot of discussions surrounding Joel’s decisions at the end of the game which has only fueled people’s curiosity for The Last of Us 2.
TLoU certainly sparked a lot of debates among fans of the game, but one question that frequently came up online was: is Joel actually the villain of The Last of Us? It’s simple to just say that Joel saved Ellie at the end of the game at the expense of a potential cure to save humanity (and stop TLoU clickers) because he actually did more than that. He also killed many scientists and doctors who were working on research for a cure, which arguably has a larger impact on the only people left alive. This is part of the bioethical dilemma that the game’s ending revolves around.
The question of Joel’s villainy is only compounded when he lies to Ellie at the very end of the game. After the lie, there becomes little doubt that Joel saved Ellie for selfish reasons. The game is bookended with Joel losing his biological daughter at the beginning of the game and attempting to hold on to his surrogate daughter at the end, which can be seen as a narrative through-line that explains Joel’s selfish actions. If Ellie catches wind of the truth, then it could very well crack the bond that the two have built up over the story of The Last of Us.
As previously stated, the trailers for TLoU 2 don’t exactly show any definitive signs that the two are no longer together. Characters do reference Joel when speaking to a now older Ellie, and there is a brief appearance by Joel in one of the later trailers. During that appearance, Ellie didn’t seem to be too upset to see Joel, so it seems that they’re on good terms for at least some sections of the game. Whether or not Joel will be an antagonistic figure in The Last of Us 2 depends on whether or not Ellie finds out the truth about Joel’s lie and her reaction to that truth.
It’s possible that the two separate after Ellie figures out Joel lied, only for him to later become an actual villain of the game and go after Ellie. Another more subtle possibility for TLoU 2 is that Joel becomes an antagonistic father figure after she learns the truth. As in, they’d be on good enough terms for them not to kill each other but she wouldn’t be thrilled that he’s around while he, on the other hand, would keep trying to win back her trust. If that happens, Joel’s desperation to become a good father figure to Ellie could drive him to do further unspeakable things.
This wouldn’t be the first time that the theme of fatherhood was a central one in a video game, and in The Last of Us 2, it most likely won’t be the last either. When fans eventually get their hands on the game come May, they may finally find an answer as to whether or not Joel ultimately becomes a villain.
The Last of Us 2 is scheduled to come out May 29, 2020, for the PS4.
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