Both The Last Of Us and God of War franchises have received plenty of praise over the years, and both of the games' main characters have been pivotal to this. The two PlayStation-exclusive series contain very similar themes when it comes to parent and child relationships and have chosen to explore the dynamic in many of the same ways.
Despite the controversy surrounding The Last Of Us Part 2, Joel will remain a beloved character within the fandom. With God of War Ragnarok on the horizon, many players speculate that Kratos may suffer the same fate as Joel but regardless of how things pan out, the pair contain characteristics that are heavily linked.
6 Extra Cautious
Aside from The Last Of Us Part 2, Joel has always been portrayed as a character who is suspicious and much more careful while meeting new people and becoming attached. This was evident upon his first encounter with Ellie and the early stages of their relationship, as he remained coy about any personal details from his past.
Kratos is very much the same, especially within God Of War (2018), in which he was quick to correct Atreus for being too forward and open with Freya. While both characters still possess loving and caring traits in this aspect, the reasoning behind their caution is somewhat relatable considering the dangerous worlds that both characters reside in.
5 Aggressive When Necessary
When it comes to Joel and Kratos, one of the more dominant traits is their aggression and anger. While Kratos' path was one of vengeance and led to a plethora of Gods being murdered, in his eyes, it would be reasonable even more so now with his son Atreus by his side.
Given the world of The Last Of Us and the importance of survival, fans will know that, for the most part, Joel's actions were to hold what he deems important to him close. Despite this eventually leading to his demise in The Last Of Us Part 2, many players believe he was justified in saving Ellie from the Fireflies.
4 Reluctant To Emotional Vulnerability
Not only are these characters both linked in the manner of their attitudes and behaviors, but both have suffered losses within their families. In God Of War (2018), Kratos appears to deal with the loss of his wife Faye very differently than his son Atreus as he remained headstrong to complete their mission.
During the rocky start of Joel and Ellie's relationship, every time Ellie would ask questions regarding Sarah's death, Joel would be quick to shut her down. Despite this gradually changing over the course of the first game, it conveyed the idea that the character was afraid of losing another loved one just like his daughter.
3 Protective
As expected from a loving father, both Joel and Kratos appear to convey the same attitudes. Although Ellie is not Joel's biological daughter, the time that the two characters spend together and the close calls they went through give more reasoning as to why Joel sacrificed a potential cure to save her.
This is very much the same for Santa Monica's Kratos, as Atreus is the only remaining person left that he cares for and he will do anything to avoid a repeat of his past. Fans will know of this after his declaration to his son of "being the Gods that they choose to be".
2 Intelligent
With the experiences both characters have undergone in the aspect of their dangerous encounters and tense situations, they are able to avoid potentially dangerous traps. This is most certainly evident within Joel and Ellie's Pittsburgh arrival, where they were met with an ambush from a group of enemies. Despite one putting up a front asking for help, Joel instantly anticipated what was coming and drove straight through.
The same applies to Kratos when nurturing his son, as he was able to reprimand and scold him when acting out of line. When displaying a level of arrogance and patronizing attitude on the back of finding out he was a God, Kratos was quick to put him back in his place and allow him to understand his level of responsibility with power. Players who have played previous God Of War titles will know that Kratos was much angrier in his pursuit of revenge, compared to current stages.
1 Decisive
As both characters have been placed in predicaments of survival, with Joel in an apocalyptic world and Kratos fending off Baldur and now Ragnarok, the decisive nature and attitudes are present. Joel was able to take the lead with multiple of his companions and guide their way out of trouble.
With the responsibility of protecting, raising, and training Atreus mid-journey to Jotunheim, it was incredibly crucial for Kratos to make the correct decisions at the right times both in combat and outside of it. Putting his pride and lack of trust aside, Kratos didn't hesitate to request help from Freya in order to save Atreus' life, and the requirement to return to his past by using the Blades Of Chaos once again.