Highlights
- Ellie's family background, particularly her relationship with her father, is largely unexplored in The Last of Us series, leaving room for potential future storytelling opportunities.
- Joel serves as a father figure to Ellie, filling a void in both their lives, and delving into Ellie's relationship with her actual father could add depth to her character development.
- Introducing Ellie's father into the storyline could bring unexpected twists and challenges, further elevating Ellie's character arc and solidifying her as one of the best characters in PlayStation's lineup.
The Last of Us began as a one-off game that Naughty Dog used to take a break from Uncharted, but the overwhelming critical and commercial acclaim meant it could be so much more. Since the first release in 2013, fans have received a stellar DLC add-on in the way of Left Behind, a sequel that takes Ellie to Seattle, and news of a multiplayer game that has been long-promised.
The second game's story uses a different tone from the first and is more ambitious with its narrative, gameplay, and presentation. It answers a lot of questions the first game asked and leaves players with a few more. People got to know Ellie and her journey forward, but her backstory is largely untapped by the series, and her family life, more specifically with her father, could be a viable way to continue The Last of Us.
Ellie's Family Remains a Mystery
Though the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us shed light on who Ellie's mother was and the resilience she showed when society fell, the performance from Ashley Johnson is the only time fans of the property see or hear her directly. Ellie's mother, Anna, is referenced as Marlene speaks with her through the audio notes that can be found in the Fireflies hospital, so her presence can be felt somewhat, but her place in the story is largely non-existent. The knife that Ellie uses was given to her by her mother, as is revealed in the accompanying comic, American Dreams, which shows a slight, but significant connection that Ellie has to her biological parent.
When Joel meets Ellie she's under the stewardship of Marlene but is portrayed as a strong-willed, capable, and independent personality, which puts her in the perfect position for the story. She needs to feel largely alone so the budding reliance and relationship between Joel and Ellie can feel truly important. Ellie leaning on people who come into and out of her life like Marlene and Riley gives the story more weight, as her frustrations that she always seems to end up alone (as is highlighted in the ranch house scene) aren't completely without merit. Her family is still a big question mark through The Last of Us, and Joel can feel like the closest thing to family she's had yet.
Joel is Ellie's Long-Absent Father Figure
Joel and Ellie's journey starts as a begrudging affair for both parties, but over the months it grows into something far more substantial. Joel takes the place of her guardian, filling the hole in him that Sarah left, and reigniting the fatherly instincts he buried. For Ellie, it's clear that Joel is the father she hasn't had in a very long time, and future stories in The Last of Us shedding light on who her dad actually was could be a fascinating narrative wrinkle to explore. Like Sam Drake in Uncharted 4, the introduction of a family member can fundamentally change the make-up of the protagonist and put them in a situation that can go in multiple different ways.
Bringing Ellie's father into the fold, be it as a friendly face, a surprisingly villainous threat, or even in a scene where he's an infected that has to be dealt with (much like Clementine's parents in Telltale's The Walking Dead) could subvert expectations that fans have, and be a suitable catalyst to develop Ellie's exceptional character arc even more. Joel's fate in The Last of Us 2 is used to do this, and having Ellie come face-to-face with her parent that is not mentioned at all could be a huge opportunity to cultivate another gut-wrenching story, particularly one that further cements Ellie as one of PlayStation's best characters.
The Last of Us Part 1 is available now on PC and PS5.
