When video games were first introduced many decades ago, most developers focused on bringing players the most exciting gameplay in hopes of bringing countless hours of entertainment. During its infancy, there aren't many video games that focused on delivering an immersive story, but as gaming technology evolved, developers also acknowledged the fact that a game's story is as crucial as its gameplay. This fact is self-evident in 2013's The Last of Us, and hopefully in its upcoming sequel, The Last of Us 2.
It is no secret that The Last of Us 2 has been delayed indefinitely due to the global pandemic that the world is experiencing right now. But, despite the game being in its final stages of development, there is still not much known about the overall story of The Last of Us 2. When Sony released a trailer for the game last September, Naughty Dog finally revealed that Joel will be in the game. However, speculation soon broke out whether Joel is truly alive or if he is just a figment of Ellie's imagination.
Since then, Naughty Dog has been tight-lipped about specific details of the game's story, but the studio did mention that Joel will play a huge part in the game, suggesting that he is in fact alive. But of course, the studio did not say whether he will remain alive throughout the duration of The Last of Us 2, and assuming that he dies at some point in the game, how will his death affect Ellie?
Ellie and Joel's Relationship in The Last of Us 2
2013's The Last of Us revolved around the relationship between Ellie and Joel. At the beginning of the game, both characters couldn't care less about each other given the various experiences they had prior to their first meeting. However, throughout the events of The Last of Us, players witnessed how Joel and Ellie's relationship grew closer. Joel had to tear down the walls he surrounded himself with after the loss of his daughter in the early part of the game and allowed himself to care about Ellie, treating her as if she was his own daughter.
Ellie, on the other hand, found a constant father figure in her life, especially since she hasn't experienced a normal family relationship, given that she was born in a post-apocalyptic world. She bounced from one guardian to another, and in Joel, Ellie found security and comfort. During the early parts of the game, she heavily depended on him for survival.
Throughout Ellie and Joel's journey in The Last of Us, the Cordyceps outbreak forced Ellie out of her childhood and had to grow up despite being so young especially when Joel was incapacitated. During this time, Ellie had to survive on her own and it is at this point where she met David, and Ellie unknowingly revealed to him that her worst fear is to be alone, revealing just how much she started to depend on Joel. After escaping David, Ellie and Joel headed to the headquarters of the Fireflies, where its leader Marlene revealed to Joel that they needed to perform surgery on Ellie to extract a vaccine for the outbreak.
However, given that the surgery will be conducted on Ellie's brain, there is no possible way for her to survive the operation. This led to Joel killing Marlene and a good number of the Fireflies to rescue Ellie. During the final part of the game, Joel lied to Ellie about what transpired with the Fireflies. It is at this point where Ellie realized that Joel robbed her of making a decision for herself, and it is apparent towards the end of the game that Ellie began to resent Joel for it.
Joel's Death Will Be Traumatic For Ellie
In the trailers that Naughty Dog released for The Last of Us 2, it is clear that there is now a wedge between Joel and Ellie's relationship after the events of the first game. It is currently unclear if there are other reasons that led to Joel and Ellie falling out, but it is likely that the primary factor was when Joel robbed Ellie of her choice and lied to her about what transpired at the end of the first game. With that in mind, ever since the trailer Naughty Dog released last September, many fans wondered whether Joel will die at some point in The Last of Us 2. Of course, there is no way of knowing for sure until the game releases, but if he does die at some point in the game, it would definitely be a traumatic event for Ellie.
Despite their falling out, Ellie likely still considers Joel to be the only real family she has. It is likely that while Ellie felt betrayed by Joel's lie, she understands that for Joel, it was the only way to protect her. His death would be a devastating loss for her especially since Joel became the constant guardian who was there for her when she was forced to grow up and learn how to survive, and it is Joel's guidance that made her who she is now.
But It Will Free Her
Despite this, Joel's possible death in The Last of Us 2 may be the only way for Ellie to be free from his control, especially if he is still unable to see that she is capable of making her own decisions. Analyzing Joel's point of view, he already sees Ellie as his own, and given that he was unable to protect his own daughter, it is possible that Joel is over-compensating with his protection of Ellie in fear of losing another loved one. It wouldn't be impossible that Joel would do everything in his power to ensure that Ellie is safe, even to the point of controlling her and manipulating her decisions.
Given this, Joel's possible death, however traumatic it may be for Ellie, will play a pivotal role in her character development. It is worth remembering that The Last of Us is critically-acclaimed because its story is not black and white. Every decision a character makes is a question of morality and whether the means justify the end. In Ellie's case in The Last of Us 2, it is possible that she will face the dilemma of whether Joel's death will be the only way for her to be truly free. Will she play a part in Joel's death? Will she try to prevent it? Those are decisions that she could face in The Last of Us 2, and whatever she decides, should this scenario happen, will stay with her for the rest of her life.
The Last of Us 2 is currently in development for the PlayStation 4.
