Joel and Ellie's relationship goes through quite the rollercoaster during The Last of Us, ranging from tenuous at worst to trustworthy at best, with several peaks and valleys in between. Joel is a very different man from when he leaves Boston and when he reaches Jackson. Ellie's trust wavers and strengthens as her and Joel make their way across the US. Their bond becomes the strongest before they reach the Fireflies in Utah, sharing a sweet moment between the two upon passing Giraffes. But in The Last of Us Part 2, their bond initially is very strained.
After the two break out of the Firefly lab and make their way to Jackson, Ellie begins to harbor some uncertainty. While this doesn't destroy the relationship the two worked so hard to forge, many of the flashbacks and callbacks to Joel throughout the game hone in on this uncertainty as a reason for their critical distance in the beginning of The Last of Us Part 2. Note: Spoilers for The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part 2 ahead.
Ellie and Joel: A Relationship Forged Out of Necessity
Joel and Ellie meet each other towards the beginning of The Last of Us, Ellie being the driving force to start their cross-country journey. Joel has transformed into a hardened smuggler who's done plenty of horrendous things in the name of survival. Ellie is no polar opposite of Joel, as she too has suffered great loss and pain from the apocalypse, but throughout their journey, the two are constantly challenging each other's morals, simultaneously becoming closer and further apart with each moment of tension. Their relationship, despite having plenty of ups and downs, strengthens progressively as the story goes on.
Things start to change on the way to the Firefly lab, the original place Joel was to escort Ellie to so they can use her to research a cure for the infection. Things don't exactly end well, with Joel murdering the Firefly medical team and escaping the makeshift hospital with an unconscious Ellie who was moments away from surgery. As the two flee, Ellie begins to question what really happened in that hospital, despite Joel telling her a lie and avoiding the fact that he broke Ellie out to save her life. It's from here where the seeds of doubt are placed in Ellie, wondering if Joel was telling the truth about the Firefly lab. The fact that The Last of Us 2 builds on this, bringing these feelings with them into the sequel, really connects the first game to the second.
Learning the Truth
Ellie and Joel arrive in Jackson, Wyoming where his brother Tommy has established a settlement of survivors. In the years between The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part 2, the duo's bond strengthens again to a much greater degree. Now that the two aren't consistently on the road together and aren't forced to be together, the two truly enjoy each other's company without any caveats. Much of this is fleshed out with flashbacks, where Joel and Ellie are exploring the areas near Jackson, prior to the beginning of The Last of Us. The two truly form a father-daughter bond, until the most recent flashback before the events of The Last of Us Part 2 begin.
The Last of Us Part 2 begins with a time jump, around four years after the two arrived in the settlement. The two's relationship is still strong, but during a recent flashback, Ellie has learned about the truth of the night Joel broke Ellie out of the Firefly hospital. Ellie understands, but there's still a loss of trust between them that's inferred prior to Joel's last patrol, particularly with a fight that broke out between Ellie and a member of the community (Seth) where Joel had intervened. Maria asks about Joel and Ellie very quickly dismisses her, not only because of the awkwardness of the situation but also because of what she most recently learned.
More Than Just Anger
Physically, Joel and Ellie's relationship ends pretty quickly, mostly because his last patrol ends in Joel's gruesome death. Ellie discovers Abby and the Hunters that were chasing Joel for killing the Fireflies in the hospital when he rescued Ellie. From this moment onward is when players learn the truth about Joel and Ellie's relationship. Even though Ellie had distanced herself from Joel because of what he did, their relationship was at its strongest by the time Joel passes away. Players only learn of this over time, with the flashbacks cluing players into how strong their bond had truly become.
Obviously, their bond fuels Ellie's quest for revenge; there's no doubt about that. What players begin to learn through the flashbacks is that a lot of Ellie's inner turmoil and hatred is fueled by her regret as well. That rift between Joel and Ellie was never able to mend before his passing, and although Joel knew there was a mutual familial love between them, Ellie never had enough time to express that. That lack of closure is as big a reason for her revenge quest, more so than just her hatred.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available now for PS4.
