A The Last of Us 2-inspired tattoo is garnering the approval of the internet after a fan posted a photo of their new ink. Naughty Dog's incredible saga of Ellie and Joel has touched the hearts of millions, and this irreverent The Last of Us 2 tattoo is a wonderful tribute to the achievement.
The Last of Us is currently in something of a resurgence, though it never truly left relevance within the gaming world, millions of new fans were drawn to Naughty Dog's fungal post-apocalypse with the recent release of the first season of the HBO The Last of Us adaptation. Coupled with the March release of the PC port for The Last of Us Part 1, buzz for the franchise is at levels not seen since 2020 when The Last of Us 2 first launched. With momentum on its side, it will be interesting to see if Naughty Dog capitalizes by announcing more information on its mysterious new The Last of Us multiplayer title that has been in the works for the last several years.
A user named xviinguyen took to Reddit to show off their fresh ink of a dinosaur's disembodied skull sporting a cowboy hat, which is a touching tribute to the flashback birthday scene in The Last of Us 2 when Joel and Ellie take a tour through a ruined museum. The clever nod to the scene references a hidden achievement that players can get if they find the cowboy hat, proceed to place it on two of the fossilized dinosaur skeletons, then finally place the hat on the colloquial third "dinosaur," Joel. The scene is an encapsulation of the father-daughter relationship shared by Joel and Ellie, and the tattoo is a beautiful reminder of the complicated and tragic bond that grows between the characters over the course of the two games.
The scene in The Last of Us 2 that xviinguyen's tattoo tributes is one of several throughout the course of the game that flashback to previous points in the characters' lives, fleshing them out and showing players the strength of the bonds between them. Naughty Dog is a master at narrative storytelling, and its usage of flashbacks in The Last of Us 2 is a crucial component in how the studio was able to deftly navigate a story with two protagonists that are at odds with one another, which is no small task.
Hopefully, fans will not have to wait too long for another title set within the world of The Last of Us. With some major game reveal events coming in June, there is optimism that The Last of Us multiplayer title will make an appearance. Regardless of whether that is the case, tattoos like xviingueyns highlight just how much the first two chapters of The Last of Us have moved their audience.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available now on PS4.
