When Naughty Dog released The Last of Us in 2013, the game instantly resonated with critics and fans. The Last of Us was a critical and commercial hit and helped to further cement Naughty Dog's status as one of the best video game developers in the world.

But it seems that the PlayStation-exclusive game, which will get a follow up with The Last of Us: Part 2, has had a lasting impact in the wider entertainment world. Those who tuned in to the season seven premiere of Game of Thrones last Sunday noted that the episode actually made a reference to the Naughty Dog series. During a scene about 22 minutes into the episode, Jaime Lannister tells his sister, Cersei, "We're the last of us."

The line is not a direct quote from The Last of Us, but is based on a popular meme that circulated some time ago that joked about Joel saying, "You know, Ellie, we really are the last of us." But according to one report, Game of Thrones producer and writer David Benioff confirmed in a behind-the-scenes video that he intentionally included the line due to the visual comparisons between Joel and actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime Lannister in the show.

It's unclear where this video is available, and some are hesitant to believe that Benioff really did decide to write a line of dialogue based on a video game meme. However, the talk was enough for The Last of Us writer Neil Druckmann to take notice, posting about the Game of Thrones scene on Twitter.

Whether or not Game of Thrones really meant to give a nod to The Last of Us is currently up for debate, but it wouldn't be the first time that a TV show has taken inspiration from a video game or vice versa. For example, Game of Thrones got its own Telltale video game series, and HBO's other hit TV show Westworld takes cues from Grand Theft Auto. Meanwhile, The Last of Us: Part 2's cast includes a Westworld actress and a writer for the show, too.

Moreover, a movie version of The Last of Us is also in the works, though it is reportedly stuck in development hell, leaving some convinced that it will never see the light of day. Based on this Games of Thrones situation, though, there are already calls for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to take up the role of Joel in the film, and this could hopefully get the flick back on track.

The Last of Us is available now for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

Source: Neil Druckmann – Twitter, WCCFTech