20 years after the tragic death of his daughter and a worldwide viral outbreak that turns humans into violent monsters, broody anti-hero Joel Miller finds himself in charge of a teenage girl named Ellie who may hold the answer to finding a cure and saving the world. The premise of The Last of Us Part 1 may seem simple, but the emotional layers that this narrative unfolds one at a time are truly remarkable.
A post-apocalyptic action-adventure game considered by many to be one of the best video games of all time, The Last Of Us Part 1 has retained its popularity since 2013 for its exciting gameplay and brilliant writing. The combination of incredible voice acting, intriguing world-building, and emotional character development is uniquely immersive and causes players to genuinely care about the characters.
Updated March 31, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: The Last of Us Part 1 is a great game that PC players can finally experience. This title kickstarted one of Sony's most popular franchises, with the adaptation of this game into an HBO show seeing massive success across the board too. A huge part of why this game is so successful comes from its incredible script. These quotes from game prove why it is considered by many to have the best dialogue in video game history.
13 "No Matter What, You Keep Finding Something To Fight For."
"Her name was Riley and she was the first to die. And then it was Tess. And then Sam."
"None of that is on you."
"No, you don't understand."
"I struggled for a long time with survivin'. And you — no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for..."
The ending of The Last of Us is the final emotional gut punch in an absolute rollercoaster of an experience. After being saved, Ellie doubts Joel's version of events, revealing that she had a friend named Riley who was with her when she was bitten.
All the sacrifices that were made to save Ellie went to waste when the Fireflies never managed to operate on her. Despite it all, Joel reassures her, saying that everyone finds something to fight for later on.
12 "After All We've Been Through. Everything That I've Done. It Can't Be For Nothing."
"We don't have to do this. You know that, right?"
"What's the other option?"
"Go back to Tommy's. Just... be done with this whole damn thing."
"After all we've been through. Everything that I've done. It can't be for nothing."
After dealing with the Cannibals, it's clear that Ellie needs some time to think instead of being on the move. After a poignant giraffe sequence, Joel asks Ellie if she wants to just give up and head back to Tommy's.
However, Ellie refuses, saying that far too much has happened for her to just go back on this journey. It's a saddening moment, and it is made even worse given what happens in the end of the story.
11 "Once Upon A Time, I Had Somebody That I Cared About."
"Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, I had somebody that I cared about. It was a partner... somebody I had to look after. And in this world, that sort of s***'s good for one thing — gettin' ya killed. So you know what I did? I wisened the f*** up. And I realized it's gotta be just me."
Bill is a great character in The Last of Us. He may seem rather aloof and aggressive when players meet him for the first time, but it's the nature of the world that has caused him to be so bitter and suspicious of everyone around him.
Of course, one can't fail to mention Bill's relationship with Frank, who became Infected as well. Refusing to become another mindless husk, Frank committed suicide, which has clearly traumatized Bill and caused him to shut off from other people. His remarks here are a sad reflection on how Frank's death has affected him.
10 “He Was The Only Idiot Who Would Wear A Shirt Like That.”
"What? Do you know this guy or somethin'?"
"Frank. [...] He was my partner. He was the only idiot who would wear a shirt like that."
Bill is an ill-tempered old "friend" of Joel's, but when they stumble upon a body hanging from the ceiling, his crotchety demeanor falters. His voice breaks as he points out the painful bites on his ex-partner. He may be a loner that refuses to indulge in attachments, but it's clear that he cared deeply about Frank, and it further illustrates how the outbreak has caused people to become cold and hardened.
9 “This Is My Last Stop.”
"This is my last stop. [...] My luck had to run out sooner or later. No! Don't! Don't...touch me."
"Holy s***. She's infected."
Soldiers surround the Capital building and the Fireflies they were supposed to meet lay dead all around them. That's when Tess tells Joel that this is the end of the line. She's infected, and she can't go any further with them. Joel doesn't want to accept it, but Tess begs him not to make this hard. She's made up her mind. She'd rather die protecting them than turn into one of "those things".
8 “Don’t Do This To Me, Baby Girl.”
"You're gonna be okay, baby. Stay with me. I'm gonna pick you up. I know, baby, I know...Sarah...Baby? Don't do this to me, baby. Don't do this to me, baby girl. Come on."
Shortly after the outbreak, Joel and his 12-year-old daughter are able to escape the thick of it, but their streak of luck ends when they are confronted by an armed soldier. The man opens fire, mortally wounding Sarah in the process.
Tommy takes the soldier out, but it's too late. Joel's voice goes desperately soft and broken as he hushes and soothes his baby girl as she dies in his arms.
7 “You Don’t Bring Up Tess – Ever.”
"Here's how this thing's gonna play out. You don't bring up Tess - ever. Matter of fact, we can just keep our histories to ourselves."
Joel has lost so much since the outbreak, and it's clear that each and every one of them has taken a significant toll on him. After Tess sacrifices herself so that they can get away, Ellie attempts to gently offer her condolences, but Joel very firmly lets her know that Tess is dead and buried in his mind, and there's no reason to ever talk about her again.
6 "I Don't Know..."
"Does he totally gut her by the end?"
"Nobody gets gutted. It's a dumb teen movie."
"Who dragged you to see it though?"
"...I don't know."
Sporadically, posters for a Twilight-esque movie titled "Dawn Of The Wolf" can be seen on walls and buildings. Joel admits that he had seen it before the outbreak, which leads Ellie to wonder who convinced him to watch a silly teen romance in the first place. When Joel says that he doesn't remember, it's such a subtle moment, and a painful nod to the loss of Sarah, who had a poster of the film on her bedroom wall.
5 "You Got Anything Like That For Me, Joel?"
"You know what? No. How about, 'hey Ellie, I know it wasn't easy, but it was either him or me. Thanks for saving my a**'. You got anything like that for me, Joel?"
After Ellie saves Joel's life and shoots a man (presumably for the first time), she is traumatized, nauseous, and clearly in need of reassurance.
Instead of thanking her, Joel snatches the gun away, complaining that he told her to stay back and that she could have blown his head off. Her sarcastic quip is a gut-wrenching reminder that Ellie may be tough, but she's also just a scared kid who still needs comfort sometimes.
4 "Everyone I've Cared About Has Either Died Or Left Me...Except For You."
"I'm sorry about your daughter, Joel, but I have lost people too."
"You have no idea what loss is."
"Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me. Everyone- f***ing except for you. So don't tell me I would be safer with someone else, because the truth is, I would just be more scared."
Ellie doesn't take it well when she finds out that Joel wants to hand her over to Tommy to bring her the rest of the way to the Fireflies. It's a scary world, and she's come to trust him over the past year. Hurt and betrayed, she calls him out on wanting to get rid of her because he's worried what happened to Sarah will happen to her.
3 "You're Not My Daughter."
"You're right. You're not my daughter. And I sure as hell ain't your dad."
If Ellie's desperate pleas weren't heartbreaking enough, Joel takes it a step further and does what he does best when he's hurt. He gets lost in his own 20 years of grief, and throws her words back in her face.
Despite spending the last year with her, he basically tells her that he doesn't care about her the way that she thinks that he does, and he's giving her up no matter whether she feels safe or not.
2 "Oh, Baby Girl. It's Okay."
"It's me. It's me. Look. Look. It's me."
"He tried to..."
"...Oh, baby girl. It's okay."
Joel has spent months trying not to feel, but that all goes down the drain when he finds Ellie frantically stabbing David's corpse after he tries to attack her. Joel pulls her into his arms and assures her that she's safe, then refers to her as his "baby girl", the nickname he once had for his daughter. Later, he repeats the sentiment for a second time after saving her from the Fireflies.
1 "Swear To Me That Everything That You Said About The Fireflies Was True."
"Swear to me. Swear to me that everything that you said to me about the Fireflies was true."
"I swear."
Feeling guilt and a loss of direction, Ellie opens up to Joel about her best friend, Riley. They were supposed to "be all poetic" and lose their minds together, but she's still waiting for "her turn." Ellie keeps losing people, but nobody asks her how hard it's been, or if she even wants to be around anymore. In desperation, she makes Joel promise that he isn't lying about the Fireflies and the cure. Instead of coming clean, Joel swears it without a second thought, even though it's a bald-faced lie.
The Last of Us Part 1 is available on PlayStation 5 and PC.