Unlike the games of the Uncharted series, The Last of Us Part 1 pioneered Naughty Dog’s approach to player upgrades. Rather than collecting increasingly powerful weapons from defeated enemies, The Last of Us Part 1 sees Joel take to the workbench to improve his existing weapons with powerful upgrades. Moreover, he can use supplements to enhance his own abilities, reduce his weapon sway, improve his crafting abilities, and enhance his stealth capabilities.
In order to improve Joel’s skills further, players must be on the lookout for Training Manuals that unlock even more abilities, like increased weapon durability and item efficiency. This guide will show players where to find all 12 manuals to help on Joel and Ellie’s journey and contribute to unlocking the “Something to Fight For” achievement.
Players can check their training manual collection progress by opening the Chapters section on the main menu and looking at the collectible readout on the right side of the screen. Players don’t begin collecting manuals until Bill’s Town, so they needn’t worry about missing any until then.
Bill’s Town | Safehouse
Manual 1 of 1 | Shiv: Sharpening
This chapter starts after Ellie and Joel explore Bill's Town and run into a snare trap. After a difficult encounter that sees Joel shoot some infected upside down and a fraught chase through the streets with Bill, a cutscene will play that ends with the player in one of Bill’s safehouses. This first manual can be found on the bar counter in front of Joel and increases shiv durability by one.
Pittsburgh | Alone and Forsaken
Manual 1 of 1 | Health: Splinting
As the chapter opens, Ellie and Joel are ambushed by a group of Hunters in Pittsburgh. After the fight, head out across the street from the crashed car to enter the garage; the manual can be found one floor up in a side room by some mattresses. This one makes health kits 33% more effective.
Pittsburgh | Hotel Lobby
Manual 1 of 2 | Shiv: Reinforcement
Later in the chapter, the pair see two Hunters make their way into a hotel. After using a plank to follow them, explore the lobby area. This training manual can be found in the safe behind the main desk and improves shiv durability by two extra hits.
Manual 2 of 2 | Melee: Knots
During the hotel section of the chapter, Ellie and Joel will become separated. Upon reuniting, a tense cutscene will play with Ellie and Joel falling out. After it ends, climb up the ladder Joel was kicked from and head down some corridors. Players can find this manual, which increases weapon modification durability by one, on a table stacked with red chairs.
Pittsburgh | Escape the City
Manual 1 of 1 | Molotov: Construction
After avoiding a particularly persistent APC and shimmying along some rooftop ledges, Joel will vault through a window where he will be attacked by two characters in a cutscene. After things calm down, explore the apartment once the cutscene ends; this manual can be found on a kitchen counter and increases the Molotov’s explosive radius by 1.5x.
The Suburbs | Sewers
Manual 1 of 1 | Bomb: Containment
This training manual can be found after Henry helps Joel enter the Sewers at the start of the chapter. As the group explores, Joel can find both it and the Shorty pistol on a shelf near where Ellie and Sam play some soccer. Bomb: Containment makes the bomb’s blast radius 1.5x wider.
The Suburbs | Suburbs
Manual 1 of 1 | Melee: Techniques
After leaving the sewers and entering the titular suburbs, explore all the houses on the street. The house directly across from the ice cream truck has an attic that Joel can boost Ellie up to reach. After a short while, Ellie will hand Joel this manual, improving his melee weapon modifications by one extra hit.
Tommy’s Dam | Hydroelectric Dam
Manual 1 of 1 | Smoke: Chemistry
Once Joel and Ellie reach Tommy's Dam, a cutscene will play, and Tommy will show Joel around. Eventually, the pair will reach a head outside and across some walkways. Just after this, they will enter a control room where the manual sits on a window-side counter by a workbench. This one makes smoke bombs last 10 seconds longer.
The University | Go Big Horns
Manual 1 of 1 | Health Kit: Sterilization
After Ellie and Joel spot the monkeys in the main campus courtyard, head towards the right of the statue and into a building. Head up some stairs and leave via a window, then walk along the awning to vault into a separate building. Another training manual can be found to the right, making health kits 67% more effective.
The University | Science Building
Manual 1 of 1 | Molotov: Deployment
Once inside the Fireflies' science building, head along the corridor to a shiv door. Prying it open will reveal a training manual on a desk, which expands the radius of Molotovs by 2x.
Lakeside Resort | Cabin Resort
Manual 1 of 1 | Smoke: Shaping
The Smoke: Shaping manual can only be found once players regain control of Joel towards the end of this chapter, after Ellie's dustup with David in the restaurant. One area the player comes across is a gas station across the road from a motel, where the only way forward is through a truck in the middle of a blocked-off street. Before heading any further, go behind the back of the motel to the left. Along the alleyway is a shiv door that players can open to find this manual which makes smoke bombs last a further 20 seconds.
Bus Depot | Underground Tunnel
Manual 1 of 1 | Bomb: Shrapnel
The final manual of the game can be found in the flooded tunnels where Joel and Ellie go up against three Bloaters and a pack of other infected. To reach this manual, scale a white RNB Express semi-trailer overlooking two Bloaters and the exit route. This manual makes the bomb effect radius 2x wider.
The Last of Us Part 1 is currently exclusive to PS5 and is in development for PC.
