The Last of Us is hailed as one of the best stories ever told in gaming by many, and fans became attached to its characters. Director Neil Druckmann struck gold with an original story about a post-apocalyptic world devoid of life and love, and Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson brought their A-game for their respective roles, but the director can only do so much to keep their characters interesting. All good things must end, and some fans felt Joel Miller’s demise in the controversial sequel was too soon and an indication that no one is safe.
No Character Is Safe in The Last of Us Part 3
Joel Miller became a PlayStation Hall of Fame character overnight after Troy Baker’s stellar performance in The Last of Us, and it would make sense for the gaming community to riot after his gruesome demise in the controversial sequel. Some fans anticipated that this character would be swept under the rug and the focus would shift to Ashley Johnson’s Ellie Williams, and they were right on the money. Baker’s Joel dies at the hands of newcomer Abby Anderson played by Laura Bailey, which sent the entire community into turmoil.
Some fans suspected Naughty Dog did this for shock value, but the truth is that Druckmann saw no clear path for the character’s future. While on a panel at the DICE Summit with director Cory Barlog, Druckmann revealed that his solution for characters with no clear path forward is to remove them from the board:
And if I feel like the answer is, they can’t go anywhere, then I go, ‘I think we’ll just kill them off.
While the director’s response may not be what most fans expected, Druckmann was being honest for the most part about how he treats his characters. There is no denying that Joel Miller was a beloved character, and fans spent 7 years before the release of The Last of Us Part 2 debating and defending his actions at the Firefly hospital, which was the reason behind Abby’s revenge quest. Druckmann continued:
I’m half joking, but we just find the next game. When we made Uncharted 1, we had no idea we would do the train sequence of Uncharted 2, or where Nathan Drake would be. We figured it out when we made Uncharted 2. And eventually, the same when we worked on Uncharted 3, same when we worked on Uncharted 4, where we look back and say, “How do we not repeat ourselves? Where else could this character go? What else could get him back into the adventure?
Even with details sparse on the ground for The Last of Us Part 3, Druckmann being so comfortable killing off one of his best characters, indicates that no one is safe in the eventual third installment. This approach can be viewed in different ways, Nathan Drake has had a few adventures in the Uncharted franchise before peacefully retiring by the end of A Thief’s End and this is an ending that wouldn’t work in the world of The Last of Us.
While other icons like Kratos were given a new lease on life with the recent Norse Saga entries, Joel doesn’t have the same luxury. The writers have done everything they could with the character and finished his journey unceremoniously:
And we have to come up with a new answer. And if we don’t have a new answer then we should ask ourselves, is this the right character? Is this the right game for us to work on? Or is it time to find something new?
There is a strong likelihood that Abby and Ellie will return in The Last of Us Part 3 in some capacity, and fans should prepare themselves for another emotional rollercoaster. Death is a natural part of life and Druckmann is not afraid to put some characters down before they overstay their welcome, but the question is, who will face that fate in the third installment? Or Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, for that matter?
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out what Neil Druckmann said about the expected violence in The Last of Us Season 2 or the shocking inspiration behind The Blood of the Dawnwalker’s success.
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Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
