Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Last of Us.HBO’s The Last of Us has a grim take on the world. The post-apocalyptic setting lends itself to dark stories, but The Last of Us didn’t stop there. Even the series’ leads, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), have violent streaks as they travel across the country. While Joel fully admits to having done bad things in his past, he seemed to have become a relatively good man since. Yet when he is triggered, he slips back into violence effortlessly — and nothing triggers him more than danger to Ellie.
Joel takes his time bonding with Ellie, but at the end of the season, he proves how much he cares for her by crossing lines of morality to keep her safe. His brutal destruction of the Fireflies and the lie he tells Ellie show how far he’s willing to go to protect his “baby girl” — not to mention literally putting her life above the cordyceps cure that could potentially save the world. Joel is shown to be ruthless in his quest to protect Ellie. His violent actions offer a glimpse into his dark past but also speak to his growth, as he’s looking out for someone else this time. Everything Joel does is for Ellie, but while he may think his past is behind him, the drastic measures he takes prove that to be false.
Joel Has a Violent Past
After the initial outbreak and the loss of Sarah (Nico Parker), Joel was in a dark place. In their attempts at survival, Joel and his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) did some questionable things. While they express regret for that time, they don’t offer detailed explanations of what they did. However, judging by Joel’s talents and general mistrust of everyone he encounters, it’s not hard to guess the kind of work it was.
Yet, when Joel is introduced in the present timeline, he’s put that behind him. He is smuggling supplies and hoping to figure out where Tommy went. Joel and Tess (Anna Torv) spend their days sneaking things in and out of the QZs. It’s not strictly within the law, but it’s certainly shown to be a step up from where he was. Joel never hesitates to protect himself, but he’s not seeking a fight. Joel doesn’t join the Fireflies in search of redemption like Tommy, but he does want to change and seems to honestly believe he’s not the same person he was before. But violence, even with a good motive, is still violence.
Massacring the Fireflies
When they first meet, Joel doesn’t want anything to do with Ellie — but by the end of the season, he cannot imagine his life without her, to the point that he willingly dooms the world to the cordyceps virus rather than sacrifice her in hope of a cure. In the season finale, “Look for the Light,” Joel learns that the cure to which Ellie is the key would require her to sacrifice her life. Even worse, Marlene (Merle Dandridge) has instigated this without Ellie’s knowledge. While this cure isn’t a sure thing, it’s closer than anyone has come before. Yet Joel doesn’t support it, not if it means Ellie’s death.
Instead of leaving Ellie to her fate, Joel fights his way through the hospital, taking out dozens of Fireflies who dare to get in his way. He doesn’t hesitate or even think twice. Joel wipes out the entire building without mercy because that is his only way to save Ellie. When Ellie asks about it, he makes up a story, lying to her, so she feels no guilt for the Fireflies’ deaths or obligation to sacrifice herself for a chance at a cure. While his actions are morally gray, to say the least, his driving motivation to protect Ellie at all costs is good.
Joel’s Violence Rears Its Head Even Before the Season Finale
Joel’s attack on the Fireflies isn’t the first time he’s resorted to violence. It may be the only defense against the infected they encounter, but more often, their enemies are human. From the fight in Kansas City to Joel’s scene in episode 8, “When We Are in Need,” Joel has built up his body count, but always with the goal of protecting Ellie. He proves himself to be ruthless, leaving no survivors after they are attacked in Kansas City, but that is nothing compared to his torture scene.
When David’s (Scott Shepherd) men go after them, Ellie is taken, and an injured Joel, who was at death’s door just hours before, knows he is her only chance of being rescued. Despite barely struggling to stand, he takes out the ones who stayed to look for him, capturing two and killing the rest. Then Joel tortured the location out of them before shooting them. It takes a lot of effort just for him to stand, but Joel doesn’t hesitate, enduring the pain to save Ellie. The scene brings out a ruthless side to the character, and though it can be startling, it shows what Joel is capable of. He may think he’s changed, but Joel has, on more than one occasion, proven his willingness to be brutally violent to protect Ellie.
Joel’s relationship with Ellie does make all the difference between the present and his past. He is doing these things to protect someone else, but his total willingness to kill everyone around him to save her is extreme at times. From torturing David’s men to massacring the Fireflies, Joel protects Ellie above all else — but to do so, he gives in to his violent side. The world The Last of Us takes place in is a brutal place, proving over and over again that humans are the real monsters. Joel’s actions show that he isn’t so different from the others, at least not if it is required to protect Ellie. While Joel now has a noble motivation, he still has a capacity for great violence, and he’s not running away from it. Joel may think his past is behind him, but his actions prove that it is part of his character that won’t go away.
Find out more about how to watch Season 1 of The Last of Us on HBO and HBO Max.
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