The Last Of Us features many unforgettable lines, moments, and quotes. It’s no surprise that so many of them involve Ellie.
For those who want a philosophical experience while playing a video game, then The Last of Us just might be the perfect game. Although it’s set in a zombie world, the story is far from generic, as the characters have many quotes that resonate with the viewer.
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Players saw Ellie journey miles across the country and learn what it was like to be a survivor throughout the year that she and Joel endured their struggles. Through these times, Ellie gained quite a fair amount of wisdom, while also retaining her childish spirit. The best way to illustrate this is by pointing out these memorable quotes by Ellie that are featured throughout The Last of Us.
Updated April 1, 2023, by Tom Bowen: The Last of Us Part 2 took the gaming world by storm when it finally arrived in June of 2020. However, although the game was critically acclaimed, its narrative would prove to be incredibly divisive amongst members of the series’ fanbase. Love it or loathe it though, it brings with it a noticeable tonal shift that has a huge bearing on the mindsets of the game’s pivotal characters. Ellie, in particular, goes through some rather drastic changes. This can be seen not only through her actions throughout the game, but also through her interactions with other characters, leading to some harrowing dialogue, as well as several poignant moments that help to provide some additional context for her actions throughout the series. As a result, being re-introduced to a more light-hearted version of Ellie in HBO’s fantastic The Last of Us adaptation was a little jarring for some series fans, though did serve as a nice reminder of what Ellie was like before the shocking events of the second game.
No Pun Intended: Volume Too is a book of puns that Ellie carries around with her throughout the first game and the Left Behind DLC. It provides plenty of funny moments and serves as an excellent way to break up the near-constant tension found throughout the Pittsburgh chapter. As a result, fans of the games were delighted to see the book make a return in the HBO adaptation.
Rather than simply recycle puns, however, the show’s writers opted to come up with a few new ones, most of which were every bit as hilarious as the ones found throughout the games. Will Livingston is the fictional author of the book, and, in the show’s fourth episode, Ellie takes a moment to assure both Joel and the viewers that there are plenty more puns still to come.
Bella Ramsey’s performances in Game of Thrones drew a lot of plaudits and likely played a big part in her getting cast in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation. Those familiar with her work were certainly delighted with the decision, and, much like she did in Game of Thrones, Ramsey definitely delivered; managing to perfectly capture the no-nonsense nature of Ellie with some fantastic acting performances.
Though much of this can be seen through her time spent with Joel, viewers get a much better idea of what Ellie is all about after she encounters Pastor David and James in the woods. Despite Joel being seriously injured and her effectively being all alone, she isn’t the slightest bit afraid of the two grown men, as evidenced by her calm and casual demeanor as she and David wait for James to return with the medicine.
With all of the violence and loss that punctuates the lives of those living in The Last of Us’ world, it can be very easy to forget what exactly it is that Ellie and Joel are fighting for. At times it feels as though they themselves aren’t really sure anymore, but one has to assume that it’s about more than just survival.
The moment between Ellie and Joel at the museum served as a poignant reminder that amongst the chaos and carnage, there are still light-hearted moments to be found. Whether or not it could be described as ‘normal’ is certainly up for debate. In a world where death is common and life is brutal, however, it may be about as normal as things are ever going to get.
Joel’s death arguably has just as big an impact on Tommy as it does on Ellie, though his way of dealing with things is a little different. That said, he’s still incredibly supportive of Ellie’s quest for vengeance, reassuring her that Owen and Mel both deserved to die, despite Ellie’s shock at learning that Mel had been heavily pregnant when she killed her at the Aquarium.
After hearing Tommy’s words of encouragement, Ellie laments that Abby will not suffer the same fate despite being the one who murdered Joel. He then asks her if she’s okay with that, to which she replies that she has to be. Of course, Ellie does later get another chance to get her revenge, though is ultimately able to let go of her anger and allows Abby and Lev to escape Catalina Island via boat.
