Bella Ramsey discusses exploring Ellie's origins, including her relationship with Riley from the original game's expansion, in The Last of Us. The HBO series follows Ellie, a fourteen-year-old girl, who has a tremendous weight thrust upon her after she learns that in a world ravaged by the highly contagious Cordycep fungus, she has an unexplained immunity. While the first Last of Us game switches between Joel and Ellie's perspectives, she becomes the focal point of the overall narrative in the prequel DLC The Last of Us: Left Behind, which reveals what happened to her three weeks before the events of The Last of Us, as well as in the prequel comic The Last of Us: American Dreams, and The Last Of Us 2.
During a press event attended by a number of media outlets, Screen Rant was able to speak with Ramsey about exploring Ellie's origins in The Last of Us series. Ramsey shares her excitement about delving further into Ellie's past, especially her time with Riley from the game expansion. Ramsey also teases more to come about "how she came to be," which could provide new details about Ellie's early life. Ellie's time before the events of The Last of Us have been fleshed out beyond the original game, but the HBO series has the chance to not only dig deeper, but share the narrative in a more cohesive way.
Screen Rant: Bella, we get to explore more of Ellie's story than we do in the original game. What was the most surprising aspect for you?
Bella Ramsey: Hmm, good question. I do like the fact that we get to find out more about her, where she comes from, and how she ended up here. I love the fact that the story of her and Riley is told as part of the show, because I know that was separate and left behind. I love [how] that is incorporated, and I think the Riley story is a really driving force for Ellie. It has happened three weeks before we initially meet her in the first episode, and it sets up massively the rest of her story and her journey; her relationship with Joel and her continued relationships. I find that really interesting, and getting to know the story also of how she came to be is pretty cool.
Exploring Ellie's Origins In The Last Of Us
Exploring Ellie's past, including how she discovered her immunity, the relationships she formed before The Last of Us, and her origins, will provide a deeper understanding of her. While The Last of Us series follows the narrative of the game, the new medium allows the creators to switch perspectives between Joel, Ellie, and others. When it was announced that Ellie's friend Riley had been cast in The Last of Us it further demonstrated how the series will differ from the original game while staying true to the overall franchise's narrative.
Ellie's immunity has always been a mystery; it makes her incredibly special and valuable to certain people while also putting her in danger. While she discovers this immunity in The Last of Us: Left Behind, how it works is never actually explained. The Last of Us series could reveal more about where she came from, perhaps providing new information about her immunity. It can also provide a deeper understanding of how she grew up, in this post-apocalyptic world, and how it turned her into a sarcastic and at times nihilistic young girl.
Because Ellie's past is explored through prequels and expansions, it isn't brought together in a fully cohesive manner with foreshadowing and hints fully laid out in the original game. The HBO series can change this by using Ellie's origins to lay the groundwork for her closed-off personality. The first season of The Last of Us HBO series will cover the events of The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Left Behind games. Ellie becomes the main lead in The Last of Us 2, which means that The Last of Us fully expounding upon her history could prove instrumental in setting up her arc in the first season as well as any future seasons.
The Last of Us premieres on HBO and HBO Max on January 15.