There are always going to be strong and weak characters where a zombie apocalypse is concerned. The Last of Us brings plenty of such personalities whom Joel and Ellie encountered. For every sensitive character like Dina, there were hardened personalities like Tommy.
However, being a survivor isn’t just about personality traits as much as it is the ability to live without relying on others. It also involves having cunning or resourceful mannerisms that enable these characters to walk away unscathed. Through all the people and factions shown in the series, like the Fireflies and the main protagonists, there are characters who adapted the best and others who flopped miserably.
Useless: Robert
Robert is the kind of character the TV series should leave out since he served no purpose to the story. He was the arms supplier to Tess and Joel but ended up selling to the Fireflies instead, which got him killed by the duo.
All in all, Robert only survived due to living in the government-mandated areas and was helpless on his own. There’s also the fact that he had zero survival skills and cunning, leading to his easy demise.
Best: Henry
The whole "older sibling protecting their younger sibling" may be a played-out zombie trope, but Henry certainly knew how to survive. Despite being only 25 years old, he could take on a large number of enemies while keeping Sam protected.
Where Joel had needed Ellie’s assistance, Henry did fine all by himself as he refused to let Sam fight. He also saved both Joel and Ellie’s lives with his swimming skills and could collect resources to cook food without anyone’s help.
Useless: Frank
Frank was Bill’s partner and the two survived together for a while. However, Frank became disillusioned with Bill’s violent and restrictive methods, prompting him to ditch Bill. This proved to be his undoing, as he came to find out.
Not long after, Frank was bit by a zombie and took his own life. He even admitted in his farewell note that Bill was right and he couldn’t survive on his own. Without Bill being there to watch his back, Frank proved he was ill-equipped for the zombie apocalypse and didn’t last long.
Best: Bill
It’s difficult to imagine the TV series not incorporating Bill’s arc into the show since he was essential to Joel and Ellie’s survival. Bill was a smart survivor who made use of traps and snares to hold off enemies and capture prey.
He was so efficient that he even dubbed his hideout in as his town, meaning he didn’t need anybody’s help for his livelihood. Bill was also adept at combat and managed to hold his own against a large number of zombies.
Useless: Marlene
On paper, it may seem hard to believe how the leader of the Fireflies could be useless but taking a look at Marlene’s track record proves it. Firstly, she was wounded beyond function at the start of the game, at which point she decided to ditch Ellie.
By the end, Marlene tried to get her goons to kill Ellie to create the vaccine and Joel called Marlene out for cowardly taking the life of the child whose parents had trusted Marlene with. She also had no strategic skill since Joel went through all her men without issue and killed her despite Marlene having the advantage.
Best: Abby
Abby groomed herself into becoming the ultimate killing machine, as she made short work of the likes of Ellie, Joel, and Tommy. Even disregarding her quest for vengeance, Abby was more than adept at surviving on her own, dispatching zombies like they were nothing and pushing forward dauntlessly.
Her commanding presence was second to none, going on to lead her own group by example while finishing off anyone who could be a threat. Overall, Abby is the template for the finest survivor in the zombie apocalypse.
Useless: Sam
Sure, his demise made more than a few fans nervous due to him being a child but Sam was a very poor survivor of the zombie apocalypse. Unlike someone like Lev or Ellie, Sam was helpless in personality, not having the mental wherewithal to survive or even comprehend the world he was in.
The one time he did try to have a direct role, Sam ended up getting infected. He was entirely reliant on his brother to save his life due to his own lack of skills. It wasn’t Sam’s fault that he was so ill-equipped, although there’s no doubt that he was a poor fit for the circumstance he found himself in.
Best: Joel
Joel was resourceful in every sense of the word, being able to find ways to beat enemies and resources to live on. While his tactics could be questionable, Joel knew how to survive, whether it was with a loved one or someone he didn’t like.
The fact that he was a man in his fifties and could still beat multiple men by himself is proof that Joel was not to be trifled with. Once he had Ellie in his life, Joel managed to turn even a hellish environment into a place he could call home.
Useless: David's Gang
The incompetence of David’s gang has led to many memes for The Last of Us as the logic that a teenager could mow down more than two dozen of men is hard to believe. Still, it is true in canon that Ellie dispatched all of David’s goons by herself.
These men were totally useless to their cause, unable to not only catch Ellie but avoid their entire clan from being destroyed. Even the severely injured Joel was able to capture these men, although his captives also proved useless in offering him any real information.
Best: Ellie
Even when Ellie wasn’t trained to survive the zombie world by herself, she had the tenacity of spirit that allowed her to be of valuable assistance to Joel. She then proved she was more than up to the task when she simultaneously cared for the ailing Joel and finished off the cannibals.
The Last of Us Part II depicted Ellie on her own, and while she was happier as part of a community, she had no problems when she was a solo act. In fact, Ellie was the best kind of survivor as she could accustom herself to any situation.