Apocalyptic situations are not known for bringing out the best in people. Hunger, fear, and loss of freedom can turn people cold, selfish, and cruel, but for many characters in The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us: Part II, their flicker of humanity never quite goes away.
Naughty Dog's thrilling adventure franchise plunges fans into a dystopian world plagued by a parasitic infection that has turned humans into monsters and compelled the United States government to turn from democracy to martial law. Everyone does what they must in order to survive this dangerous new world, but some of the characters are easier to love than others.
David
Easily one of the slimiest characters in the franchise, David is a manipulative survivor that Ellie meets in the Winter segment of the first game. Forced to leave an injured and starving Joel alone, 14-year-old Ellie meets David while hunting and the sinister older man tries to coax her into believing that he is a trustworthy friend.
Eventually kidnapping her and attempting to make her "his pet", David's motivations are dark. When it becomes clear that she is not going to join him willingly, he attempts to assault her and kill her.
Bill
Bill may not be the outright antagonist that David is, but he isn't much of a friend either. Paranoid and determined to live alone in a terrifyingly well booby-trapped ghost town, Bill is suspicious of all outsiders and hesitant to help - no matter who the person is that's asking.
A grump that only cares about himself, even his own partner preferred death over spending more time with him, and that says a lot.
Tess
Tess is a genuinely good character that just didn't have enough time for fans to get to know her well. A talented smuggler, she is intelligent and often acts as the brains of the operation while her partner, Joel, is the brawn.
A survivor through and through, she does what she has to do to get by in this life, but she clearly has a soft spot for Joel and considers him a real friend. She meets her fate early in the first game when she is bitten and decides to sacrifice herself so that Ellie and Joel can get away.
Abby
Abby is one of the most polarizing characters in the entire franchise. Responsible for the vengeful, traumatic death of one of the most popular characters in recent Playstation history, many fans loathe her existence. Aside from that, remarkably, she is not actually an unlikable character.
Mentally and physically tough, she stands for what she believes is right and has a strong sense of justice. She protects Lev with her life. She fights for the world to be a better place, and for the daughter of a famous doctor that was brutally murdered, that means fewer men like Joel in her world. Abby is hurt, she is not evil.
Jesse
Dina's ex-boyfriend and the father of little JJ, there isn't much to dislike about Jesse. A kindhearted survivor with a good sense of humor, Jesse seems to get along with everyone.
Despite their rough circumstances, he has a playful personality and is friends with Ellie, showing no true jealousy in regards to her budding relationship with Dina. A protector and a loyal friend, Jesse dies tragically at the hands of Abby before Ellie and Dina have the chance to intervene.
Lev
Both heartbreaking and endearing, Lev's story is a powerful one, and a large part of why it is so much easier to love Abby as well. A young trans man who left home seeking to embrace his true identity and find the life and beliefs that he was meant to live by, Lev only found more pain in his life with the cultist Seraphites.
Adorable, optimistic, and endlessly brave-hearted, Lev is a wonderful character, a loyal friend, and wise beyond his years.
Dina
Loving, spirited, and able to keep her sense of humor in tough times, Dina is a welcome addition amidst the tragic tones of The Last Of Us: Part II. Ellie's girlfriend and confidante, Dina has a depth but also a lightness to her that is intoxicating. Even pregnant, she does her best to pull her weight and strives to protect Ellie even in the darkest of times.
Eventually, she becomes an excellent mother, and despite her ultimatum when it comes to Ellie's focus on vengeance, she is still kind but firm in her decision on what is best for herself and for their son.
Tommy
Uncle Tommy is just a good guy, and that is all there is to it. Sensitive, empathetic, and caring, Tommy is always there when it counts. Leading the peaceful town of Jackson with his wife Maria, he longs to give people a feeling of normalcy outside of military control.
He has had his day as a brave-hearted freedom fighter with the Fireflies, but now he just wants a quiet life with the people that he loves around others that they love. That's really one of the best things to hope for in a dystopian world that doesn't show any signs of getting any better.
Joel
Joel is not a perfect man, but he is incredibly easy to love while playing through the games. A hardworking single father who lost his daughter in the outbreak, he becomes cold and unforgiving, until he meets 14-year-old Ellie Williams, and realizes that he doesn't have to be the way that he is.
A grieving father-figure who learns to love again, Joel is the whole package. Fierce when it comes to protecting his loved ones, Joel is a great dad that comes complete with dad-jokes, a shotgun, and a guitar.
Ellie
Whether she is the sassy, young teen reminding Joel how to laugh every once in a while, or the hardened 19-year-old who is coping with living in a brutal world, Ellie is a good person who has had bad things happen to her.
Smart, capable, and resourceful, not only is she is a strong survivor for her age, but she has a pretty great sense of humor too. Burdened with a tragic past, she doesn't let it hold her down, and would give her life if it meant a chance to save the world.