Heroes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Sometimes, they can shine through as simply just that, heroes, yet other times, heroic actions can come through with even the darkest of characters. Characters, like everyone's favorite anti-hero, Joel.
Created in the now-iconic horror survival game The Last Of Us, a game that will very soon make the jump into HBO Max as a series, Joel is a hero to many, a simple man trying to survive in the apocalypse, only doing what he needs to survive and protect Ellie. Yet, a case could be made that for every heroic action Joel accomplishes, a villainous and equally heinous act of violence and deception follows.
Heroic: Allies With Sam And Henry
Just about every road in The Last Of Us universe leads to ruin within it's bleak yet amazing storylines, but that's not to say that good can't come before the tragedy. On their way to get information on the fireflies, Joel and Ellie come across other survivors, Sam and Henry.
Instead of pushing them away, the two groups come together, with Joel helping the pair out and aiding them where he can. For a moment, it feels as if they may become a permanent group, only for everything to break down.
Villainous: Taking Shady Jobs
One of the more intriguing properties that The Last Of Us offers up is this idea of moral ambiguity. Throughout the game, Joel and other characters commit villainous acts that could be seen as heroic in the eyes of the apocalypse.
It's like when Joel takes shady jobs as a smuggler, such as going to kill another lowlife, Robert. For the survivors, this is just another form of survival, the new normal for them. For a casual gamer, however, these can be seen as acts of evil intent.
Heroic: Does The Job For Tess
To describe Joel as being noble is... not the best definition for his character. Maybe before the outbreak, there was some nobility and honor to him, but it all does seem to have vanished. At least, until his partner passes.
Convinced that Ellie could provide a cure, Tess sacrifices herself and encourages Joel to continue on his journey for more than just the money. Because of that, Joel keeps on his mission not just for the payment at the end but to honor Tess's final wish.
Villainous: Leaves People Behind
Maybe this isn't the worst anyone could do. After all, if the apocalypse is erupting around someone, would they stop to help people in need? Probably not, but it still doesn't excuse Joel's actions.
As the virus begins to spread, Joel, his daughter, Sarah, and brother, Tommy, try to escape, passing by several people who beg for help. Joel insists that Tommy keep going, ignoring the people without even offering a hint of aid. Brings a whole new meaning to the survival of the fittest and not in a good way.
Heroic: Tries To Leave Ellie With Tommy
Sometimes, saving a person from their fate may be kinder than letting them fulfill their intended goal. For Joel, Ellie seemed to be a good kid, a caring kid, but not the right fit for him. As such, he was tempted to leave Ellie with his brother.
That may not sound like a heroic deed but in a sense, Joel was trying to save Ellie from becoming like him, to avoid sharing his fate. It's only when Ellie mentions his daughter that Joel caves and continues on the journey.
Villainous: Torture
Torture sums up pretty well what happened between Joel and a survivor. After suffering from a wound for most of the winter, Joel awakes to find Ellie missing and a gang of vicious cannibals on all sides and decides to get Ellie's location... the hard way.
Now, one could say that Joel was simply doing this for Ellie. The truth is though, is that when he starts torturing the cannibal by driving his knife into their leg and threatening to "pop their ******* knee off," the Joel gamers are used to vanishes.
Heroic: Comforted Ellie
After getting Ellie's location from the cannibal, Joel made his way through the snow in time to find Ellie and David, the cannibal's leader. He also found Ellie pounding David into a bloody pulp, full of rage, hatred, and fear.
It's as if Joel saw himself in Ellie, the side of him that he feared so much but let out all too often. So instead of harshly telling her to move, Joel takes the time to comfort Ellie, to calm her down, and be there for her. Like a father.
Villainous: Killed The Doctors, Fireflies, and Marlene
Throughout the journey of Ellie and Joel, the goal was always to get Ellie to the Fireflies and develop a cure that could save humanity. Yet, as Joel and Ellie grew closer, Joel found it harder to let her go. In fact, it became such a great friendship, fans are already speculating who could play who in the show.
When it's revealed in an amazing plot twist that saves the game (almost ironic since plot twists hurt the sequel heavily) that Ellie will be killed in order for the cure to be made, Joel goes off, killing numerous Fireflies, innocent doctors, and the Firefly's leader, Marlene in a bid to "rescue" Ellie. Sure, many have argued that Joel was protecting Ellie but was he doing it for her or for himself?
Heroic: Carried His Daughter
There are many scenes that are heart-wrenching in Joel's and Ellie's adventure but there are none that hit harder than what happened at the beginning of the game. With the virus spreading like wildfire, Joel, Tommy, and Sarah are caught up in the panic and crash their car.
With Sarah's leg hurt, Joel puts his own life on the line to carry Sarah through the hordes of infected, in a scene that makes the game worthy of that tv adaptation. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished as, after this heroic act, Joel's daughter is gunned down in front of horrified players' eyes.
Villainous: Lied To Ellie
Alongside Joel carrying his daughter towards her doomed fate, there is another gut-wrenching moment from The Last Of Us, a scene that absolutely tears fans to pieces. After leaving the Fireflies, Ellie wakes up in the backseat and asks Joel what happened, resulting in one of the video games' best twist endings.
Instead of telling Ellie the truth, Joel lies, saying that the cure wouldn't have worked. While some may argue that this is a heroic act, it's a selfish one as well, with Joel only thinking of Ellie and himself against the lives of millions that the cure could've saved.