Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II video game.If HBO's The Last of Us follows the plot of the original game's sequel, then it may already be clear what happens to Joel. Both The Last of Us 2013 video game and the 2023 show follow Joel Miller through a post-apocalyptic world as he tries to protect teenager Ellie Williams, the only person immune to the Cordyceps infection that ravaged humanity. Most people have died or become infected and turned into zombie-like creatures controlled by the Cordyceps.
Joel has managed to survive for an impressive twenty years. So if the TV show continues like the game, he and Ellie will live through The Last of Us season 1 and settle into some semblance of happily ever after. But they aren't out of the woods forever. The Last of Us Part II, a second video game, was released in 2020. Set about four years after the first game. It seals Joel's fate—so what happens to him?
Joel Dies In The Last Of Us 2 Game
Joel dies in The Last of Us Part II, and his death is the catalyst for Ellie's character arc. Early on in the plot of the game, Joel and his brother Tommy rescue Abby Anderson from a group of infected. They bring Abby back to her group of former Fireflies. The group turns on Joel and Tommy. It's revealed that Abby is the daughter of a surgeon that Joel killed at the end of the first The Last of Us. Ellie and her girlfriend Dina arrive to see Abby beat Joel to death to avenge her father's murder.
Joel's Death Is The Last Of Us' Most Brutal Twist
Joel and Ellie's relationship was on the rocks between the first and second The Last of Us video games, making his death an even more brutal plot point that leads Ellie down a vengeful path almost identical to Abby's. At the end of the first The Last of Us game, Abby's father is about to perform surgery on Ellie to remove part of her brain, so the Fireflies can hopefully use it to create a cure. Unfortunately, this would kill Ellie, so Joel goes on a killing spree to save her. When Ellie awakens, Joel lies about what happened, telling her the Fireflies had found other immune people but couldn't create a cure.
Before the events of The Last of Us Part II, Ellie discovers that Joel lied and stops speaking to him. They are only just starting to patch things up when Abby kills Joel, leaving Ellie with even more survivor's guilt than she started with. However, she does have some relief, knowing that in their final conversation, she told Joel she might be able to forgive him. She then knows Joel didn't die thinking she hated him. While the first game and The Last of Us season 1 look at Joel's grief for his daughter and the world he once knew, The Last of Us Part II similarly examines Ellie's grief.
When Will Joel Die In The Last Of Us TV Show?
There are several differences between the Last of Us game and the TV series, from minor plot changes to brand-new characters. But the general plot has remained the same so far. The Last of Us show has been renewed for a second season, and co-creator Craig Mazin told IGN that The Last of Us Part II is "more than a season's worth of television," implying it could be split into two seasons. Even if this isn't the case, Joel will likely die in The Last of Us season 2—possibly in the first episode. If the show covers more time than the second game, maybe by delving deeper into the four years that pass between the games, Joel's death could be the perfect climax of the Last of Us season 2 finale.
More time means Joel could survive for even longer, maybe into the potential Last of Us season 3. HBO's The Last of Us adaptation could also completely change the course of the plot and character arcs, having Joel survive the show's full run. But this would go against the spirit of The Last of Us. Joel would live in a perfect world, but the series does not portray a perfect world. Joel's death helps Ellie learn the same lessons Joel had to, so it is vital to the future of The Last of Us.