6. Joel’s Death – The Last of Us Part II
I think just about everybody assumed we’d be controlling Ellie as a major character in The Last of Us Part II. However, nothing could have prepared us for the dishonorable and savage way Joel was ejected out of the story. Joel uncharacteristically gets captured by a militia group composed of former Firefly members and gets pummeled to death by Abby, a woman Joel was previously attempting to rescue.
This death doesn’t occur at the climax of the story; oh, no, it happens during the opening chapters of the game. Sure, there’s some nice flashback sequences interspersed throughout which highlight Joel and Ellie’s relationship after the first game, but the lack of lead-up and the manner in which Joel dies in Part II left many players feeling betrayed and robbed.
