The Last of Us – Joel Betraying Fireflies
Taking place in a post-apocalyptic world, 2013’s The Last of Us is all about the story of cynical Joel traveling across the United States with a little girl Ellie in an effort to make a vaccine for the Cordyceps virus. Both characters do not start on the best of terms, although they are able to develop a meaningful father-daughter relationship over the course of this emotionally-charged adventure.
As the clouds of separation start to loom over the two, Joel increasingly wishes to let go of this pursuit of finding a vaccine while Ellie wants her immunity to the virus to mean something even if that means sacrificing her life for the purpose. After the fears of losing Ellie are confirmed, Joel goes on a killing spree of the Fireflies – rescues an unconscious Ellie from the operation theater, kills her contractor Marlene and escapes in a car.
Ellie wakes up to ask Joel about what happened, to which he blatantly lies about what went down in the hospital. Once they reach Tommy’s settlement, Ellie once again brings up the previous question to confirm whether Joel was indeed telling the truth – to which he once again replies yes. The camera cuts to a shot of Ellie’s tensed face – which then fades to black.
“No matter what happens, you keep finding something to fight for.”
