‘He thought it would be a more dramatic ending’

The Last of Us is one of the most popular action-adventure video game and media franchises in the world. Not only the games, but the TV adaptation of the series has won the hearts of millions of fans as well. This franchise is based on the post-apocalyptic United States, which is infested by cannibalistic humans.

Despite the franchise’s huge brilliance, there are some controversies as well. For example, The Last of Us Part II has been criticized many times because of the controversial death of a popular character in the game. However, that controversy would have begun way before the release of Part II.

Joel’s Death Could Have Come in The Last of Us Part I

Joel’s death was not supposed to happen initially in The Last of Us Part II. In a new documentary Grounded II: Making the Last of Us Part II, Joel actor Troy Baker actually pitched his character’s death at the very end of TLOU Part I after he killed Marlene and the Fireflies in Salt Lake City.

The actor felt that if his heinous crime to save Ellie would go unpunished, then it would lead to “pissing a lot of people off.” 

“In the first game [Troy Baker] was advocating that Joel should die,” Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann explained in Grounded II. “Joel has crossed these moral lines and therefore he deserves to die. He thought it would be a more dramatic ending. I was like, ‘Nah, you’re crazy.’”

However, that never happened as Joel went on to live beyond Part II and was eventually killed at the hands of Abby Anderson, the daughter of one of the Firefly doctors Joel killed in Salt Lake City.

Now this cruel death sparked heavy backlash at the franchise, as many fans didn’t expect Joel to die so soon. Now, just imagine what would happen with Part I if Joel died at the end of the game.

The Death of Joel in The Last of Us Part II?

Joel Miller is a playable protagonist in The Last of Us Part I and a supporting character in Part II. Despite starting the story as smuggling Ellie, he eventually went on to make a strong bond with her. In TLOU Part II, when Joel and Tommy went out on patrol, they were swept over by a blizzard.

After that, they were saved by none other than Abby Anderson, whose father, Jerry Anderson, was killed by Joel himself. After she found out that it was her father’s killer, vengeful Abby went on to beat Joel with a golf club until his death. She smacked the head of Joel to finally kill him, that too in front of Ellie, who was pinned down to the floor by the men of Abby.

What’s your opinion on this? Did you want Joel to die in Part I or to survive beyond Part II? Share your views with us in the comment section.