Joel (The Last of Us)

Joel Miller is a fictional character in the video games The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II by Naughty Dog. He is portrayed by Troy Baker through performance capture. In the first game, Joel serves as the main protagonist and is tasked with escorting the young Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure for an infection to which Ellie is immune. He also appears briefly in the downloadable content campaign, The Last of Us: Left Behind. In The Last of Us Part II, Joel is killed by a woman named Abby, whose father he had killed, prompting Ellie to seek revenge on the latter and those that assisted her.

Joel Miller
The Last of Us character
Joel as he appears in The Last of Us
First appearanceThe Last of Us (2013)
Last appearanceThe Last of Us Part II (2020)
Created byNeil Druckmann
Portrayed byTroy Baker
In-universe information
ChildrenSarah (daughter, deceased)
Relatives
OriginAustin, Texas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican

Joel was created by Neil Druckmann, the creative director and writer of The Last of Us. The character's casting was extensive, as his relationship with Ellie was imperative to the game; it was the central focus of the first game's development, with all other elements developed around it. Baker inspired aspects of Joel's personality, making the character more emotional than initially pitched. Druckmann wanted players, especially parents, to relate to Joel through his bonding with Ellie. He considered the character morally complex. For Part II, Druckmann felt that Joel's character arc was complete after the original, and his death was a core part of the game's development.

The character has been well-received by critics, with Joel's relationship with Ellie most frequently the subject of praise. The likability and complexity of the character has also been commended. Baker's performance in both games was highly praised and received numerous awards and nominations.

Creation

The development team of The Last of Us spent more time selecting the actor for Joel than Ellie, as the chemistry between the two characters was imperative to the game. After Troy Baker and Ellie actress Ashley Johnson played alongside each other, the team realized that the former perfectly fit the role of Joel, despite the actor's young age.[1] Druckmann attributed Baker's voice and movement to the team's choice of casting him.[1] Baker contributed greatly to the development of the character; for example, he convinced Druckmann that Joel would care for Tess due to his loneliness.[2] When designing Joel's physical appearance, the team tried to make him look "flexible enough" to allow for him to appear as both a "ruthless operator in the underground of a quarantined city" as well as a "caring father figure to Ellie".[3] His appearance was aimed to evoke "rural Americana", referencing values of self-reliance and ingenuity when facing hardship and deprivation.[3] The team experimented with his appearance to determine his age in the game.[4]

The art design team experimented with Joel's appearance throughout development to determine his age in The Last of Us.

When writing Joel, Druckmann initially took inspiration from Josh Brolin's portrayal of Llewelyn Moss in No Country for Old Men (2007), which he saw as "very quiet, very cool under pressure".[5] However, Baker's interpretation of Joel as a more emotional person evolved the character in a different way.[5] Ultimately, the narrative became an exploration of how willing a father is to save a child; initially, Joel is willing to sacrifice himself, before evolving where he is willing to sacrifice his friends, until finally feeling that he would sacrifice all of humanity in order to save Ellie.[6]

Druckmann felt that players, specifically parents, would be able to relate to Joel's character and his bonding with Ellie.[7] Baker believes that Joel discovers morality throughout the game's narrative, working out the difference between loss and sacrifice, and his true personality begins to show.[8] Druckmann became intrigued by players who discussed Joel's morality, distinguishing him as a hero or villain; Druckmann felt that Joel was only "a complex person who's made good and bad decisions", but allowed it to be open to interpretation.[9] When auditioning for the role, Baker read a phrase on the character sheet that stated Joel had "few moral lines left to cross", which became the "anchor point" to the character for him.[1] Baker found great difficulty in filming the game's prologue, which features scenes with Joel and his daughter Sarah, portrayed by Hana Hayes. Upon later viewing of the first day of footage from the scene, Druckmann felt that it could still be improved. When filming the scene again, Druckmann explained to Baker how to perform it, and felt that it was the best take upon doing so. Though Baker initially found the take too "mechanical", he retroactively realized that he had been trying to impress audiences by his acting, and that it was "not what the scene needed".[1]

Druckmann felt that Joel's character arc was complete after the first game.[10] Joel's death was a core part of the narrative structure of The Last of Us Part II from early in development;[11] Druckmann considered it one of the most difficult to write, rehearse, and shoot.[12] Though it initially caused some internal resistance, the team felt compelled when more of the narrative was built out.[11] An early version of Joel's death scene had him utter "Sarah", his daughter's name, until Baker suggested that he should remain silent.[13] While Sarah's death in the first game intended to evoke sadness, Joel's death aims to elicit anger.[14] Ellie was originally absent during the scene, and was to be informed by Joel's brother Tommy,[15] but Druckmann felt that witnessing the death through Ellie's perspective emphasized the anger of the player.[16] He wanted it to be portrayed as "gross, unceremonious, and humiliating" instead of heroic;[17][18] it was originally more gruesome, but later toned down as the gore was not crucial to the scene.[19] He predicted that it might lead to negative reactions, but felt it was necessary to tell the story; he particularly felt that Naughty Dog's notability in the industry gave it the opportunity to take risks that other developers can not.[20]

Character

In the prologue of The Last of Us, Joel, as a single parent, is depicted as sensitive and emotionally engaged with his daughter. After her death and the 20 years that follow, in which Joel witnessed more horrific events,[21] he has significantly changed, using violence to solve issues and showing reluctance when asked to escort Ellie.[22] Joel is often described as an antihero.[23][24][25][21] He is a hardened survivor whose obsession with survival is fueled by his desensitization due to his daughter's death.[26] Joel's years of survival have led him to become resourceful, practical, and emotionally impenetrable, though he is still traumatized and vulnerable.[27][28][29] He avoids becoming attached to others as he would fear losing them.[28] Each of his movements show his age and experience, carrying the weight of the lives lost.[30] As the game progresses, Joel becomes more sensitive to Ellie, and speaks to her in a manner previously only reserved for his daughter.[22] Joel's act of saving Ellie in the first game's conclusion shows that he has become too sentimental and attached to Ellie to "do the 'right thing'", a trope often demonstrated in male heroes.[25] His act is seen by some as one of redemption,[26] and by others as one of selfishness.[27][28]

Appearances
Main articles: The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II

Originally from Texas, Joel was a single father in his late 20s when the initial Cordyceps outbreak occurred. Fleeing with his brother Tommy and his twelve-year-old daughter Sarah, they got involved in a firefight with a soldier, and Sarah was mortally wounded and died in his arms, leaving him traumatized. In the 20 years that follow, Joel did whatever he had to do to survive.[31][32] In the time spent in the brutal post-apocalyptic world, still bitter from his daughter's death, Joel became a hardened survivor, physically and mentally tough. He has a brutal fighting style and is capable of taking on and defeating much younger men in hand-to-hand combat.[28][33]

Twenty years after Sarah's death, Joel works as a smuggler in the Boston quarantine zone with his friend and partner Tess. While searching for a former accomplice who stole some of their merchandise, Joel and Tess are tasked by Marlene, an acquaintance and leader of a rebel militia called the Fireflies, to smuggle Ellie to a rendezvous point. Making their way there, Joel discovers that Ellie is immune to the infection. Upon their arrival, Tess reveals that she has sustained a bite on the journey, and insists Joel finds Tommy, a former Firefly, in order to continue the mission. Joel is initially surly and short towards Ellie, though he begins to warm up to her as their journey continues. This is compounded when Joel, having initially asked Tommy to carry on in his place after meeting up with him at his settlement, changes his mind and carries on as planned. Their bond deepens when Ellie nearly loses Joel to a severe injury, and when he comes to her aid after she is nearly killed by a band of cannibals. Ultimately, Joel shows his devotion to Ellie when he chooses to rescue her from the doctors who plan to remove and examine her brain, as opposed to allowing her to die. To ensure they are not pursued, Joel kills Marlene. Driving away, Ellie wakes up, and Joel tells her the doctors gave up on discovering a cure. Ellie later confronts him about the events, and Joel swears to her that he was telling the truth.

Joel and Ellie build a life in Jackson with Tommy. In the prologue of The Last of Us Part II, Joel confesses his guilt to Tommy. Flashbacks in the game reveal Joel taking Ellie on a birthday trip to a museum, and finally admitting the truth to her after she travels back to the hospital. Four years after the first game, Ellie promises to try and forgive Joel for stopping the Fireflies. While on patrol the following day, Joel and Tommy save Abby Anderson, a stranger, from Infected and they escape a large horde, returning to an outpost run by Abby's group. After they exchange names, however, Joel and Tommy are swiftly attacked by Abby's group, revealed to be ex-Fireflies who are now part of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), a militia group based in Seattle. Ellie finds them but is assaulted and watches helplessly as Abby beats Joel to death with a golf club; it is later revealed that Abby's father was among the Firefly surgeons killed by Joel while saving Ellie, and that Abby sought revenge on him ever since.

Reception
Troy Baker's performance as Joel received praise and awards.

Joel's character received generally positive feedback. IGN's Colin Moriarty found that he cared about the character and considered him likable.[34] Andy Kelly of Computer and Video Games wrote that Joel "has a likeable warmth in his laconic Texan drawl".[35] Jim Sterling of Destructoid found Joel likable despite his impatience and harsh tone.[36] Eurogamer's Oli Welsh felt that, by the game's end, Joel and Ellie had "matured from clichés into rounded characters".[37] Conversely, Tom Mc Shea of GameSpot found Joel unlikable and unrelatable.[38]

Critics praised the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Matt Helgeson of Game Informer wrote that the relationship was "poignant" and "well-drawn",[39] Joystiq's Richard Mitchell found it "genuine" and emotional,[40] and IGN's Moriarty identified it as a highlight of the game.[34] Eurogamer's Welsh felt the characters were developed with "real patience and skill".[37] Philip Kollar of Polygon found the relationship was assisted by the game's optional conversations.[41] Kimberly Wallace of Game Informer named Joel and Ellie one of the "best gaming duos of 2013", appreciating their interest in protecting each other.[42] Game Informer's Kyle Hilliard compared Joel and Ellie's relationship to that of the Prince and Elika from Prince of Persia (2008), writing that both duos care deeply for one another, and praising the "emotional crescendo" in The Last of Us, which he judged had not been achieved in Prince of Persia.[43] PlayStation Official Magazine's David Meikleham named Joel and Ellie the best characters in a PlayStation 3 game.[44]

Baker's performance received praise.[37] Edge wrote that, alongside Johnson's Ellie, Baker "breathe[s] poignancy into the grace notes of the script".[45] Anthony Severino of PlayStation LifeStyle felt that felt that the performance made him care about the character,[46] while Giancarlo Valdes of VentureBeat lauded Baker for adding "nuance and complexity" to the role.[47] For his role in The Last of Us, Baker won Best Voice Actor at the Spike VGX,[48] and was nominated for Best Performer from The Daily Telegraph,[49] Outstanding Character Performance at the D.I.C.E. Awards[50] and for Performer at the British Academy Video Games Awards.[51] Baker's performance in The Last of Us Part II was similarly praised.[52][53][54][55] GamesRadar+'s Alex Avard found that Baker "steals some of [the game's] best scenes as Joel" by adding complexities that enrich the character and relationships.[56] Evan Lewis of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Baker "deserves every accolade possible for his heart-wrenching performance".[57] IGN's Dornbush lauded Baker's performance for depicting the weariness of Joel.[58]

References

Bibliography

  • Cruea, Mark (October 2018). Taylor, Nicholas; Voorhees, Gerald (eds.). (Re)reading Fatherhood: Applying Reader Response Theory to Joel’s Father Role in The Last of Us. Masculinities in Play. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 93–108. ISBN 978-3-319-90581-5.
  • Druckmann, Neil; Straley, Bruce (June 2013). The Art of The Last of Us. United States of America: Dark Horse Comics.
  • Gonzales, Gloria G. (2017). "Joel". In Banks, Jaime; Mejia, Robert; Adams, Aubrie (eds.). 100 Greatest Video Game Characters. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-4422-7813-4. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  • Tucker, Ian, ed. (June 2020). The Art of The Last of Us Part II. United States of America: Dark Horse Comics.
  • Murray, Soraya (June 2019). "Playing Whiteness in Crisis in The Last of Us and Tomb Raider". Transactions of the Digital Games Research Association. Digital Games Research Association. 4 (3): 117–146. ISSN 2328-9422. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.

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