There are few games that make one invested in their story so deeply, withThe Last of Ushaving the honor of being one of these offerings.The Last of Us Part 2brought new stories for fans to be invested in, but for that one needs to remember how the main characters work.
Joel was a supporting character in the second game, but he had enough characterization for fans to know what kind of man he was. He let his actions speak more often than not, butJoel did have quotesfor the fans to remember him by now that he’s breathed his last.
Updated on August 02, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:If players analyze the character of Joel closely, it’s easy to see that he has the classic antihero formula. A family man who’s lost it all and is trapped in a merciless world changes after an innocent girl becomes his responsibility. This story is as old as time, yet it’s still very interesting, and Naughty Dog managed to present it wonderfully.
Although many fans would have loved to see more of Joel in the second game, his actions, quotes, and love for Ellie left a mark on fans of the franchise that won’t be erased. Even when his absence from most of the second installment of the franchise is felt greatly.
29“I Think It’s Time We Quit This Place. Come On, Let’s Go.”
Chapter 6: The Suburbs (The Last Of Us Part 1)
Joel has always been known for being calm and collected during life-or-death situations. Perhaps part of it is due to the trauma of losing his daughter in such a violent way so many years ago, or maybe it’s a result of the dark, unforgiving world he and the rest of humanity have been living in for decades.
Whatever the case, this quote is the perfect reflection of how Joel’s mind works. Sam, Henry, Ellie, and himself had just escaped yet another life-threatening situation, and instead of taking his time to let reality sink in, he immediately tells the group to get a move on. No time lost, no hesitance—just pure, raw survival instincts. Fans who’ve watched the show will have probably noticed that Pedro Pascal’s version of Joel, while still rugged, serious, and emotionally stunted, is a bit more human than the one we get to see on the video game. The virtual version of Joel seems to act more out of reflex, than thought and empathy.
28“I’ve Struggled A Long Time With Survivin', But No Matter What, You Keep Finding Something To Fight For.”
Chapter 12: Jackson (The Last Of Us Part 1)
Near the end of the game, as Joel and Ellie are making their way through an open prairie, Ellie questions his decisions and is tormented by her survivor’s guilt, and the thought of all the people who died trying to get her back to the Fireflies. Joel then explains that while surviving while others they care about have died, she will always find a reason to keep fighting and moving forward, no matter how hard it is.
This scene and Joel’s quotes not only show that he still feels like he should have died with his daughter, but also that he lives in duality. He frequently wants to give up, but the stronger side of him won’t let him—especially now, with Ellie around.
27"Now Ellie, That Ain’t For Kids."
Chapter 5: Pittsburgh (The Last Of Us Part 1)
After taking Bill’s help, Joel and Ellie head towards the Firefly Hospital. Apparently, while she was combing over Bill’s lair, she stumbled upon a rather interesting magazine that she ended up stealing.
The contents of the magazine are quite suspect, and Joel is quick to point that out. Ellie takes this opportunity to make fun of him for a while before the story progresses and more dangers head their way. This scene was perfectly recreated in the series, sticking to the dialogue almost word for word, which was something that many of the franchise’s fans loved. This scene shows a peek of what Joel and Ellie’s relationship will become later on, and makes for a heartwarming adoptive father-daughter moment that is very interesting.
26"Do You Even Understand What That Means?"
As time passes, Ellie finds a joke book where she keeps on reciting horrible puns to Joel time and time again. In its own way, this helps the two characters bond, even if Ellie herself doesn’t understand some of the jokes.
Joel calls her out when she makes a joke that is clearly something she’s not familiar with. It’s a simple interaction, but it shows how the grizzled survivor is slowly warming to the influence of a person who’s more like his daughter than he’d care to admit.
25"It’s Called Luck, And It Is Gonna Run Out."
Chapter 3: The Outskirts (The Last Of Us Part 1)
While escorting Ellie, both Joel and Tess show just how adept they are at tackling the many hazardous situations people would encounter in this post-apocalyptic world.This impresses Ellie to no end, who compliments both of them and says how their skills are truly astounding.
Joel doesn’t let this statement get to his head and outright states that all of this just boils down to luck. It’s a statement that is called back in a chilling fashion after Tess reveals that she’s been bitten by the Infected in one of the more chilling moments in the story.
24"I Swear."
By the end ofThe Last of Us, Joel had developed a strong bond with Ellie and simply couldn’t let her die for the sake of humanity. This led to him shooting up the entire Firefly hospital, killing innocents, and saving Ellie at the cost of his own humanity.
Given how suspicious her circumstances are,Ellie asks Joel to promise that he didn’t lie to her about the Fireflies. Joel swears to his account of events, which Ellie accepts before the game ends on a rather bitter note. Joel saving Ellie from the Fireflies has been a source of controversy and debate among players ever since the game was first released. Some say that even if the Fireflies had killed Ellie, they would not have been able to extract a cure for the Cordyceps pandemic, making her death happen in vain. Others claim that it was possible for the pandemic to end and that Joel basically doomed humanity and condemned millions of people to die out of his selfish love for Ellie. Whatever the case, Joel’s actions were a display of fatherly love that was heartwarming, whether players agreed with his decision or not.
23"Yeah, Well, Just Try Not To Let Your Guard Down."
It’s clear that Joel hasn’t interacted with a halfway-decent human being ever since the epidemic. So, when Ellie actually commends Joel for his grit and skills, Joel reacts as awkwardly as one would expect.
Instead of thanking Ellie for complimenting him, Joel just tells her to stay alert and not let her guard down. It’s one of their many endearing interactions, with Ellie outright saying that she’s praising Joel for being such a reliable person.
22"Don’t You Have A Plan B?"
Chapter 4: Bill’s Town (The Last Of Us Part 1)
After meeting Bill, Joel and Ellie go through a series of events that leads to a ton of Infected chasing them down. After thwarting their approach, Joel asks if Bill has any other plans other than the one they botched.
However, it was clear that the majority of Bill’s defenses had been triggered during the Infected ambush. He responds by saying that all their routes had been decimated by this assault, and anything else they’d do would be on the fly instead of being meticulously planned out.
It’s clear that Ellie is pretty young and not suited for massive firefights, prompting Joel to ask her to hang back while he takes care of things. However, after things went south, Ellie came to Joel’s rescue and killed a hunter who was about to end his life.
Instead of appreciating this, Joel admonishes Ellie and says that her inexperience could’ve led to his death too. This causes Ellie to get angry at Joel, who seemed thankless despite having his life saved just a few moments back.
20"And Just So We’re Clear About Back There… It Was Either Him Or Me."
Joel lived in a world that had gone back to its savage roots. All of a sudden it was either kill or be killed, and Joel was thrust into several situations time and time again where he needed to end a person’s life to save his.
When this happened in front of Ellie, even a stone-hearted fellow like Joel knew that she needed to learn the truth of this situation. It’s one of the many moments where the duo slowly starts bonding over time.
