The Last of Us - Characters & Cast

Initially, his motivation is pure survival and self-interest. After losing Sarah, he is driven by a desire to simply keep breathing and avoid any emotional attachments. This evolves as he travels with Ellie. His motivation shifts from a transactional goal (delivering her for a reward) to a deeply personal one: protecting Ellie at all costs, as he could not protect Sarah. This becomes his sole, all-consuming purpose.

In the beginning, Joel is a broken man, emotionally shut down by the traumatic death of his daughter Sarah. For 20 years, he operates as a ruthless smuggler, defined by cynicism and a brutal survivalist instinct. His journey with Ellie forces him to confront his buried trauma. Initially viewing her as cargo, he gradually, and reluctantly, allows himself to care for her. Through protecting her, he rediscovers his capacity for love and finds a new purpose. This culminates in his decision to save her from the Fireflies, an act of profound love that is also monstrously selfish. He completes his arc not by becoming a traditional hero, but by fully embracing his role as a father figure, choosing the love for his one 'daughter' over the potential salvation of the world.

Her primary motivation is to make her immunity mean something. She believes that by reaching the Fireflies and helping create a cure, her life—and the deaths of those she's cared about, like Riley—will have had a purpose. She is driven by a desire to matter. As her bond with Joel deepens, a secondary motivation emerges: to maintain that connection and protect the found family she has with him.

Ellie begins the series as a defiant, witty, and somewhat naive teenager, born into the post-apocalyptic world and hardened by life in an oppressive military orphanage. Her immunity gives her a unique blend of survivor's guilt and a sense of purpose. Her journey with Joel strips away her innocence as she is forced to commit acts of extreme violence to survive, most notably her traumatic encounter with David. She develops a deep dependency and love for Joel, who becomes the father figure she never had. However, Joel's final lie about the Fireflies creates a fracture in their relationship, leaving her with a sense of unease and unresolved purpose, setting the stage for her future transformation.

Bill's initial motivation is to survive the apocalypse completely on his own terms, free from government interference and the chaos of other people. After Frank arrives, his motivation shifts entirely to protecting Frank and building a safe, happy life for him. Frank becomes his reason for living, not just surviving.

Bill is introduced as a paranoid, misanthropic survivalist who has successfully isolated himself from the dangers of the outside world. He believes in self-reliance above all and trusts no one. His arc is a self-contained story of transformation through love. When Frank stumbles into his life, Bill's fortified walls—both literal and emotional—begin to break down. Over two decades, he experiences a full, loving partnership that brings joy, connection, and purpose to his existence. His final letter to Joel reveals his ultimate realization: that his true purpose was not just surviving, but protecting the person he loved. His journey reframes the show's concept of survival from a solitary act to one made meaningful through connection.

Like Joel, Tess is initially motivated by survival and the desire to settle a score to get their car battery back. This quickly changes when she learns Ellie is immune. Her motivation then becomes a powerful, desperate hope that this child could be the key to redeeming humanity and finding a cure. This hope fuels her final, sacrificial act.

Tess is a hardened and pragmatic smuggler, Joel's partner in business and life. She is as ruthless as Joel but possesses a flicker of hope that he has long extinguished. Her character arc is short but pivotal. She is the initial driving force behind the mission to transport Ellie, recognizing the world-changing significance of the girl's immunity. When she becomes infected, she doesn't succumb to despair but instead uses her final moments to ensure Joel and Ellie can escape. Her arc is one of sacrifice, where her last act is a desperate bid to make her death—and her life—mean something by pushing Joel to complete the mission.