The Last of Us Part I is not a video game that spares its cast. The proof with all these significant deaths.
The Last of Us Part I is an experience that uses horror and violence to give depth and authenticity to its post-apocalyptic narrative. The developers of Naughty Dog want to make no concessions to portray a world in which no one wants to live. And, where the deaths, regrettable or not, accumulate.
On the occasion of the release of the remake of The Last of Us I on PlayStation 5 , on September 2, 2022, we decided to remember the most significant disappearances in the game. Some are deeply sad, others are more symbolic . They have one thing in common: they all serve to tell something.
Warning, this article contains spoilers on the story of The Last of Us.
8 most significant deaths of The Last of Us Part I
1-Sarah
The Last of Us Part I is an incredibly cruel video game. He is even shown to be ruthless with the cast members. Like in Game of Thrones , anyone can go through it. Even the children. As such, the introduction is enough to bring you a few tears, since it ends with the surprise death of Sarah, the daughter of Joel – hero of the adventure. She takes a few stray bullets as her father tries to negotiate with a soldier, who has been ordered to shoot on sight to prevent a pandemic from spreading.
2 – Tess
Partner of Joel, Tess accompanies us for long minutes. Like Joel, Tess does what she can to survive in an unappealing world, where only the law of the strongest prevails. Unfortunately, she will suffer the same fate as many people: a bite leading to inevitable contamination and a courageous sacrifice to protect her friend.
3 – Frank
We don’t know much about Frank. Worse, we never saw him in his lifetime. But, he is linked to one of the protagonists encountered by Joel and Ellie during their trip: Bill. The subtle writing of The Last of Us Part I makes us realize that Bill and Frank were lovers. With this story, Bill wants to make Joel understand that it’s best not to get attached. Note that Naughty Dog was praised by the association GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) for this representation of a gay character that is both “ complex ” and “ unique ”. That’s why we want to remember Frank’s death.
4 – The first person killed by Ellie
Another character we know nothing about. It’s even worse than Frank, given that he’s an average enemy. Here, it is not the identity of the corpse that takes precedence, but the tipping point that it represents. It is the first victim of Ellie, who wants to protect Joel and must now live with the feeling of guilt at an age where one should live even less these horrors. Above all, she knows she is capable of killing.
5 – Sam & Henry
Sam and Henry are two brothers with whom Joel and Ellie share part of the adventure. Very quickly, they are predicted a disastrous fate. Sam, 13, is bitten and, in an excess of uncontrolled rage, attacks Ellie. While Joel logically points his gun at the condemned teenager, Henry prefers to take care of it himself. Before shooting yourself in the head…
6-David
No one will miss David, a man who plays the welcoming man with Ellie when she goes in search of medicine for Joel. Except that he very quickly reveals his identity, namely the leader of a group who does not hesitate to resort to cannibalism to survive. His life ends in outrageous violence, with Ellie bludgeoning his face with a machete, until he ends up in tears. Again, this is a seesaw for the heroine.
7 – Marlène
Marlene is a member of the Fireflies group. She is the one who asks Joel to accompany Ellie outside of Boston. She knows the secret of the teenager, immunized against the virus which has eradicated a good part of the population. She also knows that her sacrifice is necessary to perhaps find a vaccine. It was without counting the selfishness, legitimate, of Joel. He sees in Ellie the daughter he has lost and therefore refuses to part with her. Marlene tries to make him listen to reason until the end. In vain and at the risk of his life.
8 – The doctor who wants to operate on Ellie
At first glance, this death is harmless. At least, after completing The Last of Us Part I , we don’t remember killing a doctor (the one who is to perform a fatal operation on Ellie). It is actually linked to the events narrated in The Last of Us Part II , more specifically to a very important character in the sequel (we won’t tell you more).
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