DuringGrounded 2,The Last of Us Part 2’s making-of documentary, actor Troy Baker defended the game’s handling of the beloved Joel character. Baker, who playedThe Last of Us Part 2’s Joel, shared how he deals with fans who say the character’s storyshould have been written differently.
This article contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us 1 and 2
Joel’s conclusion inThe Last of Us Part 2involved a brutal death at the hands of Abby, the daughter of a doctor that Joel killed at the end of the first game. Fans who had grown attached to Joel duringThe Last of Us Part 1were surprised to see the former main character killed off in the opening hours of the anticipated sequel. While his death served an important purpose in moving the story forward, some fans were disappointed that they wouldn’t get to play another Naughty Dog game centered around Joel and Ellie’s desperate adventures together. Recently, Baker decided to reiterate his opinion on the matter.
Baker addressed fans' reactions to his character’s death duringGrounded 2by saying, “There’s not a single aspect of the game,Part 2, that I would change. Any time someone comes up to me and says, ‘You know, I didn’t really like what they did to Joel,’ I was like ‘Great. Awesome. Tell me a better version of the story.’ And to this day they still can’t.” Baker made it clear that he supportsThe Last of Uscreator Neil Druckmann’s decision to kill off Joel. Although the death significantly changed the course ofThe Last of Us' storyline, it served as a catalyst for the rest of Ellie’s story and helped to tie the series' themes together onceThe Last of Us Part 2concluded. The character’s tragic ending also allowed forfan-favorite moments likeThe Last of Us Part 2’s museum level, which saw Joel and Ellie reunited through a powerful flashback.
I was like ‘Great. Awesome. Tell me a better version of the story.’ And to this day they still can’t."
Following the game’s release,Druckmann also defendedThe Last of Us Part 2’sdecision to kill Joel. Some fans claimed that Joel never would have fallen for the ambush that led to his demise, but Druckmann explained that the event made narrative sense due to Joel growing comfortable after living in the relative safety of Jackson, Wyoming for four years. AlthoughGrounded 2saw the resurfacing of older debates, it also saw the mention of some new and intriguing topics.
The Last of Us' Troy Baker Defends Joel’s Death
Druckmann teased his progress in developingThe Last of Us Part 3’sstory by explaining that he finally created a concept that’s worthy of building the next game around. He apparently struggled for years to come up with an idea that could properly move the series forward after the critically acclaimedLast of Us Part 2, but Druckmann explained that his newest idea is just as exciting to him as the storylines for the first and second titles.
The Last of Us Part 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur
