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[[File:AshleyJohnson cropped.jpg|175px|thumb|left|[[Ashley Johnson]], who portrayed Ellie in ''The Last of Us''|alt=A 30-year-old woman with long, blonde hair, smiling at someone to the right of the camera.]]
[[File:AshleyJohnson cropped.jpg|175px|thumb|left|[[Ashley Johnson]], who portrayed Ellie in ''The Last of Us''|alt=A 30-year-old woman with long, blonde hair, smiling at someone to the right of the camera.]]


Ellie was designed by creative director [[Neil Druckmann]] as a counterpart to [[List of The Last of Us characters#Joel|Joel]], [[The Last of Us|the game]]'s main playable character.<ref name="definitive1"/> She was also designed to demonstrate that a character bond can be created entirely through gameplay. Druckmann has described the game as a [[coming of age]] story for Ellie, in which she adopts the qualities of a survivor.<ref name="definitive2"/> The development team chose actress [[Ashley Johnson]] to portray Ellie in ''The Last of Us'' shortly following her auditions,<ref name="PS Blog"/> feeling that she suitably fit the role, particularly when acting alongside [[Troy Baker]], who portrayed Joel. Johnson contributed greatly to the development of the character, convincing Druckmann to re-write the character of Ellie in a stronger manner, and able to fight off hostile enemies.<ref name="Telegraph-DJ"/> The character's performances were mostly recorded using [[motion capture]] technology; approximately 85% of the game's animations were recorded using motion capture, with remaining audio elements recorded later in a studio.<ref name="GI Performance"/> When portraying Ellie, Johnson faced challenges in performing "disturbing" scenes that made her feel uncomfortable.<ref name="Telegraph-DJ"/> Johnson felt that video games rarely feature strong female characters such as Ellie, and expressed her excitement to portray the role for this reason.<ref name="Grounded"/>
Creative director [[Neil Druckmann]] designed Ellie as a counterpart to [[List of The Last of Us characters#Joel|Joel]], [[The Last of Us|the game]]'s main playable character.<ref name="definitive1"/> She was also designed to demonstrate that a character bond can be created entirely through gameplay. Druckmann described the game as a [[coming of age]] story for Ellie, in which she adopts the qualities of a survivor.<ref name="definitive2"/> [[Ashley Johnson]] was chosen to portray Ellie in ''The Last of Us'' shortly following her auditions;<ref name="PS Blog"/> the development team felt that she suitably fit the role, particularly when acting alongside [[Troy Baker]], who portrayed Joel. Johnson contributed greatly to the development of the character, convincing Druckmann to re-write Ellie in a stronger manner, and able to fight off hostile enemies.<ref name="Telegraph-DJ"/> The character's performances were mostly recorded using [[motion capture]] technology; approximately 85% of the game's animations were recorded using motion capture, with remaining audio elements recorded later in a studio.<ref name="GI Performance"/> When portraying Ellie, Johnson faced challenges in performing "disturbing" scenes that made her feel uncomfortable.<ref name="Telegraph-DJ"/> Johnson felt that video games rarely feature strong female characters such as Ellie, and expressed her excitement to portray the role for this reason.<ref name="Grounded"/>


{{Tall image|Ellie (The Last of Us) design changes.jpg|150|223|The various iterations that Ellie's physical appearance underwent throughout development. Each design was tested with various hair colors and styles.<ref>{{harvnb|Druckmann|Straley|2013|pp=22}}</ref>|right|alt=Four images depicting the development of Ellie's appearance. Ellie is smiling in the first image, and has short dark hair; she is facing right in the second image, with hair to her shoulders; she has a minor smirk in the third image, with hair on her fringe and down to her chin; and she has a blank look on her face in the fourth image, with no hair on her fringe.}}
{{Tall image|Ellie (The Last of Us) design changes.jpg|150|223|The various iterations that Ellie's physical appearance underwent throughout development. Each design was tested with various hair colors and styles.<ref>{{harvnb|Druckmann|Straley|2013|pp=22}}</ref>|right|alt=Four images depicting the development of Ellie's appearance. Ellie is smiling in the first image, and has short dark hair; she is facing right in the second image, with hair to her shoulders; she has a minor smirk in the third image, with hair on her fringe and down to her chin; and she has a blank look on her face in the fourth image, with no hair on her fringe.}}


The development team felt that establishing the physical appearance of Ellie was "critical"; they felt that she needed to appear young enough to make her relationship with Joel—who is aged in his 40's<ref name="IGN Storyline"/>—believable, but old enough to be credible as a resourceful teenager capable of surviving.<ref>{{harvnb|Druckmann|Straley|2013|pp=19}}</ref> A redesign of Ellie's physical appearance was publicized in May 2012; Druckmann stated that the change was to make her look more similar to Johnson.<ref name="Polygon Redesign"/> Prior to the redesign, comparisons were made between Ellie and actress [[Ellen Page]]; in June 2013, Page accused Naughty Dog of "ripping off [her] likeness".<ref name="Kotaku Page"/> Page's decision to [[Coming out|come out]] on the same day as the release for ''[[The Last of Us: Left Behind|Left Behind]]'' also sparked further discussion, due to the themes of Ellie's sexuality explored in ''Left Behind''.<ref name="GameRev Page"/> The team felt that Ellie was important for the game's marketing; Druckmann said that, when asked to move the image of Ellie from the front of the game's packaging to the back, "everyone at Naughty Dog just flat-out refused".<ref name="Gamesindustry Box"/>
The development team felt that establishing Ellie's physical appearance was "critical"; they felt that she needed to appear young enough to make her relationship with Joel—who is aged in his 40's<ref name="IGN Storyline"/>—believable, but old enough to be credible as a resourceful teenager capable of surviving.<ref>{{harvnb|Druckmann|Straley|2013|pp=19}}</ref> A redesign of Ellie's physical appearance was publicized in May 2012; Druckmann stated that the change was to make her look more similar to Johnson.<ref name="Polygon Redesign"/> Prior to the redesign, comparisons were made between Ellie and actress [[Ellen Page]]; in June 2013, Page accused Naughty Dog of "ripping off [her] likeness".<ref name="Kotaku Page"/> Page's decision to [[Coming out|come out]] on the same day as the release for ''[[The Last of Us: Left Behind|Left Behind]]'' also sparked further discussion, due to the themes of Ellie's sexuality explored in the game.<ref name="GameRev Page"/> The team felt that Ellie was important for the game's marketing; Druckmann said that, when asked to move the image of Ellie from the front of the game's packaging to the back, "everyone at Naughty Dog just flat-out refused".<ref name="Gamesindustry Box"/>


When questioned about the inspiration for Ellie as a gameplay feature, Druckmann recalled when he and game director [[Bruce Straley]] brainstormed ideas for ''[[Uncharted 2: Among Thieves]]'' (2009). One of their ideas was a sequence with a [[Muteness|mute]] female character whose role was to summon [[Nathan Drake (character)|Nathan Drake]], ''Uncharted{{'}}s'' main character, and briefly accompany him throughout the sequence; Druckmann felt this created a "beautiful" relationship through gameplay alone. Though this concept was not included in the final game, the idea was raised when the team was discussing a new project, ultimately inspiring the character of Ellie.<ref name="definitive2"/> The addition of Ellie as [[artificial intelligence]] was a major contributor to the game engine.<ref name="IGN Combat"/> The team intentionally added a feature in which Ellie remains close to Joel, in order to avoid being conceived as a "burden".<ref name="Partner"/> Programmer Max Dyckhoff stated that, when working on Ellie as artificial intelligence, he tried to imagine her experiences throughout the game's events, in an attempt to achieve realism.<ref name="Partner"/> Druckmann also felt inspired by the wars that took place in [[Syria]] and [[Afghanistan]] when creating Ellie; he felt that conflict was a familiarity to the children in those countries, which is similar to Ellie's view.<ref name="Inhuman"/> During the Winter segment of the game, players assume control of Ellie. The developers assured that this change, as well as the knowledge of Ellie's immunity, was kept secretive prior to the game's release, to surprise players.<ref name="definitive1"/>
When questioned about the inspiration for Ellie as a gameplay feature, Druckmann recalled when he and game director [[Bruce Straley]] brainstormed ideas for ''[[Uncharted 2: Among Thieves]]'' (2009). One of their ideas was a sequence with a [[Muteness|mute]] female character whose role was to summon [[Nathan Drake (character)|Nathan Drake]], ''Uncharted{{'}}s'' main character, and briefly accompany him throughout the sequence; Druckmann felt this created a "beautiful" relationship through gameplay alone. Though this concept was ultimately not included in ''Uncharted 2'', the idea was raised when the team was discussing a new project, ultimately inspiring the character of Ellie.<ref name="definitive2"/> The addition of Ellie as [[artificial intelligence]] was a major contributor to the game engine.<ref name="IGN Combat"/> The team intentionally added a feature in which Ellie remains close to Joel, in order to avoid being conceived as a "burden".<ref name="Partner"/> Programmer Max Dyckhoff stated that, when working on Ellie as artificial intelligence, he imagined her experiences throughout the game's events in an attempt to achieve realism.<ref name="Partner"/> Druckmann also felt inspired by the wars that took place in [[Syria]] and [[Afghanistan]] when creating Ellie; he felt that conflict was a familiarity to the children in those countries, which is similar to Ellie's view.<ref name="Inhuman"/> During the Winter segment of the game, players assume control of Ellie. The developers assured that this change, as well as the knowledge of Ellie's immunity, was kept secretive prior to the game's release, to surprise players.<ref name="definitive1"/>


== Attributes ==
== Attributes ==
Ellie is characterized by her roughened, messy appearance and behavior,<ref name="PS Blog Drop"/> as well as her emotional trauma, which is accentuated after her encounter with [[List of The Last of Us characters#David|David]].<ref name="IGN Important"/><ref name="Kotaku Climactic"/> Having lost many people in her life, she suffers from severe [[monophobia]] and [[survivor's guilt]].<ref name="Kotaku Ambiguities"/> This resulted in her becoming a very hardened person; she is forced to use violence without hesitation<ref name="GameSpot Review"/><ref name="USGamer: Death"/><ref name="Polygon Ending"/> and frequently swears.<ref name="Kotaku Swearing"/> Ellie also feels worthless, to a suicidal extent in which she believes her life is a burden and her death would be more beneficial for others.<ref name="Polygon Ill"/> While she shows initiative, she is not as adept at survival as Joel, being somewhat impulsive and naïve,<ref name="Inhuman"/><ref name="GameSpot Review LB"/> and is unable to swim.<ref name="GamesRadar Nitpick"/> Following the release of ''Left Behind'', in which Ellie kisses her friend [[List of The Last of Us characters#Riley Abel|Riley]], Druckmann stated that it was written with the intention of Ellie being gay, though preferred to leave her sexuality subjective to players' opinions, stating "the material should speak for itself".<ref name="GayGamer"/>
Ellie is characterized by her roughened, messy appearance and behavior,<ref name="PS Blog Drop"/> as well as her emotional trauma, which is accentuated after her encounter with [[List of The Last of Us characters#David|David]].<ref name="IGN Important"/><ref name="Kotaku Climactic"/> Having lost many people in her life, she suffers from severe [[monophobia]] and [[survivor's guilt]].<ref name="Kotaku Ambiguities"/> This resulted in her becoming a very hardened person; she is forced to use violence without hesitation<ref name="GameSpot Review"/><ref name="USGamer: Death"/><ref name="Polygon Ending"/> and frequently [[Profanity|swears]].<ref name="Kotaku Swearing"/> Ellie also feels worthless, to a suicidal extent in which she believes her life is a burden and her death would be more beneficial for others.<ref name="Polygon Ill"/> While she shows initiative, she is not as adept at survival as Joel, being somewhat impulsive and naïve,<ref name="Inhuman"/><ref name="GameSpot Review LB"/> and is unable to swim.<ref name="GamesRadar Nitpick"/> Following the release of ''Left Behind'', in which Ellie kisses her friend [[List of The Last of Us characters#Riley Abel|Riley]], Druckmann stated that it was written with the intention of Ellie being gay, though preferred to leave her sexuality subjective to players' opinions, stating "the material should speak for itself".<ref name="GayGamer"/>


== Appearances ==
== Appearances ==
{{main|The Last of Us: American Dreams|The Last of Us: Left Behind|The Last of Us}}
{{main|The Last of Us: American Dreams|The Last of Us: Left Behind|The Last of Us}}
In ''[[The Last of Us: American Dreams|American Dreams]]'', it is told that Ellie lost her mother at birth and grew up in an orphanage. She later went to a military boarding school in the Boston quarantine zone, where she befriended Riley Abel, a fellow rebel who protected her from her bullies.<ref name="TLOU AD"/> During the events of ''Left Behind'', taking place several weeks before the beginning of ''The Last of Us'', Riley returns to Ellie after a long absence, revealing that she had joined the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group. While spending time together at an abandoned shopping mall near the quarantine zone, Riley reveals that she is about to be posted to another city, and Ellie hesitantly supports her decisions. When Ellie pleads for Riley to stay, the latter abandons her Firefly pendant. In response, Ellie impulsively kisses her, which Riley returns. Drawn by the noise of their activities, the Infected pursue Ellie and Riley; the two attempt to escape, but are bitten. They consider suicide, but choose to embrace their final hours together.<ref name="TLOU LB"/> However, Ellie survives the infection, and seeks help from [[List of The Last of Us characters#Marlene|Marlene]], the leader of the Fireflies, who agrees to escort Ellie to be picked up. Marlene is later wounded, and during the events of ''The Last of Us'', tasks smugglers Joel and [[List of The Last of Us characters#Tess|Tess]] to escort her.<ref name="TLOU"/>
In ''[[The Last of Us: American Dreams|American Dreams]]'', it is told that Ellie lost her mother at birth and grew up in an orphanage. She later went to a military boarding school in the Boston quarantine zone, where she befriended Riley Abel, a fellow rebel who protected her from her bullies.<ref name="TLOU AD"/> During the events of ''Left Behind'', taking place several weeks before the beginning of ''The Last of Us'', Riley returns to Ellie after a long absence and reveals that she has joined the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group. While spending time together at an abandoned shopping mall near the quarantine zone, Riley reveals that she is about to be posted to another city, and Ellie hesitantly supports her decisions. When Ellie pleads for Riley to stay, the latter abandons her Firefly pendant. In response, Ellie impulsively kisses her, which Riley returns. Drawn by the noise of their activities, the Infected pursue Ellie and Riley; the two attempt to escape, but are bitten. They consider suicide, but choose to embrace their final hours together.<ref name="TLOU LB"/> However, Ellie survives the infection, and seeks help from [[List of The Last of Us characters#Marlene|Marlene]], the leader of the Fireflies, who agrees to escort Ellie to be picked up. Marlene is later wounded, and during the events of ''The Last of Us'', tasks smugglers Joel and [[List of The Last of Us characters#Tess|Tess]] to escort her.<ref name="TLOU"/>


Initially annoyed by Joel's surliness, Ellie begins to feel a strong attachment to him. However, upon learning that he intends to leave her with his brother [[List of The Last of Us characters#Tommy|Tommy]] and return to Boston, she runs away, and later confronts Joel about it, demanding that he not abandon her. This strengthens the bond between them, and they continue on their journey. After experiencing a traumatizing encounter in the Winter, in which Ellie is nearly raped and murdered by a band of cannibals and their leader David, she becomes withdrawn and introverted. When Joel finally gets her to the Fireflies, it is discovered that she has a mutant strain of the ''[[Cordyceps]]'' fungus growing on her brain, which may be used to create a vaccine; in order to extract the fungi, an operation on Ellie's brain is required that would likely kill her. While she is being prepared for surgery, Joel kills Marlene and the Fireflies, making his way to the operating room and carrying Ellie to safety. As she had been unconscious, Ellie is unaware of what has transpired. Joel lies, telling her that the Fireflies had found many other subjects, and had stopped looking for a cure. Ellie later confronts him about it, admitting her survivor guilt and demanding to know the truth. When he reassures her that he is telling the truth, she replies with "Okay".<ref name="TLOU"/>
Initially annoyed by Joel's surliness, Ellie begins to feel a strong attachment to him. However, upon learning that he intends to leave her with his brother [[List of The Last of Us characters#Tommy|Tommy]] and return to Boston, she runs away, and later confronts Joel about it, demanding that he not abandon her. This strengthens the bond between them, and they continue on their journey. After experiencing a traumatizing encounter in the Winter, in which Ellie is nearly raped and murdered by a band of cannibals and their leader David, she becomes withdrawn and introverted. When Joel finally gets her to the Fireflies, it is discovered that she has a mutant strain of the ''[[Cordyceps]]'' fungus growing on her brain, which may be used to create a vaccine; in order to extract the fungi, an operation on Ellie's brain is required that would likely kill her. While she is being prepared for surgery, Joel kills Marlene and the Fireflies, making his way to the operating room and carrying Ellie to safety. As she had been unconscious, Ellie is unaware of what has transpired. Joel lies, telling her that the Fireflies had found many other subjects, and had stopped looking for a cure. Ellie later confronts him about it, admitting her survivor guilt and demanding to know the truth. When he reassures her that he is telling the truth, she replies with "Okay".<ref name="TLOU"/>
Line 38: Line 38:
Ellie's character has received generally positive feedback. Jason Killingsworth of ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' praised Ellie's complexity and commended Naughty Dog for not having made her "a subordinate ... precocious teen girl that Joel must babysit".<ref name="Edge sexism"/> Ashley Reed and Andy Hartup of [[GamesRadar]] named Ellie one of the "most inspirational female characters in games", writing that she is "one of the most modern, realistic characters ever designed".<ref name="GamesRadar Female"/> [[Eurogamer]]'s Ellie Gibson commended the character's strength and vulnerability, praising the game's subversion of the [[damsel in distress]] cliché.<ref name="Eurogamer sexism"/> GamesRadar listed Ellie among the best characters of the [[Seventh generation of video game consoles|generation]], stating that her courage exceeds that of most men.<ref name="GamesRadar Generation"/> [[IGN]]'s [[Greg Miller (Internet celebrity)|Greg Miller]] compared Ellie to [[Elizabeth (BioShock)|Elizabeth]] from ''[[BioShock Infinite]]'' (2013), and felt that the former was a "much more rounded out, full-fledged" character.<ref name="IGN Elizabeth"/> Conversely, ''[[Game Informer]]''{{'}}s Kimberley Wallace felt that the game focused too much on Joel, "hardly capitalizing on Ellie's importance",<ref name="GI Female"/> and Chris Suellentrop of ''[[The New York Times]]'' found that it casts Ellie "in a secondary, more subordinate role".<ref name="NYT Suellentrop"/>
Ellie's character has received generally positive feedback. Jason Killingsworth of ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' praised Ellie's complexity and commended Naughty Dog for not having made her "a subordinate ... precocious teen girl that Joel must babysit".<ref name="Edge sexism"/> Ashley Reed and Andy Hartup of [[GamesRadar]] named Ellie one of the "most inspirational female characters in games", writing that she is "one of the most modern, realistic characters ever designed".<ref name="GamesRadar Female"/> [[Eurogamer]]'s Ellie Gibson commended the character's strength and vulnerability, praising the game's subversion of the [[damsel in distress]] cliché.<ref name="Eurogamer sexism"/> GamesRadar listed Ellie among the best characters of the [[Seventh generation of video game consoles|generation]], stating that her courage exceeds that of most men.<ref name="GamesRadar Generation"/> [[IGN]]'s [[Greg Miller (Internet celebrity)|Greg Miller]] compared Ellie to [[Elizabeth (BioShock)|Elizabeth]] from ''[[BioShock Infinite]]'' (2013), and felt that the former was a "much more rounded out, full-fledged" character.<ref name="IGN Elizabeth"/> Conversely, ''[[Game Informer]]''{{'}}s Kimberley Wallace felt that the game focused too much on Joel, "hardly capitalizing on Ellie's importance",<ref name="GI Female"/> and Chris Suellentrop of ''[[The New York Times]]'' found that it casts Ellie "in a secondary, more subordinate role".<ref name="NYT Suellentrop"/>


Critics praised the relationship between Ellie and Joel. Matt Helgeson of ''Game Informer'' wrote that it was "poignant" and "well-drawn",<ref name="GameInformer Review"/> [[Joystiq]]'s Richard Mitchell found it "genuine" and emotional,<ref name="Joystiq Review" /> and IGN's Colin Moriarty identified it as a highlight of the game.<ref name="IGN Review" /> Eurogamer's Oli Welsh felt the characters were developed with "real patience and skill".<ref name="Eurogamer Review"/> Philip Kollar of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' found the relationship was assisted by the game's optional conversations.<ref name="Polygon Review" /> Wallace of ''Game Informer'' named Joel and Ellie one of the "best gaming duos of 2013", appreciating their interest in protecting each other.<ref name="GI Duos"/> ''Game Informer''{{'}}s Kyle Hilliard compared Joel and Ellie's relationship to that of the [[Prince (Prince of Persia)|Prince]] and [[List of Prince of Persia characters#Elika|Elika]] from ''[[Prince of Persia (2008 video game)|Prince of Persia]]'' (2008), writing that both duos have deep care for one another, and praised the "emotional crescendo" in ''The Last of Us'' not achieved in ''Prince of Persia''.<ref name="GI Elika"/> ''[[PlayStation Official Magazine - UK|PlayStation Official Magazine]]''{{'}}s David Meikleham named Joel and Ellie the best characters in a PlayStation 3 game.<ref name="OPM Review" />
Critics praised the relationship between Ellie and Joel. Matt Helgeson of ''Game Informer'' wrote that it was "poignant" and "well-drawn",<ref name="GameInformer Review"/> [[Joystiq]]'s Richard Mitchell found it "genuine" and emotional,<ref name="Joystiq Review" /> and IGN's Colin Moriarty identified it as a highlight of the game.<ref name="IGN Review" /> Eurogamer's Oli Welsh felt the characters were developed with "real patience and skill".<ref name="Eurogamer Review"/> Philip Kollar of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' found the relationship was assisted by the game's optional conversations.<ref name="Polygon Review" /> Wallace of ''Game Informer'' named Joel and Ellie one of the "best gaming duos of 2013", appreciating their interest in protecting each other.<ref name="GI Duos"/> ''Game Informer''{{'}}s Kyle Hilliard compared Joel and Ellie's relationship to that of the [[Prince (Prince of Persia)|Prince]] and [[List of Prince of Persia characters#Elika|Elika]] from ''[[Prince of Persia (2008 video game)|Prince of Persia]]'' (2008), writing that both duos have deep care for one another, and praised the "emotional crescendo" in ''The Last of Us'' not achieved in ''Prince of Persia''.<ref name="GI Elika"/> ''[[PlayStation Official Magazine - UK|PlayStation Official Magazine]]''{{'}}s David Meikleham named Joel and Ellie the best characters in a PlayStation 3 game.<ref name="OPM Review" />


Following the release of ''[[The Last of Us: Left Behind]]'', Ellie's relationship with Riley was commended by reviewers. [[GameSpot]]'s Tom Mc Shea felt new appreciation for Ellie by seeing her actions around Riley.<ref name="GameSpot Review LB"/> ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''{{'}}s Tim Martin praised the characters' interactions,<ref name="Telegraph Review LB"/> and Eurogamer's Stace Harman felt that ''Left Behind'' improves the understanding of Joel and Ellie's relationship.<ref name="Eurogamer Review LB"/> [[Kotaku]]'s Kirk Hamilton described Ellie and Riley's kiss as "video gaming's latest breakthrough moment", declaring it "a big deal".<ref name="Kotaku Breakthrough"/> Keza MacDonald of IGN wrote that the kiss was "so beautiful and natural and funny that [she] was left dumbstruck".<ref name="IGN LB"/> IGN's Luke Karmali questioned Naughty Dog's motivation behind the kiss, noting the "bait-and-switch" in which they made players care for the character before revealing her sexuality, but ultimately dismissed this and commended their handling of Ellie's sexuality and the subtlety of the writing.<ref name="IGN Gay"/>
Following the release of ''[[The Last of Us: Left Behind]]'', Ellie's relationship with Riley was commended by reviewers. [[GameSpot]]'s Tom Mc Shea felt new appreciation for Ellie by seeing her actions around Riley.<ref name="GameSpot Review LB"/> ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''{{'}}s Tim Martin praised the characters' interactions,<ref name="Telegraph Review LB"/> and Eurogamer's Stace Harman felt that ''Left Behind'' improves the understanding of Joel and Ellie's relationship.<ref name="Eurogamer Review LB"/> [[Kotaku]]'s Kirk Hamilton described Ellie and Riley's kiss as "video gaming's latest breakthrough moment", declaring it "a big deal".<ref name="Kotaku Breakthrough"/> Keza MacDonald of IGN wrote that the kiss was "so beautiful and natural and funny that [she] was left dumbstruck".<ref name="IGN LB"/> IGN's Luke Karmali questioned Naughty Dog's motivation behind the kiss, noting the "bait-and-switch" in which they made players care for the character before revealing her sexuality, but ultimately dismissed this and commended their handling of Ellie's sexuality and the subtlety of the writing.<ref name="IGN Gay"/>

Revision as of 11:27, 30 April 2016

Ellie
'The Last of Us' character
Ellie, as she appears in The Last of Us
First gameThe Last of Us
Created byNeil Druckmann

Ellie is a fictional character in Naughty Dog's 2013 video game The Last of Us. She is controlled by the artificial intelligence for most of the game, later becoming playable for a portion. In the game, the character Joel is tasked with escorting Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure against an infection to which Ellie is immune. Ellie reappeared as the sole playable character in the downloadable content prequel campaign, The Last of Us: Left Behind, in which she spends time with her friend Riley. She was played by Ashley Johnson, who provided the voice and motion capture for the character. Ellie was also the main character in the comic book prequel, The Last of Us: American Dreams.

Ellie was created by Neil Druckmann, the creative director and writer of The Last of Us. Inspired by a mute character proposed for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Druckmann created Ellie as a strong female character with a close relationship with Joel; throughout the game's development, the relationship between Ellie and Joel was the central focus, with all other elements developed around it. Johnson inspired aspects of Ellie's personality, prompting Druckmann to make her more active in fighting off hostile enemies. Naughty Dog also redesigned Ellie's appearance during the development of the game to more closely resemble Johnson. However, comparisons have also been made with actress Ellen Page.

The character has been well received by critics, with Ellie's relationship with Joel most frequently being the subject of praise. The strength and complexity of Ellie's character and its subversion of the damsel in distress stereotype have also been commended. Ellie's role in Left Behind's plot has prompted some social commentary within the industry, with coverage focusing on a scene depicting LGBT themes. Both the character and Johnson's performance received numerous awards and nominations, and have been regularly been placed favorably in polls and lists.

Character design

A 30-year-old woman with long, blonde hair, smiling at someone to the right of the camera.
Ashley Johnson, who portrayed Ellie in The Last of Us

Creative director Neil Druckmann designed Ellie as a counterpart to Joel, the game's main playable character.[1] She was also designed to demonstrate that a character bond can be created entirely through gameplay. Druckmann described the game as a coming of age story for Ellie, in which she adopts the qualities of a survivor.[2] Ashley Johnson was chosen to portray Ellie in The Last of Us shortly following her auditions;[3] the development team felt that she suitably fit the role, particularly when acting alongside Troy Baker, who portrayed Joel. Johnson contributed greatly to the development of the character, convincing Druckmann to re-write Ellie in a stronger manner, and able to fight off hostile enemies.[4] The character's performances were mostly recorded using motion capture technology; approximately 85% of the game's animations were recorded using motion capture, with remaining audio elements recorded later in a studio.[5] When portraying Ellie, Johnson faced challenges in performing "disturbing" scenes that made her feel uncomfortable.[4] Johnson felt that video games rarely feature strong female characters such as Ellie, and expressed her excitement to portray the role for this reason.[6]

Four images depicting the development of Ellie's appearance. Ellie is smiling in the first image, and has short dark hair; she is facing right in the second image, with hair to her shoulders; she has a minor smirk in the third image, with hair on her fringe and down to her chin; and she has a blank look on her face in the fourth image, with no hair on her fringe.
The various iterations that Ellie's physical appearance underwent throughout development. Each design was tested with various hair colors and styles.[7]

The development team felt that establishing Ellie's physical appearance was "critical"; they felt that she needed to appear young enough to make her relationship with Joel—who is aged in his 40's[8]—believable, but old enough to be credible as a resourceful teenager capable of surviving.[9] A redesign of Ellie's physical appearance was publicized in May 2012; Druckmann stated that the change was to make her look more similar to Johnson.[10] Prior to the redesign, comparisons were made between Ellie and actress Ellen Page; in June 2013, Page accused Naughty Dog of "ripping off [her] likeness".[11] Page's decision to come out on the same day as the release for Left Behind also sparked further discussion, due to the themes of Ellie's sexuality explored in the game.[12] The team felt that Ellie was important for the game's marketing; Druckmann said that, when asked to move the image of Ellie from the front of the game's packaging to the back, "everyone at Naughty Dog just flat-out refused".[13]

When questioned about the inspiration for Ellie as a gameplay feature, Druckmann recalled when he and game director Bruce Straley brainstormed ideas for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009). One of their ideas was a sequence with a mute female character whose role was to summon Nathan Drake, Uncharted's main character, and briefly accompany him throughout the sequence; Druckmann felt this created a "beautiful" relationship through gameplay alone. Though this concept was ultimately not included in Uncharted 2, the idea was raised when the team was discussing a new project, ultimately inspiring the character of Ellie.[2] The addition of Ellie as artificial intelligence was a major contributor to the game engine.[14] The team intentionally added a feature in which Ellie remains close to Joel, in order to avoid being conceived as a "burden".[15] Programmer Max Dyckhoff stated that, when working on Ellie as artificial intelligence, he imagined her experiences throughout the game's events in an attempt to achieve realism.[15] Druckmann also felt inspired by the wars that took place in Syria and Afghanistan when creating Ellie; he felt that conflict was a familiarity to the children in those countries, which is similar to Ellie's view.[16] During the Winter segment of the game, players assume control of Ellie. The developers assured that this change, as well as the knowledge of Ellie's immunity, was kept secretive prior to the game's release, to surprise players.[1]

Attributes

Ellie is characterized by her roughened, messy appearance and behavior,[17] as well as her emotional trauma, which is accentuated after her encounter with David.[18][19] Having lost many people in her life, she suffers from severe monophobia and survivor's guilt.[20] This resulted in her becoming a very hardened person; she is forced to use violence without hesitation[21][22][23] and frequently swears.[24] Ellie also feels worthless, to a suicidal extent in which she believes her life is a burden and her death would be more beneficial for others.[25] While she shows initiative, she is not as adept at survival as Joel, being somewhat impulsive and naïve,[16][26] and is unable to swim.[27] Following the release of Left Behind, in which Ellie kisses her friend Riley, Druckmann stated that it was written with the intention of Ellie being gay, though preferred to leave her sexuality subjective to players' opinions, stating "the material should speak for itself".[28]

Appearances

Main articles: The Last of Us: American Dreams, The Last of Us: Left Behind, and The Last of Us

In American Dreams, it is told that Ellie lost her mother at birth and grew up in an orphanage. She later went to a military boarding school in the Boston quarantine zone, where she befriended Riley Abel, a fellow rebel who protected her from her bullies.[29] During the events of Left Behind, taking place several weeks before the beginning of The Last of Us, Riley returns to Ellie after a long absence and reveals that she has joined the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group. While spending time together at an abandoned shopping mall near the quarantine zone, Riley reveals that she is about to be posted to another city, and Ellie hesitantly supports her decisions. When Ellie pleads for Riley to stay, the latter abandons her Firefly pendant. In response, Ellie impulsively kisses her, which Riley returns. Drawn by the noise of their activities, the Infected pursue Ellie and Riley; the two attempt to escape, but are bitten. They consider suicide, but choose to embrace their final hours together.[30] However, Ellie survives the infection, and seeks help from Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, who agrees to escort Ellie to be picked up. Marlene is later wounded, and during the events of The Last of Us, tasks smugglers Joel and Tess to escort her.[31]

Initially annoyed by Joel's surliness, Ellie begins to feel a strong attachment to him. However, upon learning that he intends to leave her with his brother Tommy and return to Boston, she runs away, and later confronts Joel about it, demanding that he not abandon her. This strengthens the bond between them, and they continue on their journey. After experiencing a traumatizing encounter in the Winter, in which Ellie is nearly raped and murdered by a band of cannibals and their leader David, she becomes withdrawn and introverted. When Joel finally gets her to the Fireflies, it is discovered that she has a mutant strain of the Cordyceps fungus growing on her brain, which may be used to create a vaccine; in order to extract the fungi, an operation on Ellie's brain is required that would likely kill her. While she is being prepared for surgery, Joel kills Marlene and the Fireflies, making his way to the operating room and carrying Ellie to safety. As she had been unconscious, Ellie is unaware of what has transpired. Joel lies, telling her that the Fireflies had found many other subjects, and had stopped looking for a cure. Ellie later confronts him about it, admitting her survivor guilt and demanding to know the truth. When he reassures her that he is telling the truth, she replies with "Okay".[31]

Reception

Ellie's character has received generally positive feedback. Jason Killingsworth of Edge praised Ellie's complexity and commended Naughty Dog for not having made her "a subordinate ... precocious teen girl that Joel must babysit".[32] Ashley Reed and Andy Hartup of GamesRadar named Ellie one of the "most inspirational female characters in games", writing that she is "one of the most modern, realistic characters ever designed".[33] Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson commended the character's strength and vulnerability, praising the game's subversion of the damsel in distress cliché.[34] GamesRadar listed Ellie among the best characters of the generation, stating that her courage exceeds that of most men.[35] IGN's Greg Miller compared Ellie to Elizabeth from BioShock Infinite (2013), and felt that the former was a "much more rounded out, full-fledged" character.[36] Conversely, Game Informer's Kimberley Wallace felt that the game focused too much on Joel, "hardly capitalizing on Ellie's importance",[37] and Chris Suellentrop of The New York Times found that it casts Ellie "in a secondary, more subordinate role".[38]

Critics praised the relationship between Ellie and Joel. Matt Helgeson of Game Informer wrote that it was "poignant" and "well-drawn",[39] Joystiq's Richard Mitchell found it "genuine" and emotional,[40] and IGN's Colin Moriarty identified it as a highlight of the game.[41] Eurogamer's Oli Welsh felt the characters were developed with "real patience and skill".[42] Philip Kollar of Polygon found the relationship was assisted by the game's optional conversations.[43] Wallace of Game Informer named Joel and Ellie one of the "best gaming duos of 2013", appreciating their interest in protecting each other.[44] 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 have deep care for one another, and praised the "emotional crescendo" in The Last of Us not achieved in Prince of Persia.[45] PlayStation Official Magazine's David Meikleham named Joel and Ellie the best characters in a PlayStation 3 game.[46]

Following the release of The Last of Us: Left Behind, Ellie's relationship with Riley was commended by reviewers. GameSpot's Tom Mc Shea felt new appreciation for Ellie by seeing her actions around Riley.[26] The Daily Telegraph's Tim Martin praised the characters' interactions,[47] and Eurogamer's Stace Harman felt that Left Behind improves the understanding of Joel and Ellie's relationship.[48] Kotaku's Kirk Hamilton described Ellie and Riley's kiss as "video gaming's latest breakthrough moment", declaring it "a big deal".[49] Keza MacDonald of IGN wrote that the kiss was "so beautiful and natural and funny that [she] was left dumbstruck".[50] IGN's Luke Karmali questioned Naughty Dog's motivation behind the kiss, noting the "bait-and-switch" in which they made players care for the character before revealing her sexuality, but ultimately dismissed this and commended their handling of Ellie's sexuality and the subtlety of the writing.[51]

The character of Ellie won year-end awards, including Best New Character from Hardcore Gamer[52] and Most Valuable Character at the SXSW Gaming Awards for Left Behind;[53] she received a nomination for Best Character from Destructoid.[54] Ashley Johnson's performance also received various accolades: Performer at the 10th and 11th British Academy Video Games Awards,[55][56] Outstanding Character Performance the 17th Annual DICE Awards,[57] Best Voice Actress at the Spike VGX 2013,[58] and Best Performer from The Daily Telegraph.[59]

References

Sources

  • Druckmann, Neil; Straley, Bruce (June 2013), The Art of The Last of Us, United States of America: Dark Horse Comics

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Takahashi, Dean (August 5, 2013). "The definitive interview with the creators of Sony's blockbuster The Last of Us (part 1)". GamesBeat. VentureBeat. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b Takahashi, Dean (August 5, 2013). "The definitive interview with the creators of Sony's blockbuster The Last of Us (part 1)". GamesBeat. VentureBeat. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Dutton, Fred (May 31, 2013). "The Last of Us: Ashley Johnson bringing Ellie to life". PlayStation Blog. Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b Robertson, Andy (May 31, 2013). "The Last of Us: interview with Neil Druckmann and Ashley Johnson". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Hanson, Ben (February 20, 2012). "Capturing Joel And Ellie For The Last Of Us". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Naughty Dog and Area 5 (2013). Grounded: Making The Last of Us. Sony Computer Entertainment. Event occurs at 11:06. Archived from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2014. To sort of be such a strong female character that is completely normal-looking—regular t-shirt and jeans—and she's fourteen, and she's still a total bad-ass: it's really exciting to be a part of that. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Druckmann & Straley 2013, pp. 22
  8. ^ Moriarty, Colin (February 8, 2012). "The Last of Us Storyline Explained in Detail". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Druckmann & Straley 2013, pp. 19
  10. ^ Gera, Emily (May 16, 2012). "The Last of Us gets new trailer, reveals Ellie redesign". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Plunkett, Luke (June 23, 2013). "Ellen Page Says The Last Of Us' Ellie "Ripped Off My Likeness"". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Vazquez, Jessica (February 18, 2014). "The Ellen Page of It All". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on April 30, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Weber, Rachel (December 12, 2012). "Naughty Dog: We've been asked to push Ellie to the back of the box art". Gamesindustry.biz. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Moriarty, Colin (February 13, 2012). "Naughty Dog Talks Combat in The Last of Us". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ a b Farokhmanesh, Megan (March 22, 2014). "How Naughty Dog created a partner, not a burden, with Ellie in The Last of Us". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ a b Parker, Laura (February 1, 2013). "Staying Human in the Inhuman World of The Last of Us". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Clements, Ryan (February 9, 2014). "The Drop: New PlayStation Releases for February 11th, 2014". PlayStation Blog. Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ O'Brien, Lucy (December 1, 2013). "Is This the Most Important Moment in The Last of Us". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ Hamilton, Kirk (June 27, 2013). "The Last Of Us' Climactic Moments Could Have Been Very Different". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Amini, Tina (July 2, 2013). "The Moral Ambiguities In The Last Of Us". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ Mc Shea, Tom (June 5, 2013). "The Last of Us Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 1, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Agnello, Anthony John (December 27, 2013). "2013 in Review: In The Last of Us, No Death is Meaningless". USGamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ Plante, Chris (July 24, 2013). "Let's Talk About: The ending of The Last of Us". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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  25. ^ Kerzner, Liana (September 18, 2014). "Some of gaming's greatest heroes are mentally ill, and that's a great thing". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ a b Mc Shea, Tom (February 13, 2014). "The Last of Us: Left Behind Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Bradford, Matt (July 16, 2013). "The 12 biggest nitpicks of The Last of Us". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ Mattos, Sal (February 21, 2014). "Is Ellie Gay? Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann Weights In on The Last of Us: Left Behind". GayGamer.net. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ Druckmann, Neil, Hicks, Faith Erin (w), Hicks, Faith Erin (a), Rosenberg, Rachelle (col), Robins, Clem (let), Edidin, Rachel, Wright, Brendan (ed). The Last of Us: American Dreams, no. 1, p. 10 (April 3, 2013). Dark Horse Comics.
  30. ^ Naughty Dog (February 14, 2014). The Last of Us: Left Behind (PlayStation 3) (1.0 ed.). Sony Computer Entertainment.
  31. ^ a b Naughty Dog (June 14, 2013). The Last of Us (PlayStation 3) (1.0 ed.). Sony Computer Entertainment.
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  34. ^ Gibson, Ellie (July 5, 2013). "The Last of Us isn't the solution to sexism in games, but it's a start". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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