Ellie (The Last of Us): Difference between revisions
m Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 85 templates: hyphenate params (242×); del |url-status= (1×); |
Swap scrolling image to full, static one, per talk. Reposition due to size. |
||
Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
== Creation == |
== Creation == |
||
⚫ | [[File:Ellie (The Last of Us) design changes.jpg|thumb|right300px|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 concept for Ellie began with an unused idea for ''[[Uncharted 2: Among Thieves]]'' (2009). [[Neil Druckmann]] and [[Bruce Straley]], directors of ''[[The Last of Us]]'' (2013), conceived a sequence with a [[Muteness|mute]] female character who would accompany ''Uncharted'' protagonist [[Nathan Drake (character)|Nathan Drake]]; Druckmann felt this would create a "beautiful" relationship through gameplay alone.<ref name="VentureBeat Definitive2" /> An early alternative name for the character was Lily; Druckmann chose Ellie as he had considered the name for his daughter.<ref name="WP Ellie" /> Druckmann designed Ellie as a counterpart to [[Joel (The Last of Us)|Joel]], the main playable character of ''The Last of Us''.<ref name="VentureBeat Definitive1" /> She was also intended to demonstrate that a character bond could 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="VentureBeat Definitive2" /> |
The concept for Ellie began with an unused idea for ''[[Uncharted 2: Among Thieves]]'' (2009). [[Neil Druckmann]] and [[Bruce Straley]], directors of ''[[The Last of Us]]'' (2013), conceived a sequence with a [[Muteness|mute]] female character who would accompany ''Uncharted'' protagonist [[Nathan Drake (character)|Nathan Drake]]; Druckmann felt this would create a "beautiful" relationship through gameplay alone.<ref name="VentureBeat Definitive2" /> An early alternative name for the character was Lily; Druckmann chose Ellie as he had considered the name for his daughter.<ref name="WP Ellie" /> Druckmann designed Ellie as a counterpart to [[Joel (The Last of Us)|Joel]], the main playable character of ''The Last of Us''.<ref name="VentureBeat Definitive1" /> She was also intended to demonstrate that a character bond could 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="VentureBeat Definitive2" /> |
||
Line 32: | Line 34: | ||
=== Appearance === |
=== Appearance === |
||
⚫ | |||
The team felt that establishing Ellie's appearance was critical. They determined that she needed to appear young enough to make her relationship with Joel—who is in his 40s<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> The team also considered Ellie important for 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 team felt that establishing Ellie's appearance was critical. They determined that she needed to appear young enough to make her relationship with Joel—who is in his 40s<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> The team also considered Ellie important for 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" /> |
||
Revision as of 12:10, 28 January 2021
Ellie | |
---|---|
The Last of Us character | |
First appearance | The Last of Us (2013) |
Last appearance | The Last of Us Part II (2020) |
Created by | Neil Druckmann |
Portrayed by | Ashley Johnson |
In-universe information | |
Significant other | Dina (girlfriend) |
Children | JJ (adoptive son) |
Relatives | Anna (mother, deceased) |
Nationality | American |
Ellie is a character in the video games The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II by Naughty Dog. She is portrayed by Ashley Johnson through performance capture. In the first game, the character Joel is tasked with escorting a 14-year-old Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a cure for an infection to which Ellie is immune. While players briefly assume control of Ellie for a portion of the game, the artificial intelligence primarily controls her actions, often assisting in combat by attacking or identifying enemies.
Ellie reappeared as the sole playable character in the downloadable content prequel, The Last of Us: Left Behind, in which she spends time with her friend Riley. Ellie is also the main character in the comic book prequel, The Last of Us: American Dreams, wherein she befriends Riley and has her first encounter with the rebel group the Fireflies. In The Last of Us Part II, the player controls a 19-year-old Ellie as she seeks revenge on those responsible for Joel's death.
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, he created her as a strong female character with a close relationship with Joel; throughout the first 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 hostile enemies. Following comparisons to actor Elliot Page, Naughty Dog redesigned Ellie's appearance to better reflect Johnson's personality and make her younger. For her performance in Part II, Johnson considered her own experiences with anxiety and researched the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The character has been well-received by critics, with Ellie's relationship with Joel most frequently the subject of praise. The strength and complexity of her character, and its subversion of the damsel in distress stereotype, have also been commended. A scene in which Ellie and Riley kiss in Left Behind drew social commentary and was commended as a leap for LGBT representation in video games. Johnson's performance in Part II was praised for her depiction of vulnerability and suffering. Both the character and performance received numerous awards and nominations, and have regularly placed favorably in polls and lists.
Creation
The concept for Ellie began with an unused idea for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009). Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, directors of The Last of Us (2013), conceived a sequence with a mute female character who would accompany Uncharted protagonist Nathan Drake; Druckmann felt this would create a "beautiful" relationship through gameplay alone.[2] An early alternative name for the character was Lily; Druckmann chose Ellie as he had considered the name for his daughter.[3] Druckmann designed Ellie as a counterpart to Joel, the main playable character of The Last of Us.[4] She was also intended to demonstrate that a character bond could 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]
Casting
Ashley Johnson was cast as Ellie in The Last of Us shortly after her auditions;[5] the development team felt that she fit the role, particularly when acting alongside Troy Baker, who portrayed Joel. Johnson made important contributions to Ellie's character development. She convinced Druckmann to give Ellie a more independent personality, and to make her more successful in combat.[6] As Ellie, Johnson's performances were mostly recorded using motion capture technology which produced approximately 85% of the game's animations. The remaining audio elements were recorded later in a studio.[7] Johnson was sometimes uncomfortable while performing "disturbing" scenes.[6] However, she was excited to play a rare example of a strong female video game character.[8] For The Last of Us Part II (2020), Johnson considered her own experiences with anxiety, and researched the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with Druckmann.[9]
Appearance
The team felt that establishing Ellie's appearance was critical. They determined that she needed to appear young enough to make her relationship with Joel—who is in his 40s[10]—believable, but old enough to be credible as a resourceful teenager capable of surviving.[11] The team also considered Ellie important for 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".[12]
Following the announcement of The Last of Us, comparisons were made between Ellie and actor Elliot Page. Page said that Naughty Dog had "ripped off" his likeness and that it was "not appreciated", as he was acting in another game, Beyond: Two Souls (2013).[13] According to game director Bruce Straley, Naughty Dog had no knowledge of Page's involvement in Beyond,[14] which was announced several months after The Last of Us.[15] Kotaku observed that some players would likely confuse the characters.[13] Straley said that, following the comparisons, Naughty Dog revised Ellie's appearance because "we want our characters to stand on their own two feet".[14] Druckmann and Straley said the change was made to better reflect Johnson's personality and make her younger. It was revealed in a trailer in May 2012.[14][16]
For Part II, Ellie's look underwent years of iteration; the team wanted a logical transition from the first game while maintaining a "practical yet personal" outfit.[17] Lead character artist Ashley Swidowski designed Ellie's eyes to demonstrate a somberness not present in the first game, which used wider eyes to reflect her childlike nature.[3] Ellie's tattoo of a moth was designed by California-based artist Natalie Hall after the team struggled to settle on a design. Hall drew the tattoo on a developer's arm so the team could visualize it. Druckmann felt that moths' obsession with light mirrored Ellie's obsession throughout the game, as well as giving her a reminder of Joel.[18]
Writing
The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014) was written to specifically focus on the relationship between Ellie and Riley, and to recount the events that defined their later personalities.[19] Druckmann was also inspired by wars that took place in Syria and Afghanistan; he felt that, like Ellie, conflict was familiar to the children in those countries.[20] Left Behind sees Riley's behavior change Ellie, resulting in the latter's focus to fight in order to save those close to her. The team was also interested in Ellie's behavior around Riley; she is perceived as being more playful.[21] In Left Behind, Ellie and Riley share a kiss; the team considered omitting the kiss from the game, but felt that it was imperative to the story and strengthened the relationship.[19] Though initially he only felt that Ellie viewed Riley as an influence, Druckmann later considered her romantic appeal, and decided to explore the concept.[22]
For Part II, Druckmann recalled the team's excitement to explore Ellie further as a protagonist, particularly developing the loss of her innocence, comparing it to the feeling of the writers of Breaking Bad (2008–2015) when given the opportunity to explore Walter White. The team discussed creating a sequel without Ellie and Joel, but felt that they were less interesting.[23] Ellie's excitement for astronomy was based on Johnson's own interests, while her obsession with comics is based on Druckmann's childhood.[24] Part II co-writer and narrative lead Halley Gross felt that Ellie's decision to track down Abby was motivated by her desire to overcome her PTSD more than her desire to kill Abby.[25] Gross, who has suffered from PTSD, considered it her responsibility to accurately depict the subject matter;[26] she wanted players who might have suffered with trauma to understand that they are not alone.[27] The writers wanted to deconstruct the perception of violence in Joel and Ellie: while Joel is indifferent and practical, Ellie kills to maintain a "culture of honor" by attaching violence to her ego.[25] Some of the team considered Ellie's obsession with Abby akin to a drug addiction, and that Dina left as she felt that the obsession would never end.[28] Gross considered the game's final shot, wherein Ellie leaves behind the guitar that Joel gave her, represented Ellie moving on from his death to a new chapter. Druckmann felt that it represented Ellie finally overcoming her ego, but preferred that the player create their own interpretation.[25]
Gameplay
For The Last of Us, Ellie's artificial intelligence (AI) required significant overhauling of the game engine.[29] The team had her stay close to Joel, to avoid being viewed by players as a burden.[30] AI programmer Max Dyckhoff said that, to ensure Ellie made realistic decisions during gameplay, he considered "what she was going through" and "what her relationship with Joel and the enemies would be".[30] During the winter segment of The Last of Us, players assume control of Ellie. The developers ensured that this change, as well as the knowledge of Ellie's immunity, was kept secret prior to the game's release to surprise players.[4]
Character
Ellie is described as "mature beyond her years" as a result of the circumstances of her environment.[31] She is characterized as strong, witty, and "a little rough around the edges".[31] Her emotional trauma is accentuated after her encounter with David.[32][33] Having lost many people in her life, she suffers from severe monophobia and survivor's guilt.[34] This results in her becoming a very hardened person; she uses violence without hesitation[35][36][37] and frequently swears.[38] Ellie also feels worthless, believing her life is a burden, and that her death would be beneficial for others.[39] While she shows initiative, she is not as adept at survival as Joel, being somewhat impulsive and naïve,[20][40] and unable to swim.[41] Despite this, she displays great physical resilience, emotional strength and complete fearlessness, as demonstrated by her ability to look after both herself and Joel when he is severely injured. She constantly perseveres in dire situations.[42][43] Ellie is gay, and has female romantic partners in Left Behind and Part II.[44]
Appearances
Ellie's mother Anna was forced to give her up shortly after she was born, and she was initially raised by Anna's friend Marlene. Ellie attends a military boarding school in the Boston quarantine zone, where she befriends Riley Abel, a fellow rebel who protects her from bullies, as depicted in the comic book series The Last of Us: American Dreams.[45] During the events of Left Behind, which is set three weeks before The Last of Us, Riley returns after a long absence and tells Ellie that she has joined the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group. Riley abandons her Firefly pendant when Ellie pleads for her to remain, and they kiss. After they are bitten by Infected, the two consider suicide, but choose to spend their final hours together.[46] However, Ellie survives and discovers she is immune to infection.[47]
In The Last of Us, a wounded Marlene tasks Joel with escorting Ellie to the Fireflies to help them develop a vaccine from her immunity. Ellie is initially annoyed by Joel's surliness, but they develop a bond. Upon learning that he intends to leave her with his younger brother Tommy and return to Boston, she runs away. After Joel pursues her, she confronts him, insisting that he not abandon her, and they continue their journey. Ellie becomes traumatized and withdrawn after an encounter in which she is assaulted and nearly murdered by a band of cannibals, forcing her to hack their leader David to death with a machete. Joel and Ellie finally reach the Fireflies; Joel discovers that, in order to create a vaccine, the Fireflies must kill Ellie during surgery to remove the mutant strain of the fungus from her brain. He kills Marlene and the Fireflies, makes his way to the operating room, and carries the unconscious Ellie to safety. Joel lies to Ellie, telling her that the Fireflies had already found dozens of other immune people and had stopped seeking a cure.[37] When Ellie confronts him, describing her survivor's guilt and her urge to know the truth, Joel reassures her that he is telling the truth.[47]
In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie and Joel have settled in Tommy's community in Jackson, Wyoming.[48] Ellie returns to the hospital and discovers the truth. She is angry with Joel, feeling her life would have mattered had the surgery gone ahead. The relationship between the two is strained, but Ellie promises Joel that she will try to forgive him. Ellie helplessly witnesses Joel's murder at the hands of the militia soldier Abby, the daughter of a Firefly surgeon that Joel killed while saving Ellie. Ellie goes with Tommy, her girlfriend Dina, and friend Jesse to Seattle, Washington to exact revenge. Along the way, Ellie reveals her immunity to Dina, and Dina reveals she is pregnant by Jesse. After Ellie kills several members of Abby's group, Abby confronts them, kills Jesse, shoots Tommy, and overpowers Ellie and Dina. She spares them and warns them to leave Seattle. Some time later, Ellie and Dina are living on a farm with Dina's baby, JJ, but Ellie suffers from post-traumatic stress. Despite Dina's pleas, Ellie tracks Abby to Santa Barbara, California, and frees her from a group of bandits. She is about to kill Abby and loses her two fingers, but lets her go. Ellie returns to the farmhouse and finds it empty. She struggles to play Joel's guitar with her missing fingers, recalls her promise to forgive Joel, and leaves.[48]
Reception
Ellie's character 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".[49] 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".[50] Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson commended the character's strength and vulnerability, praising the game's subversion of the damsel in distress cliché.[51] GamesRadar listed Ellie among the best characters of the video game generation, stating that her courage exceeds that of most male characters.[52] 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.[53] Conversely, Game Informer's Kimberley Wallace felt that the game focused too much on Joel, "hardly capitalizing on Ellie's importance",[54] and Chris Suellentrop of The New York Times judged that Ellie is cast "in a secondary, more subordinate role".[55]
Critics praised the relationship between Ellie and Joel. Matt Helgeson of Game Informer wrote that the relationship was "poignant" and "well-drawn",[56] Joystiq's Richard Mitchell found it "genuine" and emotional,[57] and IGN's Colin Moriarty identified it as a highlight of the game.[58] Eurogamer's Oli Welsh felt the characters were developed with "real patience and skill".[59] Philip Kollar of Polygon found the relationship was assisted by the game's optional conversations.[60] Wallace of Game Informer named Joel and Ellie one of the "best gaming duos of 2013", appreciating their interest in protecting each other.[61] 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 care deeply for one another, and praising the "emotional crescendo" in The Last of Us, which he judged had not been achieved in Prince of Persia.[62] PlayStation Official Magazine's David Meikleham named Joel and Ellie the best characters in a PlayStation 3 game.[63]
Following the release of Left Behind, Ellie's relationship with Riley was commended by reviewers. GameSpot's Tom McShea felt a new appreciation for Ellie by seeing her actions around Riley.[40] The Daily Telegraph's Tim Martin praised the characters' interactions,[64] and Eurogamer's Stace Harman felt that Left Behind improves the understanding of Joel and Ellie's relationship.[65] Kotaku's Kirk Hamilton described Ellie and Riley's kiss as "video gaming's latest breakthrough moment", declaring it "a big deal".[66] Keza MacDonald of IGN wrote that the kiss was "so beautiful and natural and funny that [she] was left dumbstruck".[67] 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 the handling of Ellie's sexuality and the subtlety of the writing.[68] Polygon's Colin Campbell named Ellie and Riley among the best video game characters of the 2010s, citing their differences and eventual closeness.[69]
Johnson received acclaim for her performance in The Last of Us Part II.[70][71] Destructoid's Chris Carter praised her ability to play the character again after many years.[72] Oli Welsh of Eurogamer found Johnson's performance to be "standout" due to her depiction of "rawness, vulnerability, and rage".[59] GamesRadar+'s Alex Avard considered Johnson's portrayal of suffering "nothing short of awards worthy".[73] Regarding the character, Jonathon Dornbush of IGN wrote that Johnson added nuance to every element of Ellie.[58] The Washington Post's Elise Favis praised the game's depiction of Ellie coming out to Joel, comparing it to her own experience and the difficulty of approaching the topic with her father.[74] Polygon's Maddy Myers and Wired's Julie Muncy criticized Ellie's development and inability to learn from her mistakes.[60][75]
The character of Ellie won year-end awards for The Last of Us and Left Behind, including Best New Character from Hardcore Gamer[76] and Most Valuable Character at the SXSW Gaming Awards for Left Behind;[77] she received a nomination for Best Character from Destructoid.[78] Ashley Johnson's performance also received various accolades: Performer at the 10th and 11th British Academy Video Games Awards,[79][80] Outstanding Character Performance the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards,[81] Lead Performance in a Drama at the 13th Annual National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards,[82] Best Voice Actress at the Spike VGX 2013,[83] and Best Performer from The Daily Telegraph.[84] For her role in The Last of Us Part II, Johnson was nominated for Best Performance at The Game Awards 2020 and from IGN.[85][86]
References
Bibliography
- Druckmann, Neil; Straley, Bruce (June 2013), The Art of The Last of Us, United States of America: Dark Horse Comics
- Tucker, Ian, ed. (June 2020), The Art of The Last of Us Part II, United States of America: Dark Horse Comics
Sources
- ^ Druckmann & Straley 2013, pp. 22
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Favis, Elise (June 12, 2020). "A child in a dangerous world: Inside the creation of Ellie". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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 24, 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.
- ^ Beresford, Trilby (June 19, 2020). "Becoming Ellie: Ashley Johnson Navigates Grief and Guilt in 'The Last of Us Part II'". The Hollywood Reporter. Valence Media. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ Moriarty, Colin (February 8, 2012). "The Last of Us Storyline Explained in Detail". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- ^ Druckmann & Straley 2013, pp. 19
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ a b c Welsh, Oli (June 8, 2012). "Changes to The Last of Us' Ellie and announcement of Ellen Page in Beyond are "complete coincidence"". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ Byford, Sam (June 24, 2013). "Ellen Page accuses 'The Last of Us' developers of 'ripping off' her likeness". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Greg (May 16, 2012). "The Last of Us: New Trailer, New Ellie". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ Tucker 2020, p. 34.
- ^ Favis, Elise (June 19, 2020). "Naughty Dog explains meaning behind Ellie's tattoo in 'The Last of Us Part II'". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Mc Shea, Tom (February 18, 2014). "The Last of Us Developers Talk Left Behind DLC [SPOILERS]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Naughty Dog (2014). From Dreams - The Making The Last of Us: Left Behind. Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
- ^ Hudson, Laura (February 18, 2014). "Inside the Mind Behind the Brilliant New Last of Us DLC". Wired. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
- ^ Juba, Joe (June 1, 2020). "The Last of Us Part II Interview – Adding Depth, Staying Grounded, And The Cost Of Revenge". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
- ^ Fils-Aime, Reggie; Goldberg, Harold (June 29, 2020). "The Podcast: Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann And Media Molecule's Siobhan Reddy Join Talking Games With Reggie And Harold!". The New York Videogame Critics Circle. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c Ehrlich, David (June 22, 2020). "Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross Open Up About the Biggest Twists of 'The Last of Us Part II'". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ White, Sam (June 9, 2020). "The Last of Us Part II: how Naughty Dog made a classic amidst catastrophe". GQ. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ Meredith, Karenna (June 25, 2020). "The Last of Us Part II's Cowriter Wants Women to Feel "a Little More Seen" in the PS4 Game". PopSugar. Group Nine Media. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Greg; Druckmann, Neil; Johnson, Ashley; Baker, Troy (June 25, 2020). "Last of Us 2 Spoilercast". Gamescast (Podcast). Kinda Funny. Event occurs at 1:10:55. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Amini, Tina (July 2, 2013). "The Moral Ambiguities In The Last Of Us". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ Mc Shea, Tom (June 5, 2013). "The Last of Us Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (July 4, 2013). "Every Time Ellie Says F**k, S**t (And Motherf**ker) In The Last Of Us". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Bradford, Matt (July 16, 2013). "The 12 biggest nitpicks of The Last of Us". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ MacDonald, Keza (February 17, 2014). "The Last of Us: Left Behind – review". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^ Orland, Kyle (June 6, 2013). "The Last of Us review: Me, you, and the infected". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Hannah (July 3, 2020). "How The Last of Us Part II brought lesbian representation to gaming". Vice. Vice Media. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Naughty Dog (February 14, 2014). The Last of Us: Left Behind (PlayStation 3) (1.0 ed.). Sony Computer Entertainment.
- ^ a b Naughty Dog (June 14, 2013). The Last of Us (PlayStation 3) (1.0 ed.). Sony Computer Entertainment.
- ^ a b Naughty Dog (June 19, 2020). The Last of Us Part II (PlayStation 4) (1.0 ed.). Sony Computer Entertainment.
- ^ Killingsworth, Jason (June 25, 2013). "Sexism sells? The Last Of Us begs to differ". Edge. Future plc. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ Reed, Ashley; Hartup, Andy (March 11, 2014). "The 20 most inspirational female characters in games". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Best game characters of the generation". GamesRadar. Future plc. October 11, 2013. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Miller, Greg; Moriarty, Colin; Altano, Brian (June 24, 2013). "The Last of Us' Ellie vs. BioShock Infinite's Elizabeth". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
- ^ Wallace, Kimberley (December 23, 2013). "Opinion: Important Female Character Weren't Marketed Well This Year". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ Suellentrop, Chris (June 14, 2013). "In the Video Game The Last of Us, Survival Favors the Man". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ Helgeson, Matt (June 5, 2013). "Naughty Dog's Grim Masterpiece". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ Mitchell, Richard (June 5, 2013). "The Last of Us review: Humans, conditioned". Joystiq. AOL. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ a b Moriarty, Colin (June 5, 2013). "The Last of Us Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ a b Welsh, Oli (July 31, 2014). "The Last of Us review". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ a b Kollar, Philip (June 5, 2013). "The Last of Us review: dead inside". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ Wallace, Kimberley (December 28, 2013). "The Best Gaming Duos Of 2013". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 22, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ Hilliard, Kyle (July 22, 2013). "From Elika To Ellie: Comparing Prince Of Persia And The Last Of Us". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Meikleham, David (June 5, 2013). "The Last Of Us review SPOILER FREE - Naughty Dog's latest masterpiece is apocalypse wow". PlayStation Official Magazine. Future plc. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ Martin, Tim (March 1, 2014). "The Last of Us: Left Behind review". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ Harman, Stace (February 14, 2014). "The Last of Us: Left Behind review". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ Hamilton, Kirk (February 17, 2014). "Video Gaming's Latest Breakthrough Moment". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
- ^ MacDonald, Keza (February 19, 2014). "The Significance of The Last of Us: Left Behind". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
- ^ Karmali, Luke (March 14, 2014). "Why We Need More Gay Characters In Video Games". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
- ^ Campbell, Colin (November 27, 2019). "The 70 best video game characters of the decade". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Barker, Sammy (June 19, 2020). "The Last of Us: Part II Review". Push Square. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ McKeand, Kirk (June 12, 2020). "The Last of Us Part 2 review – a generation-defining masterpiece". VG247. videogaming247 Ltd. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ Carter, Chris (June 18, 2020). "Review: The Last of Us Part II". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ Avard, Alex (June 12, 2020). "The Last of Us Part 2 Review: "AN Astonishing, Absurdly Ambitious Epic"". GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ Favis, Elise (July 22, 2020). "'The Last of Us Part II' handles Ellie's coming out story with care. It reminded me of my own". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ Muncy, Julie (June 12, 2020). "Last of Us Part II Is Great, but Can't Escape Its Father's Shadow". Wired. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ^ HG Staff (December 21, 2013). "2013 Best New Character". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
- ^ Blase, Aurora (March 14, 2015). "Congratulations to the 2015 SXSW Gaming Award Winners!". South by Southwest. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- ^ Zimmerman, Conrad (December 24, 2013). "The winner of Destructoid's best 2013 character". Destructoid. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Karmali, Luke (March 13, 2014). "BAFTA Games Awards 2014 Winners Announced". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Nutt, Christian (March 12, 2015). "BAFTA Awards honors Destiny, Monument Valley, and David Braben". Gamasutra. UBM plc. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ "Game Title: The Last of Us". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. February 7, 2014. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Allen, Thomas J. (February 7, 2014). "2013 NAVGTR Winners". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Dane, Patrick (December 7, 2013). "'Grand Theft Auto V' Tops Spike VGX 2013 Award Winners List". Game Rant. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Hoggins, Tom (December 31, 2013). "Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Stedman, Alex (December 10, 2020). "The Game Awards 2020: Complete Winners List". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "The Best Performance in Games of 2020". IGN. Ziff Davis. December 22, 2020. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- Action-adventure game characters
- Amputee characters in video games
- Female characters in video games
- Fictional American people in video games
- Fictional archers
- Fictional characters from Boston
- Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder
- Fictional lesbians
- Fictional guitarists
- Fictional marksmen and snipers
- Fictional sole survivors
- Fictional thieves
- Fictional torturers
- Fictional mass murderers
- Fictional zombie hunters
- Horror video game characters
- Musician characters in video games
- The Last of Us
- LGBT characters in video games
- Orphan characters in video games
- Sony Interactive Entertainment protagonists
- Teenage characters in video games
- Video game characters in comics
- Video game characters introduced in 2013