Thoughts on The Last of Us ENDING (WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS)

I know there have been plenty of threads about this in the past year, but I just can't help but to bring it up again because I'm among those few who recently finished the game. And of course, don't continue the thread if you haven't finished the game, it will spoil the ending.

The ending was completely overwhelming that I couldn't bring myself to do anything else other than think about the ending. Everyone had different opinions and beliefs about how the ending played. Some people considers Joel as a sociopath, or a psychopath even. I personally think, throughout this journey, Joel was having a battle with himself. Joel is fighting the feelings he has for Ellie, remember the time he said, "You're not my daughter, and I sure as hell ain't your father.", but as it turns out, he truly cares about her. Eventually, Joel stopped fighting, and accepted it and allowed this feeling inside. And when he heard that Ellie was not going to live in the process of creating a possibly vaccine for the virus, he couldn't accept her death. He straight up lied to her at the end, but I think Ellie knows that he isn't being honest but still decides to go with it.

We don't know if Ellie wanted to live or sacrifice herself to save the world, but surely, the choice was hers. But Joel chose to save Ellie instead of saving the world- or at least, saving those who are still alive.Even if they managed to create a vaccine, it still not a cure. It won't bring back what is already lost, it will just prevent more from what is already happening. And I'm pretty sure the Vaccine won't get to everyone. And yes, I agree that Joel is selfish, but he is human. Humans are selfish. At the end, he said you gotta keep going and look for something to fight for. Joel finally found someone to fight for, and that is Ellie.He has killed people for Ellie, and he put his life above hers.

I think, this is about The Last of Us. The Last of Humankind. Not humankind as a population in whole, but the last of true humanity. The last of those who still care about each other enough to solely save the life of a single beloved person and leave the rest of the world to die. Remember The Hunters? They kill people for their own needs, and I'm pretty damn sure they would kill each other when the time came for them to do it- and Joel said he used to be one of them too. Joel is only one out of a million, a single person that decided the fate of humanity- who chose a girl over the possibleguaranteed life of millions- who knows, maybe only thousands. But he is also, one of The Last of Us. :)

Its not a happy ending for the world, but its a human ending. And I think Joel made the right choice.

Remember what that cannibalistic David from winter said: Everything happens for a reason.

Anyone else?

They created a strong bond towards the end so if he choose to sacrifice her for humanity it would have made little to no sense in context of the story. Even the small chance that they did create a vaccine how would they distribute it to the world? A single man killed like a hundred of them, they're not very competent. Not mention they immediately start surgery the second they get her. Maybe run some tests first or something? Not rip her head open 5 seconds after you acquire her? I think Joel made the right choice.

Wouldve been better as a movie..... Or a book.

Good write up, and I agree with ya.

i was a little bit shocked, since i would have sacrificed ellie for the rehabilitation of the mankind, however i am ok with the fact that naughty dog chose otherwise, ellie and joel got to bond most probably more in one year than joel got to bond with his daughter emotionally...

Remember, it's not our choice as gamers to make, it's Joel's(as the lead protagonist). We're playing through his(and Ellie's) story and based on evidence from events prior to the climax, Joel made the only decision that was right for that character. A decades-in-the-making, survivor of hell on earth gets a second chance at expressing/receiving love from a surrogate daughter figure only to have her taken away? In a world where love is the rarest commodity, Joel made a selfish choice but a human one . . .

Yep, you got it.

I find the ending, reached it three times until now, very pleasent. Not only in a way how Joel acts but because of the writing. It's not all that like a greek tragedy but it's no happy end either. And Joel is a very unique charakter, not that typically hero who does everything for others. Right from start he wasn't content with escorting Ellie. After Tess have died I think he made Ellie responsible to some extend. She does either. And it's interesting that Joel never ever want to talk about the losses. Everytime Ellie starts over he stonewalls. He don't want to talk about Tess, not about Sam and Henry and sure as hell not about Sarah. As he "struggled with surviving", which has given Tommy nightmares since they probably killed both delinquent and innocent people as Joel mentioned he was "on both sides". All those years did make him a real and mean SOB. At some period in his life he probably were one of those bandtis you kill lots of on your journey with Ellie and Joel.

As he and Ellie get to know each other and the likeness of Ellie to Sarah (Joel refers to that by saying they would have liked each other), he obviously care but he don't want to loose another one he do really care about. That's the reason why he wanted to hand her off to Tommy. His excuse trusting him more than himself is just that –an excuse. He don't want to be responsible. And that Ellie do cares about Joel is evident in that moment she says that everyone she cared about either died or left her. Except for Joel. As she brings up Sarah, which is a rage topic for Joel, she crossed a line, walking "on might thin ice, here". Fortunately he doesn't stay stubborn and decide for the better.

Just before reaching the Fireflies, the giraffe-scene, he decided to just live with her. No higher purpose. That was the very moment he clearly states that he don't care about the vaccine. But Ellie probably still feel guilty for what happened. She couldn't help Riley, nor Tess and Sam and Henry. I can understand her, coming so far just to "give up".

The interesting this is, did Ellie KNOW about the surgery before? She was on her way with Marlene back then. And Marlene states "that's what she wants". We don't know if Marlene just think that or did she really spoke to Ellie about that. There MIGHT be indicators that Ellie already know all way long about the surgery and she will die. As you enter Salt Lake City, Joel states that she is "rather quiet this day". And she really feel absent. It could just be a normal poetic/thoughtful day for her but maybe more, too. But Marlene probably haven't talk to her since the hospitle because she asks what she's wearing in the back of Joels car. So they probably draged her right into anaesthesia after finding Joel and her unconsciousness. So much for the "that's what she wants." So either Marlene have talked with her very early on or it's simply just what she thinks Ellie wants.

There is also a great plot-frame as Sarah is the first person we play, followed by Joel carrying her. And Ellie is the last person we play, following Joel carrying HER. But THIS time. He won't let his "daughter" die. No way he would ever do that. Dooming mankind which have propably doomed itself or is not worthy to be cured. They are definitely the last of us.

it's just a BS story, it's pure science fiction that they couldn't extract the vaccine without killing her... that's just a complication fabricated to create a moral dilemma that doesn't exist, only within the BS story. I don't recall if they got into some "oh, but we'll have to get it from her stem cells, she's got to die" BS but they just made it complicated for no reason other than plot. What were they going to call the vaccine the 'Ellie Necrogenesis Vaccine'? it's just BS.

I looked at the ending like Joel had been F'd over one too many times and he'd had enough corporate corruption BS in his life... or what was left of his life and it was the last straw with them or him finding out he'd struggled and protected Ellie only to realize they drop the info that she'd die in some lab, like a lab rat. He just said Fkuc you to their world and made his own choice.

Also, Ellie had THE RIGHT TO LIVE since she had natural immunity to the disease, she shouldn't be asked to die for anybody else. Her children would pass on the immunity to the disease, it's the natural way of life. Some doctors shouldn't have the right to ask her to die for a possible vaccine which might not even work.

@thegamingjunkie: There is a room somewher near the end of the game and in that room Joel finds a document that details how they found more people like Ellie but they all die during the experiments to try and extract a cure. Once I read this I was able to sympathize with the ending a little more but most people don't find that document so they just think Joel is covering something up.

Me too, I also found that recording, and while sneaking around the hospital I listened to it xD At first I thought there were more people like her, but then I went online to research a bit more and others kept saying there weren'tmore of the others and the recording meant they tested it on normal infected patients? And it said they have 'never seen anything like her'? I'm unclear on that bit, but I hope it did mean that there were others like Ellie.

From an interesting perspective, you're actually right. :)

How'd do that? As soon as I close my backpack it stops playing :/ I had to stay in the menu.

@filben: Well, I couldn't play it while I was walking :D I just hid behind a counter and played it until it was done to kill time because I kept repeatedly dying in that part xD.

I just finished this game. One of the best games ever.

It was clear to me Joel was a sociopath about one hour into the game. I viewed the Fireflies as more moral than him, so in the end of the game I did not kill a single one of them, I just snuck past all of them - its actually pretty easy and am surprised more people don't report doing that. I had already disconnected with Joel as the protagonist. The final decision to kill the doctor is supposed to disconnect players from Joel (or so game critics tell me), but since I already was evading his plans it was not a big deal to me. I was not living his life, I was playing a game. Some people kill all the doctors, its not necessary. I could not advance in the game so I killed one, but then the rest you can ignore. Marlene of course you have no choice.

Joel would have been more justified if he had woken Ellie and asked what she wanted. But Joel only did what he wanted in his twisted desire to replace his daughter. Guy is nuts.

Also, the ending was predictable. I was very sure it would go like it did, so though the ending is intense it did not surprise. Its like The Walking Dead- nothing good is really going to happen. It was predictable and forced. The biology of the fungus is ridiculous anyway but the need to sacrifice Ellie is way too quick. They might reach that choice months after studying her immune system and serum. Jumping to autopsy was bad enough writing that it also threw me out of the story.

Still one of best games ever.

i know this thread is old but i was search for a place to put my thoughts on...so thanks for this thread.

well the ending was incredible...and i was sure joel will do that at near of the end when he said to marlyn "yeah..keep saying bullshit to your self"

first of all do you remember when he tried to leave Ellie at his brother place but she refused and accepted her decision at the end of the matter?,also when they wad watching the girrafes he tried again...joel was had a fight with his feeling that he can't let her go...he loves her as a daughter if he accepted that she will die for humanity he will so fucking angrey at all mankind cause they live on Ellie death...i am not saying what joel did was good but if you read the marlyn note maaaan she was EXCITED about it!!!(you can find that note at the tent in the upper floor at the hospital) also the doctor recording if you didn't hear it he said 'they are near cause they tested some brain tissues and sample'.....that means there are more people or kids like Ellie condition

i don't know what to say but if i were joel i will do the same..i won't take it to lose a second preciouse persone to me..we don't know who els he lost in his 20 years of surviving.

I think he saved ellie because she was gonna die and the likelihood was it would be in vain because they had already failed with others.

Then he probably just lies to protect her from the fact that the fireflies didnt care about her at all.

It was the right decision to make by the writers for the Joel character. He was a man who had suffered. It is clear from the prologue that life before the outbreak wasn't great for him. It seemed he had lots of financial issues and who knows what happened to Sarah's mother. Then , of course, we know the horror of survival and the difficulty he endures during the game. He couldn't bear to suffer again. Yes it is the selfish decision. It was a moment of weakness, but it is a realistic decision. It's why I like the character of Joel so much. I much prefer real human characters who undergo a transformation/metamorphosis or development. You can keep your paragon's of virtue.

Personally I kind of don't want a direct sequel. Yes, Joel needs to face the consequences of his actions, but a ambiguous ending suits it well. I'd much rather another story told in that world, I want to see it from a different perspective.

And a side note the multiplayer in that game when it had many players and before ND introduced pay for OP weapons was fantastic

@ssss83: you could've just created a new one instead of bumping a thread that is almost 2 years old.

@Kruiz_Bathory: ohh come on its not a big issue ?

its good to have old thoughts plus new ones

but thanks for your reply.

@themanofpears: yes i like him too...but its sad he is a broken man?...he is at his limit to the point he will do anything to keep protecting who he love...maaaan its complicated?

@ningyupowadat:

thanks for your reply budy?

@yixingtpot: you nailed it...you goddamn right ?

also i notice when she woke up she said "what the hell i am wearing??..what happened?" doesn't she know? i mean she should change her cloths before she got drugged..so she should know what she were wearing before the operation..am i right?? something fishy here ? or writing error???

@filben: i noticed that too...how come she don't know what she wearing..marlene didn't say i talked to her and she agreed she just said thats what she wanted...i don't think Ellie know that she will die but she was just trying to cooperate to make a vaccine so she no longer see people like Riley or tess or sam and henry die because of the virus....it was clearly didn't see marlene at hospital cause she didn't ask joel about her because she NEVER woke up they drugged her right away...its weird she didn't ask him about marlene its her mother best friend....thats weird...also the fireflies is a big organization if they got a vaccine it won't be good...join us and you will be cured...maybe this will be their new head lines?

the ending at the car i can't get it out my head its clearly Ellie didn't know what happened.

The end was far more believable and more likely to happen. Doesn't matter Ellie wasn't his biological daughter. By the end of the story they both developed a love for one another. A type of love where one would not be willing to allow the other to die for others. Honestly, think about it. Would you let one you love die for the benefit of mankind? I wouldn't. Especially if it was my daughter or one I viewed as my daughter. Selfish? One can argue that. But in my opinion family ALWAYS comes first. They were family at the end.

No he/she didn't nailed it, he/she is the typical, i know better than everyone else on how to write a story.

No s*** it's just pure science fiction, the game pretty much show you how fu***** up the world is and how fu**** up Joel is since the beginning of the story.

The cordyceps is a BRAIN infection, they need to do surgery on her brain in a fu*****up world that you clearly see how affected its inhabitants. Joel cannot afford to loose someone he cares again, its just a psyche no no.

What would happen if stories didn't complicate anything ?, you sitting on your bloody office chair busting your ass of to get f***** paper !, so fun !

@dantesergei: i meant he nailed it in this

"I looked at the ending like Joel had been F'd over one too many times and he'd had enough corporate corruption BS in his life... or what was left of his life and it was the last straw with them or him finding out he'd struggled and protected Ellie only to realize they drop the info that she'd die in some lab, like a lab rat. He just said Fkuc you to their world and made his own choice."

not about the story complication with no reason

and you said its pure sciene fiction so no need to be angery about it,^_^