Post written by contributor Natalie Mundy
Very light story spoilers for the video game and TV show ahead!
The launch of HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us, the hotly anticipated adaption of the hit game of the same name, is finally here! If you were wondering what the television show will be about, who are the major players and who’s behind this, here’s everything you might need to know!
What Is The Last of Us?
Your first thought is most likely what on earth is The Last of Us? Well it’s a video game franchise that launched in 2013 on PS3 to widespread critical acclaim, which has since gone on to win over 45 awards and spawned a sequel in 2020, The Last of Us Part 2. The game was developed by Santa Monica-based game studio Naughty Dog, which is also known for the Uncharted series. Its post-apocalyptic narrative is widely considered one of the best and most original in the past few decades.
The Story of The Last of Us
The game’s narrative is its enduring legacy and what won it the most praise from fans and critics alike. The Last of Us follows Sarah, Joel’s daughter, waking up to give her father a present for his birthday. Eventually, she falls back asleep but wakes up again to the Cordyceps virus breaking out, causing the world to collapse into chaos. Amidst this chaos, Sarah, Joel, and his brother Tommy make a desperate bid to escape from their town, but this ends in a tragedy that permanently changes both Joel and Tommy.
Our narrative then picks up 20 years later. The world has collapsed into martial law and the infected are everywhere. Joel is shown to be living in a quarantine zone, QZ for short, and this is where we meet his partner, Tess. The pair are working as smugglers, smuggling anything the residents of the Boston QZ need, both in and out of the quarantine zone. This is a dangerous job which could result in them being killed by the military. We see them go out on another run. only to be betrayed by their supplier causing them to cross paths with Marlen, the Fireflies leader who are a group in opposition to the military, and she makes them an offer they can’t refuse. Smuggle a girl called Ellie out of the Boston quarantine zone where they reside and she’ll get them their weapons back. As Joel and Tess come to find out, Ellie is immune to the Cordyceps infection and could be the cure humanity needs. After another tragedy strikes Joel and Ellie, they are set on a journey that is highly dangerous and both changes them and the fate of humanity.
The Who’s Who: The Major Players
There are a fair few characters of major importance in the story of The Last of Us. Listed below are the major players in the story and who voices them in the game and their upcoming live-action counterparts.
Joel Miller
Joel Miller is our main character and he’s gruff and stuck in his ways, he’s been able to survive this long in the apocalypse due to his ruthlessness and cynicism. In the original game, he’s voiced by Troy Baker (best known for BioShock: Infinite and the Uncharted series) and will be played by Pedro Pascal in the adaptation. Pascal is best known for his role in The Mandalorian in the Disney+ series as well as the role of Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, a series he has in common with his Ellie counterpart.
Ellie Williams
Ellie Williams is our second main character. Unlike Joel, she was born in the apocalypse and has known no other life than the one with the Cordyceps virus. Ellie is widely considered to be one of the best female videogame characters due to how realistic she comes across and how tough she is. She is also one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ game characters, identifying as a lesbian, something which is bound to be explored in the TV show. Ellie is originally voiced by Ashley Johnson and will be portrayed by Bella Ramsey. Ramsey is best known for her role as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.
Tess Servopoulos
Tess is one of the many characters Joel and Ellie meet on their perilous journey across the post-apocalyptic USA. She is Joel’s smuggling partner and the one who convinces him to help smuggle Ellie out of the Boston QZ. In the game she is voiced by Annie Wersching and will be played by Anna Torv, who is well-known for her roles in the TV shows Fringe and Mindhunter.
Marlene
Marlene is another survivor Joel and Ellie interact with on their journey. She is also a very important figure in the wider world outside of Joel and Ellie. Marlene is the leader of the group known as the Fireflies, a group that’s in opposition to the military. She is the one who asks Joel and Tess to smuggle Ellie out of the Boston QZ. Marlene is also, as far as we know, the only character to be played as their original voice actor in the live-action TV show. Marlene is played by Merle Dandridge, best known for her various roles on Broadway and as Alyx Vance in the Half-Life 2 videogame.
Bill
Bill is a character Joel knows from previous run-ins and is someone he turns to when he and Ellie require supplies on their journey across the US. He is very much a loner and very paranoid. Bill avoids going near the infected as much as he can and in his town, he has set up many traps to keep people and the infected out. In the adaptation, we will get to see some more of his background, something we see very little of in the game. Originally voiced by William Earl Brown (best known for his roles in Scream and Deadwood), Bill will be played by Nick Offerman, well-known from comedies like Parks and Recreation.
David
David is one of the main antagonists in the story and his story is best left to discover by watching the show. He is a very creepy person and someone Ellie would most likely never want to meet again… Nolan North (best known for the Uncharted series and Assassin’s Creed) delivers a fantastic and unrecognisable performance in the game. In the adaptation, David will be played by Scott Shepherd, who starred in Dark Phoenix by portraying John Grey.
Riley
Riley is not someone you meet in the main game instead you meet her in The Last of Us: Left Behind. She is someone of great importance to Ellie and her story is heartbreaking to watch unfold. Riley is played by Yaani King (known for her role in Saving Grace) in the video game and will be portrayed by Storm Reid, known for her roles in the film A Wrinkle In Time and Euphoria.
Tommy
Tommy is Joel’s younger brother and Sarah’s uncle. He is the polar opposite of Joel, but like Joel, he has become hardened due to the world he now has to live in. His story is also best left to be experienced as it happens, so I won’t spoil it here. In the video game, he is portrayed by Jeffery Pierce, known for roles in Call of Duty: WWII and Bosch, and will be played by Gabriel Luna, who is known for his roles in Marvel’s Agents of Shield and Terminator: Dark Fate.
Frank
Played by Murray Bartlett, who has recently started in the hit series The White Lotus, Frank lives in the same isolated town with Bill.
Sam and Henry
Sam (played by newcomer Keivonn Woodard) and Henry (Lamar Johnson from Your Honor and The Hate U Give) are brothers in Kansas City hiding from a revolutionary movement seeking vengeance.
Sarah
Last but not least is Sarah, who is Joel’s only child and Tommy’s niece. We see her at the start of the story and she is how we first see how the Cordyceps virus take over the world. Whether the show will stick to her fate in the games is yet to be seen, but if they do… there will be tears shed. In the game, Sarah is played by Hana Hayes and will be portrayed by Nico Parker, who is the daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton and best known for her role as Millie in the live-action remake of Dumbo.
The Enemies and Groups Encountered
Joel and Ellie plenty of people on their journey, not all are friendly!
The Hunters
The Hunters are one of the first group of human enemies Joel and Ellie come across in the game and are one of most frequent human enemies we see on their journey. The Hunters are known for their high violence and brutality who also attack any other survivors they don’t know, making them highly dangerous. Prior to the events of the game, they lead several revolts and overthrew the military in the QZ zones they resided in, spreading throughout the US.
The Fireflies
As previously mentioned, the Fireflies are led by Marlene and are best known to fans of The Last of Us for their logo and the enduring quote, “When your lost in the darkness, Look for the light”. Much like the Hunters, they have both led and instigated revolts in various QZ zones, but with less success than The Hunters. As we find out at the start of the story, they have been looking for a cure for the Cordyceps virus, a plan in which Ellie plays a big part.
The Infected
What is a virus-induced apocalypse without its infected? In the world of The Last of Us, there are plenty of infected to be seen. In total, there are six stages of infection, of which four are highly likely to be seen in the show. These four stages are:
- Runners: The first stage of infection are known to players for their speed, they can be hard to fight when you get swarmed by them, which happens frequently!
- Stalkers: These have been infected for up to a year and are one of the creepiest enemies encountered. They are the creepiest due to the fact they have a very nasty tendency to hide behind corners and use the darkness in which they reside to their advantage. This often leads to them attacking Joel and Ellie by complete surprise.
- Clickers: The Clickers are most likely the most iconic enemy in The Last of Us. They have been infected for over a year and are largely terrifying due to the fact they rely on echolocation to track you down, which means you have to regularly move slowly around them. They also make a horrible clicking sound that will make the hair stand up on your arms!
- Bloaters: One of the toughest enemies to fight in the game, they are known for their huge, hulking frames and a tendency to tear off their fungus and throw them at Joel, making them explode. However they do have an aversion to fire due to the amount of fungus covering them, making them perfect Molotov throwing practice.
Who’s Working On The Adaptation? When Will It Air?
After all of that background information, you are probably wondering who is making this adaptation. The adaptation comes from Craig Mazin, who’s known for his work on HBO’s Chernobyl. It has been co-written by Neil Druckmann, the man who originally wrote and co-directed. Neil is also due to be stepping into the director’s seat for at least one episode of the adaptation too, which already puts it a step ahead of other video game adaptations by having the game creator involved in the process of making it. In another plus for fans of the game, the original composer for the game’s soundtrack, Gustavo Santaolalla, will return for hopefully another stunner of a soundtrack. The series is being produced by PlayStation’s movie and TV arm, PlayStation Productions, which will be their second-ever project after the Uncharted film last year with Sony Pictures Entertainment also producing.
With this amount of talent both in front and behind the camera, here’s to hoping that The Last of Us breaks the video game adaptation curse.
So where can you watch The Last of Us? The series will premiere on the following streaming services:
- United States: HBO and HBO Max on January 15th
- Canada: Crave on January 15th
- United Kingdom: Sky Atlantic and Now TV on January 16th
- Australia: BINGE and Foxtel Now
Remember guys, when your lost in the darkness, look for the light.
