Archetypes in The Last Of Us

The Last Of Us:

The Last Of Us is the first game of the action-adventure story mode video game series by Naughty Dog. This video game series is set in a post-apocalyptic United States, after the infected (or traditionally known as zombies) have taken over the world with a mutated invasive fungi known as Cordyceps. 

For our visual artifact, we will be looking at one of the most popular cut scenes of The Last Of Us. In this scene, the main characters Ellie and Joel, are discussing their tumultuous relationship with one another. 

For a little bit of context, Joel is a lone smuggler from the federal occupation in Boston. Ellie is a young teenage girl with a remarkable immunity to the infection. Both characters have suffered great loss because of the apocalypse. Joel has lost his daughter, while Ellie is an orphan. Because it is believed that Ellie is the key to finding the cure for the infection, Joel is tasked to escort Ellie from Boston to Salt Lake City to the rebel group known as the Fireflies (Dolen). Naturally, throughout the game, Ellie and Joel foster a relationship with one another that mirrors a father/daughter dynamic. Although, in this cut scene, we can see just how touchy the subject is for both of them. 

Archetypes:

Anti-hero as Joel-

Although widely debated, Joel exhibits traits of an anti-hero archetype. Joel portrays a complex moral compass such as smuggling and killing in order to survive in the post-apocalyptic world. He operates on protecting himself and the ones he loves through any means necessary. Usually resulting in violence, Joel will always look after his loved ones. Joel is also faced with the threat of protecting a rebellious teenager who is thought to believe to hold the cure. In the clip Joel yells at Ellie that she needs to be more cautious with her life. Although it seemingly is coming from a place of anger, Joel truthfully cares for Ellie as his own. 

Innocence as Ellie-

Ellie can be seen as the Innocence archetype. While being fourteen, Ellie is relatively sheltered from the dangers of the outside world. Ellie was born and raised inside the quarantine city. In the clip we can see how naive and unknowing Ellie acts with the outside world and her capabilities of defending herself. With her immune nature, Ellie acts as a beacon of hope for society. Her immunity to the infection and her potential role in finding a cure makes her a symbol of purity and redemption. Ellie also portrays a deep sense of compassion and empathy for those around her despite the harsh world she lives in. 

References

Dolen, Rob. “The Last of US 2: Joel and Ellie’s Relationship Explained.” Game Rant, 22 June 2020, gamerant.com/the-last-of-us-2-joel-ellie-father-daughter-revenge-forgiveness/.

“The Last of Us (One of the Most Emotional Cut-Scene).” YouTube, YouTube, 4 July 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Csw8G6yruE.