Why Did They Kill Joel: The story of The Last of Us Part II took a shocking and controversial turn when Joel Miller, a much-loved character from the first game, was suddenly and brutally killed. This moment sparked the main conflict in the game and led to a lot of discussion and debate among players.
To understand why the creators at Naughty Dog made this bold choice, it’s important to look at the game’s deeper themes, the reasons behind each character’s actions, and the overall message the developers wanted to share.
From a storytelling point of view, Joel’s death is a key event that kicks off the story. It creates a strong, personal reason for Ellie—who was the main character in the first game—to go on a mission for revenge. This journey becomes the main focus of The Last of Us Part II, leading players through a dark and emotional story filled with violence and tough moral choices.
Why Did They Kill Joel
The game’s creators chose to kill off a fan-favorite character to make the story more powerful and to make players think deeply about justice, revenge, and how violence often leads to more violence.
The way Joel dies is very important to the story. He is suddenly attacked and beaten to death by Abby Anderson, a new character. Her reason for doing this is personal—Joel killed her father, a doctor, at the end of the first game. Back then, Joel Miller chose to save Ellie’s life by stopping a surgery that could have created a cure for the infection, but it would have killed her.
That decision was morally unclear, and Abby’s revenge shows how his past actions had serious consequences. This part of the story focuses on the idea that our choices matter and can affect people even years later.
To truly understand why Joel Miller had to die, it’s important to look at things from the point of view of the characters in the story.
1.Abby’s Motivation: A Cycle of Revenge
Abby wants revenge because she is heartbroken and deeply hurt by the death of her father. She blames Joel Miller for it and has spent years thinking about getting even. She carefully finds Joel and kills him, not out of pure hatred, but because she believes it’s the only way to feel at peace and get justice.
In her eyes, Joel Miller didn’t die because she was being cruel, but because he took someone from her—and she’s returning the pain.
2.Ellie’s Reaction: Dealing with Loss and Seeking Justice
Joel Miller was like a father to Ellie—he protected her and gave her a sense of family in a harsh world. Seeing him killed in such a brutal way breaks her heart and takes away her feeling of safety. It fills her with anger and a strong need for revenge.
As she sets out to find and punish Abby, Ellie becomes more violent and slowly loses her sense of right and wrong, showing how revenge begins to change who she is.
3.Joel’s Past Actions: How His Choices Led to His End
Joel Miller was a likable and caring character in the first game, but his decision at the Firefly hospital was highly debated. He chose to save Ellie’s life instead of allowing a surgery that might have created a cure and saved many people—because he cared about her like a daughter.
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While his choice makes sense emotionally, it caused big problems later on. In a sad way, Joel’s death in Part II is the result of that decision—his past actions finally caught up with him.
The creators of The Last of Us Part II at Naughty Dog designed the story to make players think differently and challenge what they expected. Instead of showing clear heroes and villains, they wanted to show how complicated right and wrong can be in a world after disaster.
Joel’s death, though painful for players who cared about him, was meant to shake up the story and make people face the harsh truth about revenge and how violence keeps repeating. The game pushes players to understand both sides of the conflict, showing that things aren’t always black and white—and that hate and revenge can lead to even more pain.
Joel’s death also shows how fragile life is and how sudden violence can be in the game’s tough world. Even though Joel Miller was strong and had survived for years, he was killed when he least expected it. This reminds players that no one is ever completely safe in such a dangerous world. It makes the story feel more real and shows how the characters are always living under the threat of violence.
Why does Joel get killed in The Last of Us?
Joel’s violent death in The Last of Us Part II is a key event that kicks off the story, leading to a harsh exploration of revenge and its never-ending cycle. Abby kills Joel Miller as a result of his actions in the first game, where he chose to save Ellie’s life by stopping a surgery that could have created a cure for the Cordyceps infection, even though it would have killed her.
Abby seeks revenge because Joel Miller killed her father, the doctor who was about to perform the surgery. This act of revenge pushes Ellie onto a painful journey for payback, making players question ideas about justice, responsibility, and the lasting impact of choices in a brutal world.
From a storytelling point of view, Joel’s tragic death was a choice by the game creators to surprise players and dive into deeper themes than just a typical hero’s journey. His death highlights how fragile life is and how unpredictable violence can be in the game’s world.
By killing off such a beloved character in such a brutal way, Naughty Dog made the story more emotional and pushed players to understand both sides of the conflict.
In the end, Joel’s death serves as a clear reminder of how our actions have consequences and how hatred and revenge can cause serious damage, shaping the main themes and Explore why Joel was killed in The Last of Us Part II — an intense, sometimes uncomfortable story that sparked major debate.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Joel’s death in The Last of Us Part II is a key part of the story and is connected to the main themes of the game. It sparks the events that follow, especially Ellie’s quest for revenge, and is a direct result of Joel’s past decisions. This event makes players think about justice, the harm caused by violence, and the complicated choices people make in a world after the apocalypse.
Although some players may disagree with it, Joel’s death is crucial to the story and reminds us how our choices can have lasting effects, and how revenge can keep going in a cycle. The game’s creators made a bold choice with this, and it makes The Last of Us Part II a thought-provoking and important game in the gaming world.