Tell Me Now: Will Joel Die In ‘The Last of Us’ S1 Finale?

HBO’s “The Last of Us” isn’t exactly a happy show. Ellie and Joel’s journey across an apocalyptic America has been filled with heartbreak, tragedy, and desperation. Naturally, many viewers are asking: how does “The Last of Us” season 1 end? Considering the penultimate episode featured a cannibalistic, paedophilic priest stalking Ellie inside a burning building with a butcher’s knife, it’s not looking good for the wellbeing of our heroes.

Ellie and Joel have spent season 1 trying to track down a group of Fireflies who are making a cure for the cordyceps infection. In episode 6 they finally reached the Fireflies’ lab, only to find it abandoned. Before they can move on, they’re attacked by raiders who have come looking for supplies; Joel fights them off but is stabbed in the gut. As he slowly bleeds out, Ellie manages to drag him to an nearby house and sets him down on a makeshift hospital bed, but it looks dire. While episode 7 is mostly a flashback to Ellie’s past, episode 8 deals with Ellie trying to get medicine to treat Joel’s wound. And while he is back on his feet by the end of the episode, he’s obviously not at 100 percent.

Enjoyed yet another episode of the last of us https://t.co/iQKcKx1dyz

— Carly (@KxllxngEve2) February 11, 2023

So, naturally, fans are very worried about their sweet, angry boy. Episode 9 is the season 1 finale; fans of the games know how this story ends, but it’s a mystery for everyone else. They’ve quickly learned that no one is safe in a post-cordyceps outbreak world. But does that really mean Joel and Ellie are in danger?

Obviously, major spoilers for “The Last of Us” ending are ahead. If you don’t want to know what happens in episode 9, “Look for the Light”, turn back now. We won’t pull any punches from here on out.

But! If you can’t wait to find out how “The Last of Us” ends, or simply want to know if your favourite character survives, keep reading.

This is your last chance to stop reading before big “The Last of Us” spoilers!

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Does Joel Die In “The Last of Us” Season 1?

Things aren’t looking good for Joel at the start of episode 9. He’s recovering from a pretty gnarly injury and still has to haul himself and Ellie to the Fireflies, wherever they may be now. To add to our worry, he’s experienced PTSD and panic attacks over the death of his daughter Sarah throughout the season, and even admitted to Tommy that he’s too old and slow to protect Ellie. We can’t stop thinking about Ellie admitting she’s “scared of ending up alone” in episode 5, either. In her own words, Joel is the only person who hasn’t abandoned her or been taken from her — so far, at least.

Thankfully, Joel does not die in “The Last of Us” season 1.

Does Ellie Die In “The Last of Us” Season 1?

Ellie’s had a lot of people gunning for her in season 1. She’s been seconds away from biting the dust more than once, whether it’s by gunpoint or at the hands of a child clicker who gives off big M3GAN vibes. As the only person who’s immune from the cordyceps infection, she’s the key to saving humanity — a position which puts her in major danger! And with Joel in bad shape, she’s more exposed to dangers.

Thankfully, Ellie does not die in “The Last of Us” season 1.

How Does “The Last of Us” Season 1 End?

So what does happen in episode 9? We don’t know what liberties HBO will take with the story, but we can speak to the ending of the first game. After almost drowning on their way through a flooded tunnel (remember, Ellie can’t swim), Joel is giving Ellie CPR when he’s knocked out by an armed soldier. When he wakes, he’s in a hospital bed being welcomed into the Fireflies by their commander Marlene. She’s the one who hired Joel and Tess to smuggle Ellie out of the quarantine zone in the first place.

After apologising for her soldier, Marlene tells Joel that Ellie is okay and being prepped for surgery. Naturally, Joel asks to see her, but Marlene tells him there isn’t enough time. She also reveals that the cordyceps infection in Ellie’s brain has somehow mutated, which is why she’s immune, and that their doctor wants to remove the infection to reverse-engineer a cure. A suspicious Joel realises this will kill Ellie, and goes on a bloody rampage through the hospital to stop the surgery. He fatally shoots the surgeon and carries an unconscious Ellie out of the hospital.

They’re almost out when they run into Marlene, who tries to reason with Joel.

“You can’t save her. Even if you get her out of here, then what? How long before she’s torn to pieces by a pack of clickers?”

It looks like Joel is about to give her back — but this is a man who’s destroyed by grief and incapable of letting go. He still wears a broken watch that’s eternally stuck at the time of his daughter’s death. And now he sees Ellie as a daughter. He’s not about to let another daughter die when he could have saved her. So, Joel shoots Marlene and escapes with Ellie, then lies to her when she wakes up.

“Turns out, there’s a whole lot more like you, Ellie. People that are immune. It’s dozens, actually. Ain’t done a damn bit of good, neither. They’ve stopped looking for a cure.”

In the game, we see a flashback to Marlene’s death that makes it even more heartbreaking. The first bullet didn’t kill her, and she begs for her life. But Joel snarls that “You’d just come after her” and shoots her in the head, showing just how far he’ll go to protect Ellie.

Ellie and Joel travel back to Jackson, and a clearly heartbroken Ellie demands the truth. Joel doubles down on his lie and Ellie chooses to believe him. Ultimately, “The Last of Us” isn’t a zombie show. It’s a show about how far people will go to survive, and to protect the people they love. The only way Joel knows how to do that is with violence, which he’s slowly been teaching Ellie throughout the season. This will come back to bite him in the second game and season 2, but that’s a heartbreak for another time!

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