Representation in 'The Last of Us'

                                           *This post contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II*

 The Last of Us is my favorite franchise of all time, not only for its beautiful storytelling or stunning graphics, but I also admire its diverse representation of characters throughout the story. Both games showcase a variety of character types and explore themes of mental illness, inclusivity, and LGBT representation. The Last of Us follows Joel, a smuggler who is tasked with bringing Ellie, a teenage girl who is immune from the zombie virus, across the country to create a cure. The two must survive through a grueling post-apocalyptic world which creates a father-daughter bond between them. In The Last of Us Part II, we see Ellie struggling with grief and we begin to realize that actions have consequences. 

       LGBT representation is very prevalent in The Last of Us. Ellie, the main protagonist of the second game is a lesbian and in a relationship with Dina, a bisexual. Her relationship with Dina is portrayed lovingly and becomes an important aspect of the story. Lev, a member of the Seraphites, is transgender. We hear about his struggles with being prosecuted by his religion for it, but he is able to overcome it. This franchise also breaks traditional gender roles, with the protagonists who don't conform to genderstereotypes. Abby, another protagonist in Part II, has a muscular build that is not typically seen in female characters. Both Ellie and Abby are portrayed as very capable, strong women which I know has been inspiring to me and millions of other women.                                                 

  

      Mental illness is commonly discussed in both games. In the first game, Joel's trauma from the death of his daughter, Sarah is prevalent throughout the game. His PTSD is portrayed through flashbacks and nightmares he has about Sarah's death. After meeting Ellie, Joel's trauma from his daughter becomes love and a desire to protect Ellie, doing anything to ensure her survival. In The Last of Us Part II, the entire plot is centered around the extreme psychological suffering of Ellie after Joel's death. Her anger is raw and causes her to do horrible things, showing how trauma can cause angry behavior. Ellie's PTSD and panic attacks cause her to have multiple flashbacks to Joel's death, similar to Joel's PTSD in the first game. Throughout Part II we observe Ellie's mental health decaying, with each destructive choice she makes that ends up not only harming herself, but others as well. This game does not sugarcoat any aspects of trauma and mental illness which is what makes it such a beautiful and gut-wrenching video game. The video below shows an example of one of Ellie's PTSD attacks. 

                                                

     The franchise also challenges the traditional concepts of "good" and "evil". Throughout the first game we view the story only through Joel's perspective. Playing as Joel, we are forced to kill to survive, not putting any thought to the lives that are ended. Part II offers a different perspective through Abby point-of-view where we begin to realize the consequences of our actions. Initially, Abby is introduced as a cold-blooded killer, who murders Joel for no reason. Players are meant to view her as a villain, since we have grown fond of Joel and Ellie. Joel's death gives us a taste of what it's like to lose a loved-one, just like how Abby felt when her Dad was murdered by Joel. An alternate perspective forces us to understand the consequences of our actions and consider both sides of the story.