<P> Joel (Troy Baker) is the protagonist of The Last of Us . Originally from Texas, Joel was a single father in his late 20s when the initial Cordyceps outbreak occurred . Fleeing with his brother Tommy and his twelve - year - old daughter Sarah, they got involved in a firefight with a soldier, and Sarah was mortally wounded and died in his arms, leaving him traumatized . In the 20 years that follow, Joel did whatever he had to do to survive . In the time spent in the brutal post-apocalyptic world, still bitter from his daughter's death, Joel became a hardened survivor, physically and mentally tough . He has a brutal fighting style and is capable of taking on and defeating much younger men in hand - to - hand combat . </P> <P> Twenty years after Sarah's death, Joel works as a smuggler in the Boston quarantine zone with his friend and partner Tess . While out searching for a former accomplice who stole some of their merchandise, Joel and Tess are tasked by Marlene, an acquaintance and leader of a rebel militia called the Fireflies, to smuggle Ellie to a rendezvous point at the Massachusetts State House . Making their way there, Joel discovers that Ellie is immune to the infection . Upon their arrival, Tess reveals that she has sustained a bite on the journey, and insists Joel finds Tommy in order to continue the mission . Joel is initially surly and short towards Ellie, though he begins to warm up to her as their journey continues . This is compounded when Joel, having initially asked Tommy to carry on in his place after meeting up with him at his settlement in Jackson County, Colorado, changes his mind and carries on as planned . Their bond deepens when Ellie nearly loses Joel to a severe injury, and when he comes to her aid after she is nearly killed by a band of cannibals . Ultimately, Joel shows his devotion to Ellie when he chooses to rescue her from the doctors who plan to remove and examine her brain, as opposed to allowing her to die . To ensure they are not pursued, Joel kills Marlene . Driving away, Ellie wakes up, after which Joel tells her the doctors gave up on discovering a cure . Ellie later confronts him about the events, and Joel swears to her that he was telling the truth . </P> <P> When designing Joel's physical appearance, the team tried to make him look "flexible enough" to allow for him to appear as both a "ruthless operator in the underground of a quarantined city" as well as a "caring father figure to Ellie". His appearance was aimed to evoke "rural Americana", referencing values of self - reliance and ingenuity when facing hardship and deprivation . When writing the character of Joel, Druckmann initially took inspiration from Josh Brolin's portrayal of Llewelyn Moss in No Country for Old Men (2007), which he saw as "very quiet, very cool under pressure". However, Baker's interpretation of Joel as a more emotional person evolved the character in a different way . Ultimately, the narrative became an exploration of how willing a father is to save a child; initially, Joel is willing to sacrifice himself, before evolving where he is willing to sacrifice his friends, until finally feeling that he would sacrifice all of humanity in order to save Ellie . </P> <P> Druckmann felt that players, specifically parents, would be able to relate to Joel's character and his bonding with Ellie . Baker believes that Joel discovers morality throughout the game's narrative, working out the difference between loss and sacrifice, and his true personality begins to show . Druckmann became intrigued by players who discussed Joel's morality, distinguishing him as a hero or villain; Druckmann felt that Joel was only "a complex person who's made good and bad decisions", but allowed it to be open to interpretation . When auditioning for the role, Baker read a phrase on the character sheet that stated Joel had "few moral lines left to cross", which became the "anchor point" to the character for him . Baker found great difficulty in filming the game's prologue, which features scenes with Joel and his daughter Sarah, portrayed by Hana Hayes . Upon later viewing of the first day of footage from the scene, Druckmann felt that it could still be improved . When filming the scene again, Druckmann explained to Baker how to perform it, and felt that it was the best take upon doing so . Though Baker initially found the take too "mechanical", he retroactively realized that he had been previously trying to impress audiences by his acting, and that it was "not what the scene needed". </P>

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