Just Ellie (The Last of Us: Left Behind)

Emmanuel Touchais
Jul 30, 2017 · 6 min read

Warning: spoilers ahead.

If the gaming qualities of The Last of Us should not be minimized, the true “tour de force” lies in its writing, in its character development and its art direction. As such, Left Behind allows us to learn more intimately about Ellie and, in doing so, it enlightens us on the conclusion of the main game.

I have already write extensively about The Last of Us ending by adopting Joel’s point of view. When I finished Left Behind, which takes place both during the narrative ellipse preceding the Winter chapter and before Ellie’s meeting with Joel, I realized that it was possible to write something from the teenage girl perspective. Left Behind doesn’t strip Ellie bare and her past is still a question mark: the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death for example or the way she survived during fourteen years remain blurred. It encourages us to speculate on her motives, based on the information at our disposal.

I always thought that Ellie accepted Joel’s lie in The Last of Us because she needed the sense of security it induced: she is no longer alone and Joel watches over her by playing his surrogate father role. He proved that much in Salt Lake City where she was to be sacrificed for the future of humanity. He has his own motivations in doing so of course, more specifically the tragic murder of his only daughter Sarah by an overzealous soldier. In Left Behind, we find Ellie with her friend Riley and we‘ll discover what happened during the few hours before being bitten by an infected (and find out about her immunity to cordyceps).

It all starts when Riley suddenly wakes Ellie up after being apparently absent for a while. The exact reason for this separation is unknown but Ellie seems irritated by it. We learn that Riley was enlisted by The Fireflies. I have already expressed my doubts about this group, especially because of their inclination to sacrifice a fourteen years old girl for the sake of the common good. With the information provided by Left Behind, I‘m comforted in my initial mistrust.

I wonder what is the purpose of integrating a teenage girl into a revolutionary armed movement? I know the living conditions in the cordyceps society are not civilized, that things are much more difficult and therefore that children must grow faster, in grip with the sordid reality of their world. I get that. However, there is biological facts to consider, including physical strength, lack of experience and self-confidence, etc. I can understand that a teenager can be a good subject for subordinate positions such as messenger: he attracts less attention. Riley does not present things this way: she is apparently a full-fledged member of The Fireflies, she even killed an infected. She now must reach a faction in another city for reasons she doesn’t explain. It’s a violent education, especially since it’s not motivated by purely survival reasons (like when Joel teaches Ellie a few combat moves) but for ideological ones. In other words, Riley is a soldier, raised to follow orders.

We also learn that Ellie was trained by the military Government in charge of the Boston quarantine. Therefore, Ellie’s ideological position is totally opposed to Riley’s. Even if her motives are not explained, it’s interesting to note that, although aware of the existence of The Fireflies (Riley has been dreaming of integrating the group so she necessarily shared it with Ellie), she chooses another path for herself. It really feels like Ellie loved her life in Boston. She seems to have found balance and just wanted to spend some quality time with her friend, without worrying about the future.

Going to the mall is a very natural thing for today’s american teenagers and choosing to place Ellie and Riley in this particular setting is a great way to observe their reactions. When they explore attractions such as a merry-go-round, a photo booth or an arcade, Ellie is amazed like a child, while Riley reacts like an adult, she does not seem particularly enthusiastic about these remnants of the past and it is often under Ellie’s impulse that she accepts to play along. In The Last of Us, Ellie seems more serious, albeit her fascination with the Savage Starlight comic books and her frequent readings of the joke book suggests a certain lightness. Nevertheless, behind this desire to live without worrying about tomorrow, there is also a solitary child as attested by the letter of Winston (a homeless man who lives in the mall). He often observes Ellie from afar while she cries silently during her solitary getaways.

At one point in the game, Ellie and Riley are bitten by an infected. One is immune to cordyceps while the other is going to die. So, once again, Ellie’s going to be on her own. We know that she will join Marlene and then end up meeting Joel and Tess. Considering what we have learned in Left Behind, it is evident that her speech on sacrifice in The Last of Us is primarily motivated by the duty of remembrance towards her friend Riley. We know that Ellie did not ideologically adhere to the cause of The Fireflies and that she had never made that choice for herself. Naively, she wants to make sure that her friend didn’t die for nothing. Her decision to sacrifice is therefore totally emotional. In this context, Marlene had only to apply a slight psychological push to convince her.

With that in mind, Joel’s lie echoes differently.

Despite the friendship between the two teenagers, is Ellie deserves to die out of guilt or some vague moral obligation? Besides, would Riley have wanted her friend to sacrifice herself on her behalf? Nothing is less certain. When Left Behind reaches its conclusion, there is a crucial scene: Riley and Ellie have an argument. Ellie blames Riley for dropping her, Riley says she was looking for a meaning to all this chaos, etc. And then, finally, they kiss. A quick but sincere and passionate kiss. It’s a powerful and amazing moment. And then, in shock, Ellie whispers to Riley: “Don’t go”. Riley rips off her brand-new Fireflies medallion and give it to Ellie. A symbolic gesture for sure. Considering the whole scene and the implications it might have had (if Riley had survived the bite), it is difficult to believe for one second that Riley could accept Ellie’s sacrifice. On the contrary, she would have wanted to see her live on.

In a way, Joel’s lie looks like an absolution. It’s very difficult for Ellie to let Riley rest in peace because she is dead while she is immune. It’s a mixture of sadness, anger and guilt. Forgiveness can only come from a third person, someone’s trustworthy. It can only be Joel. In a sense, he tells Ellie that the past is no longer important, that is time to let go, to start over. After all, he knows she is a prisoner of a life she did not want and of choices that were not hers. For the first time since the beginning of this adventure, eventually things will get better for Ellie.

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