It’s been years since the golf club swung, and people are still screaming about it. Honestly, whether you loved it or it made you want to throw your PlayStation out the window, Joel Miller's death in The Last of Us Part II remains the most divisive moment in modern digital storytelling. It wasn't just a character dying. It was a total rejection of the "hero's journey" we’ve been fed since we were kids.
Why Joel Miller’s Death Felt Like a Betrayal
Most games treat their protagonists like gods. They go out in a blaze of glory or a sacrifice that saves the world. Not Joel. He died on a cold basement floor, surrounded by strangers, while the person he loved most watched in agony. It was messy. It was brutal. It was, for many players, totally unacceptable.
Naughty Dog, led by Neil Druckmann, made a choice that felt like a slap in the face to anyone who spent thirty hours protecting Ellie in the first game. You spent years seeing Joel as the "survivor." Then, in a matter of minutes, he’s reduced to a victim of a past he couldn't outrun. He saved a girl but doomed a world. You can’t just walk away from that.
The Abby Perspective: A Hard Pill to Swallow
The reason Joel Miller's death hurts so much is that it isn't "fair." But that’s the point. Abby Anderson, the woman who delivered the final blow, wasn't a faceless villain. She was the daughter of the surgeon Joel killed at the end of the first game. To her, Joel was the monster.
Think about that for a second. We spent seven years thinking of Joel as the hero. Abby spent those same seven years training her body into a weapon specifically to kill the man who murdered her father. When the two worlds collided, the player was forced to sit in the discomfort of knowing that both people were "right" from their own perspective. It’s heavy stuff. It’s also why the game got review-bombed to oblivion by people who just wanted another adventure with their favorite "video game dad."
The Mechanics of a Controversial Exit
Joel’s death happened early. Very early. We’re talking within the first two hours of a thirty-hour game. This was a deliberate pacing choice. By removing the anchor of the franchise so quickly, the developers forced the player into a state of raw, unguided rage. You want Ellie to kill Abby. You want blood.
Then, the game does something borderline cruel: it makes you play as the killer.
Breaking the Cycle of Violence
Halfway through the experience, the perspective shifts. You aren't Ellie anymore. You're Abby. You see her friends. You see her nightmares. You realize that killing Joel didn't actually make her feel better. It just left her empty. This is where the narrative genius of Joel Miller's death actually shines through. It uses the player's own hatred as a gameplay mechanic.
If Joel had died at the end of the game, it would have been a tragedy. Because he died at the start, it became a catalyst for a study on PTSD and the futility of revenge. It’s uncomfortable. It’s supposed to be.
The Cultural Impact and the "Leak" Problem
We have to talk about the leaks. Before the game even launched, major plot points—including Joel Miller's death—were posted all over Reddit and Twitter. This ruined the "shock" for millions. Instead of experiencing the grief naturally through the story, fans saw a low-res clip and decided they hated the game before they even touched a controller.
It sparked a massive conversation about "woke" writing and "disrespecting" characters. But looking back, was it disrespect? Or was it just honest? Joel was a violent man who did a violent thing. In the world of The Last of Us, there are no happy endings. There are just endings.
What We Can Learn From the Backlash
If you’re a writer or a creator, there’s a massive lesson here. You don’t owe the audience the ending they want; you owe the story the ending it deserves. Joel’s arc was about a man finding his humanity, then using that humanity to justify a horrific act. His death was the logical conclusion of a life lived by the sword.
- Realism over Fanservice: Joel let his guard down because he had spent years living in a peaceful community. He wasn't the hardened hunter from the 2013 game anymore. He was a man who played guitar and made wood carvings.
- Consequences are Permanent: In most media, "main" characters have plot armor. Breaking that armor creates a sense of genuine stakes that few other games have ever matched.
- Empathy is a Choice: The game doesn't ask you to forgive Abby. It just asks you to understand why she did it.
The Legacy of the Golf Club
Even today, mention a "9-iron" in a gaming forum and you'll start a fight. That’s the power of Joel Miller's death. It stuck. It’s a permanent scar on the medium. It pushed the boundaries of what a AAA game is allowed to do with its audience's emotions.
Actionable Steps for Processing Narratives Like This
If a piece of media upsets you this much, it’s actually a sign of high-quality art. Here is how to engage with these kinds of "shock" deaths without losing your mind:
Analyze the "Why." Don't just focus on the "How." Joel died brutally, but why did the writers choose that specific moment? It was to trigger Ellie’s descent into darkness.
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Separate the character from the icon. Joel is a great character, but he isn't a saint. Acknowledging his flaws makes his death feel more grounded in the reality of the game's world.
Look at the aftermath. Joel’s presence is felt more in his absence than it ever was when he was alive. Every flashback, every guitar string Ellie plucks—that’s Joel. He’s still the protagonist of the series, even if he isn't breathing.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the lore, revisit the "Museum Chapter" in Part II. It’s the perfect counterweight to the violence of his exit and proves that the developers truly loved the character, even if they had to kill him.