You've seen the pictures. Joel and Ellie, rendered in perfect plastic, standing against a backdrop of a crumbling, overgrown Boston. Maybe it was a TikTok transition or a hyper-realistic render on Instagram. It looks official. It looks expensive. Honestly, it looks like something Lego would charge $200 for and we’d all happily pay it.
But here is the reality check: there is no official Lego The Last of Us set.
Not one.
Despite the massive success of the HBO show and the enduring legacy of the Naughty Dog games, the Danish brick-maker hasn't touched the world of Cordyceps. If you see a box on a shelf or a "leaked" image of a clicker minifig, you're looking at one of two things: a high-end custom creation or an AI-generated image. It’s a bit of a bummer, I know. But the story of why these sets don't exist—and how fans are building them anyway—is actually way more interesting than a standard retail release.
The "Mature Content" Wall at Lego HQ
Lego is notoriously picky. They have a brand image to protect, and that image is usually "family-friendly." For years, the rule of thumb was that if a property was rated R or M, it was off-limits. That’s why we have a million Star Wars sets but zero Grand Theft Auto kits.
However, things are changing. We’ve seen Lego branch out into more "grown-up" territory with sets like the Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck or the Pac-Man Arcade Machine. Even Dungeons & Dragons got a massive, gritty set recently. So, why isn't Lego The Last of Us on the list?
The violence is the main culprit.
The Last of Us isn't just "action." It’s visceral. It’s heavy. It’s a game where you spend a significant amount of time hitting people with lead pipes. Lego tends to prefer "fantasy violence"—lasers, magic, or cartoonish explosions. When a property gets too grounded in realistic, grim survivalism, the corporate offices in Billund usually get cold feet. They want to avoid the "war toy" label at all costs.
Custom Creators are Filling the Void
Since Lego won't do it, the community did.
If you really want a Joel minifigure, you don't go to Target. You go to places like Citizen Brick or EclipseGrafx. These aren't cheap knock-offs. These are artists who use genuine Lego parts and industrial-grade printers to create custom figures that look—and feel—official.
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I’ve seen custom Joel figures that include his signature flannel shirt and even a tiny, brick-built version of Ellie’s switchblade. Some creators, like the legendary Clyde Graphix, have designed entire instruction manuals for MOCs (My Own Creations) based on the game’s iconic locations.
- The Pittsburgh Bookstore: A popular fan build that uses weathered grey bricks and green vine pieces to simulate the decay of the city.
- The Joel and Ellie "Brickheadz": Simplified, blocky versions of the characters that fans have shared instructions for on sites like Rebrickable.
- The Clicker: This is the holy grail of custom builds. Using organic-looking "slop" pieces to recreate the fungal growth on a minifig's head is a genuine art form.
People are spending hundreds of dollars on "BrickLink" orders—buying individual pieces from various sellers—just to piece together a scene from the game. It’s a testament to how badly people want Lego The Last of Us to be a real thing.
The Role of Lego Ideas
You might be thinking, "Why hasn't someone just put it on Lego Ideas?"
They have. Many times.
Lego Ideas is the platform where fans submit designs, and if they get 10,000 votes, Lego considers making them into real products. The problem? Most Lego The Last of Us submissions get flagged immediately. If a project is based on a "Restricted IP" (Intellectual Property) that Lego deems too violent, it won't even make it to the voting stage.
It’s a gatekeeping mechanism that keeps the brand "safe," but it also creates a massive grey market for instructions and custom kits. It's a weird tension. You have a massive audience of adults with disposable income who want to build a post-apocalyptic truck, but the company’s internal guidelines are still stuck in the 1990s mindset of "only for kids."
What an Official Set Might Actually Look Like
If Lego ever did change their minds—and honestly, the success of the HBO show makes it more likely than ever—what would we get?
We probably wouldn't get a set of Joel smashing a hunter’s head against a wall. Instead, Lego would likely focus on the "Aesthetic of the Apocalypse." Think overgrown cityscapes. A rusted-out 2003 Chevy S-10 with a few FEDRA crates in the back.
The most likely candidate for a set would be the Bill’s Town sequence. It’s iconic, it’s mostly focused on traps and clever building, and it features characters that are instantly recognizable. They could give us a "Modular Building" style set of a dilapidated house filled with tripwires and hidden loot.
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Another option? A "Diorama Collection" set. Lego has been doing these for Star Wars and Jurassic Park lately. It’s a small, detailed scene on a black base with a quote plaque. Imagine a tiny scene of Joel and Ellie in the woods, with a simple plaque that reads: "Swear to me." It would sell out in ten seconds.
The AI Confusion Factor
We have to talk about the "Fake News" of the Lego world.
Lately, AI-generated images of Lego The Last of Us sets have gone viral on Pinterest and X (formerly Twitter). These images look incredible. They show massive, 5,000-piece sets of the University or the Hospital.
How do you tell they're fake? Look at the studs.
AI usually struggles with the "LEGO" logo on top of each brick. If the studs look like weird little circles or have gibberish text on them, it’s a fake. Also, look at the hands. Minifig hands are very specific "C" shapes. AI often gives them fingers or weird, melted-looking claws.
Don't get your hopes up when you see a "Leak" that looks too good to be true. If it’s not on the official Lego Newsroom or a verified site like Brickset, it’s just a digital hallucination.
Why the Wait Might Be Over Soon
There is a glimmer of hope.
Sony and Lego have already collaborated on the Horizon series. Since Naughty Dog is a first-party Sony studio, the legal groundwork for a partnership is already there. The bridge has been built.
Furthermore, the "Adults Welcome" marketing campaign by Lego is leaning harder and harder into nostalgia and prestige TV. We're seeing more sets that are designed to sit on a bookshelf, not a playroom floor. If they can find a way to frame Lego The Last of Us as a "Prestige Display Piece" rather than an "Action Playset," they might just bypass their own violence restrictions.
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Until then, we are left with the "MOC" world. And honestly? Maybe that’s better. There is something deeply fitting about building a world of survival and scavenged parts using scavenged bricks from our own collections.
Actionable Steps for Aspiring Builders
If you’re tired of waiting for an official release and want to bring the world of Joel and Ellie to your shelf right now, here is how you do it without getting scammed.
First, stop looking for "sets" on Amazon. Anything you find there labeled as "Last of Us Blocks" is a knock-off brand with poor clutch power and potentially toxic plastics.
Instead, go to Rebrickable. Search for "Post-Apocalyptic" or "Last of Us." You can buy digital instructions from independent designers for about $5 to $10. These instructions come with a "Parts List" (an XML file).
Once you have that list, upload it to BrickLink. This site is owned by Lego and acts as a marketplace for individual parts. It will automatically find the cheapest combination of sellers to get you every single brick you need. It’s like a scavenger hunt, which, if you think about it, is the most authentic way to experience Lego The Last of Us.
Second, for the characters, check out Firestar Toys or Minifigs.me. They often have "Survivalist" or "Apocalypse Girl" figures that are clearly inspired by the game but avoid copyright issues by changing the names. They use high-quality UV printing on genuine Lego parts, so they’ll fit perfectly with the rest of your collection.
Finally, don't be afraid to "weather" your bricks. Serious builders use sandpaper or even a little bit of brown acrylic wash to make new bricks look old and grimy. It’s a bit sacrilegious to Lego purists, but for a world like this, it’s the only way to get the vibe right.
Start small. Build a "Clicker" using some weirdly shaped flower pieces and coral elements. It’s a great weekend project and much more satisfying than waiting for a corporate press release that might never come.