Puns. Most of the time, they're just terrible. They make you groan, roll your eyes, and maybe wish you were anywhere else. But in the middle of a literal apocalypse where mushroom-headed monsters are trying to rip your throat out? Suddenly, a bad pun feels like a lifeline. That is exactly why Ellie jokes in The Last of Us became such a cultural phenomenon. It wasn't just about the humor. It was about the contrast. You have Joel, this hardened, cynical survivor who has forgotten how to be human, and then you have Ellie—a kid who shouldn't even know what a joke is—reading from a tattered pun book.
It's brilliant writing.
Honestly, if you played the game back in 2013 or watched the HBO adaptation in 2023, you know the vibe. Things get heavy. The tension is thick enough to cut with a shiv. Then, Ellie pulls out No Pun Intended: Volume Too by Will Livingston. She starts reading. The world stops being quite so terrifying for a second. It's a psychological reset button.
The Origin of the Pun Book
Where did these jokes even come from? In the game's lore, Ellie gets her hands on a book of puns written by a fictional author named Will Livingston. It’s a recurring bit that starts in the "Pittsburgh" chapter of the first game (or the Kansas City sequence in the show).
The humor is intentionally "dad joke" tier. We're talking bottom-of-the-barrel, so-bad-they're-good quips. But for Ellie, who grew up in a FEDRA quarantine zone surrounded by concrete and despair, these jokes are treasures. They are artifacts of a world that had the luxury of being silly. Think about that for a minute. In a world where every day is a fight for a can of peaches, a joke is the ultimate luxury.
Some of the "Greatest" Hits
You probably remember a few of these, even if you’ve tried to block them out. "It doesn't matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationary." Or the classic about the scarecrow: "Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field."
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These aren't just random lines of dialogue. Naughty Dog—the developers—actually programmed specific "Optional Conversations" around these jokes. If you stand still in certain areas, Ellie will pull out the book. You have to wait for her. It forces the player to slow down. It breaks the "kill, loot, repeat" cycle of the gameplay loop.
Why the HBO Show Kept the Humor
When Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann were adapting the game for TV, they knew they couldn't cut the jokes. Bella Ramsey’s delivery of the Ellie jokes in The Last of Us on screen added a layer of vulnerability that the show desperately needed. It’s one thing to see a digital character tell a joke; it’s another to see a real human actor giggle at their own bad pun while sitting in the woods.
The show actually used the puns to track the relationship growth between Joel and Ellie. In the beginning, Pedro Pascal’s Joel is annoyed. He wants her to shut up. By the time they get to the later episodes, he’s actually anticipating them. He’s fighting back a smile. That’s the "arc" of the pun. It’s a metric for how much Joel is letting his guard down. It’s character development through wordplay.
The Science of Comic Relief in Horror
Psychologically, what’s happening here is "gallows humor." This isn't just a gaming trope. Real-world first responders, soldiers, and people in high-stress environments use humor to cope with trauma. It’s a defense mechanism.
Dr. Peter McGraw, a leading expert in humor research, often talks about the "Benign Violation Theory." A joke works when something feels like a threat but is actually safe. In The Last of Us, the threat is everywhere—the Infected, the hunters, the collapse of society. The joke is the "benign" part. It reminds the characters (and us) that they aren't just survival machines. They are still people.
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Hidden Details and Easter Eggs
Did you know there’s more than one book? In the Left Behind DLC, we see where Ellie got her love for puns. Her best friend Riley gives her the first volume. This adds a massive amount of weight to the jokes. They aren't just funny lines; they are a connection to the person Ellie loved and lost.
Every time she tells a joke to Joel, she’s subconsciously trying to recreate the bond she had with Riley. It’s bittersweet. You’re laughing at a joke about a moon restaurant ("Great food, no atmosphere"), but the subtext is heavy as lead.
- Volume One: Introduced in the DLC, representing Ellie's childhood and Riley.
- Volume Too: The main game's book, representing her journey with Joel.
- The TV Show Flip: The show introduces the book earlier to establish the bond sooner.
The Impact on the Fandom
The community didn't just play the game and move on. They obsessed. There are entire Reddit threads dedicated to finding every single "Livingston" pun. People have even printed physical copies of the book to sell on Etsy. It's a piece of gaming history that lives outside the screen.
Even Troy Baker (who played Joel in the games) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) have talked about how those scenes were some of the most fun to record. They provided a much-needed break from the grueling motion capture sessions where they spent hours screaming or crying.
How to Find Every Joke in the Game
If you're replaying The Last of Us Part I (the remake), you might be trying to get that "That's All I Got" trophy. It’s not as easy as just standing there. You have to trigger specific events first.
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- Pittsburgh (Alone and Forsaken): After clearing the hunters near the bus, wait. Just wait. Eventually, Ellie will pull it out.
- Pittsburgh (Hotel Lobby): After you climb the ladder, don't move. Let her get through a few.
- The Suburbs: This one is tricky. You have to trigger all the optional conversations in the neighborhood first—the kitchen, the "I'm Armed" sign, the ice cream truck. Only then will she tell the jokes near the end of the street.
It’s a lesson in patience. Most games reward you for going fast. The Last of Us rewards you for being still.
The Legacy of the Bad Pun
At its core, the Ellie jokes in The Last of Us represent the survival of the human spirit. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. The Cordyceps fungus can take over the brain, it can turn people into monsters, and it can tear down cities. But it can’t stop a kid from thinking a joke about a clock being "time-consuming" is hilarious.
When you look at the sequel, Part II, the tone shifts. The jokes are fewer. The world is darker. Ellie is older. The absence of the pun book in the second game is actually a statement in itself. It shows how much she’s lost her innocence. It makes you miss those cringey lines from the first journey.
Practical Ways to Experience This Content
If you want to dive deeper into this specific niche of gaming lore, there are a few things you should actually do. Don't just read about it; engage with the material.
- Watch the "Left Behind" cinematic: Pay attention to how Riley presents the book. It changes how you hear the jokes in the main game.
- Hunt the Trophy: Don't use a guide for the first hour. Try to "feel" the pacing of when Ellie might want to tell a joke. It usually happens after a major combat encounter when the "adrenaline" is wearing off.
- Check the HBO "Inside the Episode": The creators talk specifically about why they kept the pun book in the show. It’s a great look into the writers' room logic.
The jokes aren't just filler. They are the heartbeat of a story that is otherwise about death. Next time you hear a terrible pun, don't groan. Think of it as a small victory against a bleak world.
Actionable Next Steps
To truly appreciate the nuance of this narrative device, you should go back and play the "Pittsburgh" chapter or re-watch Episode 4 of the HBO series. Look specifically at Joel's face, not Ellie's. The story of the puns isn't about the person telling them; it's about the person listening. Watch for the exact moment the corners of Joel's mouth twitch. That is the moment the "survivor" starts becoming a "father" again.
If you're a writer or creator, take note of this "emotional pacing." Using a recurring, low-stakes motif like a pun book can do more for character development than a ten-minute monologue ever could. It’s the small, repetitive actions that build the most realistic bonds.