You know her. Even if you've never picked up a PlayStation controller, you’ve seen the face. The blood-spattered brow, the oversized flannel shirt, and that look of utter exhaustion that somehow looks like defiance. Ellie Williams, the girl from The Last of Us, isn't just a video game protagonist. She's a cultural landmark.
She changed how we look at stories.
When Naughty Dog first dropped the trailer for the original game back in the early 2010s, people thought they were getting another generic zombie apocalypse. We expected a "protect the asset" mission. You play as the big gruff guy, Joel, and you escort the helpless Last of Us girl across a ruined America. Simple, right? Except Ellie was never helpless. She was the heartbeat of the entire franchise, a foul-mouthed, pun-loving teenager who also happened to be the only person immune to the Cordyceps brain infection.
The complexity of her character is why we’re still talking about her over a decade later.
The Mystery of the Immunity
Let’s be real: the "immune survivor" trope is old. It’s been done to death in movies and books. But the way The Last of Us handled Ellie’s immunity was different because it wasn't a superpower. It was a burden. A curse.
In the lore, Ellie was born in a Boston quarantine zone. She never knew her parents; she only had a letter from her mother, Anna, and a switchblade. When she got bitten alongside her best friend Riley in the Left Behind DLC, she expected to turn into a mindless Runner. Riley turned. Ellie didn't.
That specific trauma defines everything she does. Think about it. She lives with the crushing weight of survivor's guilt. Every person she sees die—Tess, Sam, Henry—is a reminder that she is still alive while they are gone. She feels like her life only has meaning if she dies to create a vaccine. That’s a heavy concept for a kid. It’s also why the ending of the first game is so polarizing. Joel saves her, but in doing so, he steals her choice. He lies to her. And honestly? That lie is what fuels the entire sequel.
Why the Second Game Divided Everyone
If the first game was about love, The Last of Us Part II was about the "cycle of violence." It was brutal.
A lot of fans had a hard time seeing Ellie transform from the witty kid who told bad jokes from a pun book into a vengeful shadow of herself. She goes to Seattle to hunt down Abby, and she loses pieces of her soul along the way. It’s messy. It’s uncomfortable to watch.
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The game doesn't give you a hero's journey. It gives you a tragedy.
One of the most fascinating things about Ellie in the sequel is her relationship with Dina. Amidst all the throat-slitting and sneaking through overgrown ruins, there are these quiet, human moments. The scene where Ellie plays "Take on Me" on the guitar in an abandoned music shop? That’s peak character writing. It reminds us that she’s still a person who loves music and art, even if she’s currently a killing machine.
Bella Ramsey and the Evolution of the Character
Then came the HBO show.
There was a lot of noise when Bella Ramsey was cast as Ellie. People on the internet can be... well, you know how they are. They complained about the "look." But once the show aired in 2023, the conversation shifted immediately. Ramsey captured that specific blend of vulnerability and "don't mess with me" energy that Ashley Johnson originated in the games.
The show did something the game couldn't: it gave us more context on Ellie’s birth. Seeing Anna (played by Ashley Johnson herself, which was a brilliant meta-touch) fight off an Infected while giving birth explained why Ellie is immune. It’s a biological fluke. A tiny bit of the fungus entered her system through the umbilical cord at the exact moment she was born, creating a sort of natural barrier.
This grounded the sci-fi elements. It made the Last of Us girl feel like a product of a broken world rather than a "Chosen One" from a prophecy.
The Physicality of the Role
Have you noticed how Ellie moves?
In the games, especially Part II, the animation team at Naughty Dog used motion capture to show her weight and her size disadvantage. She’s not a tank. She can't overpower a 200-pound man in a fair fight. She has to use stealth, speed, and craftiness. This makes her victories feel earned.
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- She uses bricks and bottles as distractions.
- She crafts explosive arrows from scrap.
- She maneuvers through tight spaces Joel couldn't fit into.
This gameplay design mirrors her narrative arc. She’s an underdog. She’s been an underdog since she was an orphan in the FEDRA school.
Dealing with the Backlash
We have to talk about the "controversies."
Ellie is one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ characters in mainstream media history. For some, this was a point of contention. But for most players, it was just a natural part of who she is. Her relationship with Riley in the first game’s DLC and her romance with Dina in the second were handled with a level of maturity that we rarely see in gaming.
It wasn't a "gimmick." It was just Ellie.
The backlash to Part II—specifically the ending where Ellie chooses to let go of her revenge—is still debated in forums today. Some felt it was a betrayal of the character. Others saw it as the only way she could finally start to heal. Honestly, the fact that we’re still arguing about her moral choices years later proves how well-written she is. Most game characters are forgotten a week after the credits roll.
What’s Next for Ellie?
Naughty Dog has been cagey about The Last of Us Part III.
Neil Druckmann has mentioned he has a "concept" for a third story. Where does Ellie go from here? At the end of the second game, she’s lost almost everything. She can’t even play the guitar properly anymore because she lost two fingers in the fight with Abby. It’s a metaphor for her losing her connection to Joel.
Maybe the next chapter is about redemption. Or maybe it’s about her finding a new purpose that doesn't involve being a sacrifice for a vaccine that might not even work.
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How to Experience Her Story Best
If you’re new to the series or just want to dive deeper into the lore of the Last of Us girl, there’s a specific way to do it.
Start with The Last of Us Part I (the remake for PS5/PC). The facial animations are night and day compared to the 2013 original. You can see the micro-expressions on Ellie’s face—the fear, the doubt, the hidden smiles.
Then, don't skip Left Behind. It’s short, maybe two hours, but it’s the most important piece of her backstory. It explains her fear of being alone. "Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me. Everyone... except for f***ing you!" That line to Joel makes so much more sense after you see what happened with Riley.
Finally, brace yourself for Part II. It’s a long, exhausting journey, but it’s necessary to see the full scope of her character.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Newcomers
- Watch the HBO Series: If you haven't, it’s the best adaptation of a game ever made. It adds layers to Ellie’s character that even the games missed, especially regarding her relationship with her mother.
- Read the Comic: The Last of Us: American Dreams is a four-issue comic series that goes even further into Ellie’s time at the military boarding school. It’s canon and worth your time.
- Explore the Photo Mode: Both games have incredible photo modes. If you want to appreciate the detail Naughty Dog put into Ellie—the scars, the shifting eyes, the dirt under her fingernails—spend some time in the pause menu.
- Listen to the Podcast: The Official Last of Us Podcast features Ashley Johnson and Bella Ramsey talking about the character. It’s a masterclass in acting and character development.
Ellie isn't just a character we play as. She’s a character we grow up with. From the 14-year-old girl staring at a giraffe in Salt Lake City to the 19-year-old woman sitting on a porch in Jackson, her journey is a raw look at what it means to be human in a world that has lost its humanity.
She's the survivor. She's the girl who lived. And whether there's a third game or not, her legacy is already cemented in history.
Next Steps for Deep Diving into the Lore
- Analyze the Firefly symbols: Look for hidden Firefly graffiti throughout the game levels; it often foreshadows Ellie's internal conflict regarding her purpose.
- Compare the "Guitar Scenes": Watch a side-by-side of Ellie playing guitar at the start of Part II versus the end; the technical difficulty of the songs mirrors her emotional state.
- Review the "Savage Starlight" Comics: Find all the in-game collectibles; the plot of the fictional comic Ellie reads often parallels her own journey across the country.