It is easily the most recognizable piece of art in modern gaming. You’ve seen it on hoodies, phone cases, and probably on the forearms of a few thousand people at your local comic-con. But Ellie’s tattoo in The Last of Us isn't just a cool design choice made by a concept artist at Naughty Dog to make her look "edgy" in the sequel. It is a literal shield.
Most players see the moth and the ferns and think about growth or nature. That's part of it, sure. However, the origin of that ink is deeply rooted in trauma and a desperate need for a teenage girl to hide who she really is. If you look closely at her arm in the first game, she’s got a nasty chemical burn. She did that to herself. She used acid to scar over her bite mark so nobody would find out she was immune. The tattoo was the second layer of that lie. It’s a beautiful thing used to cover a terrifying reality.
The Real Story Behind the Design
Naughty Dog didn't just pick a random clip-art moth and call it a day. The developer actually brought in a real-world tattoo artist named Natalie Hall. They even scanned her hands to use for the animations in the game when Ellie is playing the guitar. That’s the kind of obsessive detail that makes this specific piece of digital art feel so grounded.
The design features two main elements: a Saturniidae moth and branches of sword fern.
Why a moth? Think about it. Moths are drawn to the light. They are obsessive, almost suicidal, in their pursuit of a flame. In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie is on a self-destructive path of vengeance that mirrors that exact behavior. She is flying straight into the fire, and she doesn't care if she gets burned as long as she reaches her goal. The fern is a bit more local to the Pacific Northwest setting of the second game, but it also symbolizes sincerity and magic in various cultures.
A Cover-Up With Consequences
If you've played through the story, you know that Cat—a character we mostly hear about through journal entries and brief mentions—was the one who actually tattooed Ellie. Cat was Ellie’s ex-girlfriend in Jackson. There is a specific journal entry where Ellie talks about how Cat saw the chemical burn and offered to cover it up.
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It’s a vulnerable moment.
Imagine being Ellie. You’re terrified that if anyone sees your arm, they’ll kill you or experiment on you. Then someone you love offers to turn that scar into art. It’s a massive turning point for her character. It represents her trying to have a "normal" life in Jackson, even though that life is built on a secret that Joel started and she’s forced to maintain.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Symbolism
People love to say the moth represents Joel. They see the moth on the neck of his guitar and then see it on Ellie’s arm and think it’s a tribute. It’s not that simple. Honestly, it’s almost the opposite. The moth is a reminder of the lie Joel told. It’s a reminder of the hospital in Salt Lake City.
The tattoo is a physical manifestation of Ellie’s guilt.
Every time she looks at her arm, she isn't just seeing a pretty moth. She is seeing the spot where she was bitten. She’s seeing the fact that she’s "supposed" to be dead so the world could have a cure. The tattoo is a mask. In a world where the Cordyceps fungus turns people into monsters, Ellie uses a botanical image to hide the fact that she’s already been touched by that monster and survived.
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Interestingly, the moth also appears on the loading screen of the second game. It’s hovering near a flickering light. This reinforces that theme of "searching for light," which was the Fireflies' whole motto: Look for the light. Even though Ellie hates the Fireflies for what they almost did to her, and hates Joel for what he did to them, she is still subconsciously searching for some kind of enlightenment or peace.
The Practical Side of the Ink
From a technical standpoint, the tattoo serves a brilliant gameplay purpose. Because the game uses a third-person perspective, you are constantly looking at Ellie’s back and arms. The tattoo acts as a visual anchor. It makes her silhouette unmistakable.
- Design: It wraps around the forearm, specifically covering the anterior (inner) part where the bite was.
- Color Palette: It’s strictly blackwork. No colors. This fits the post-apocalyptic vibe where colored pigments would be incredibly hard to find or manufacture.
- Aging: If you look at the character model, the tattoo actually looks slightly faded, like real ink does after a few years. It’s not a sticker; it’s part of her skin.
The Cultural Impact and the "TLOU Tattoo" Phenomenon
If you go to any tattoo shop today and ask for "the Ellie," they know exactly what you mean. It has become a symbol for the gaming community. It represents resilience. It’s become so popular that Naughty Dog actually released a high-resolution "tattoo kit" for fans so they could get the proportions exactly right for their own bodies.
But there’s a bit of irony there.
In the game, the tattoo is a secret. It’s a way to blend in. In the real world, getting Ellie’s tattoo from The Last of Us is a way to stand out and identify yourself as a fan. It’s a total reversal of the original intent.
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Moving Forward: How to Use This Knowledge
If you’re a fan of the series or considering getting the ink yourself, don't just look at it as a "video game tattoo." Look at the composition. The way the fern leaves follow the musculature of the arm is a masterclass in tattoo flow.
For those analyzing the story, pay attention to the moments where the tattoo is visible versus when it’s covered by long sleeves. Ellie covers up when she’s feeling vulnerable or when she’s in a situation where her identity is a liability. When she’s in Seattle, hunting down the WLF, that arm is often bare. She’s stopped hiding. She’s leaned into the violence.
To truly appreciate the depth of this design, you should:
- Re-read Ellie's journal entries in Part II specifically looking for mentions of Cat and the tattooing process.
- Compare the moth on the guitar headstock to the one on her arm—they are identical, which suggests Joel’s influence is literally "inked" into her skin.
- Observe the final scene of the game in the farmhouse. Look at her arm as she leaves the guitar behind. The tattoo remains, but the connection to the person who gave it to her—and the person she was trying to avenge—has fundamentally changed.
The tattoo doesn't wash off, even when the vengeance is over. It’s a permanent mark of a period in her life where she was lost in the dark, chasing a light that didn't exist.