He's on screen for maybe five minutes total. Honestly, in a game that spans thirty-plus hours of soul-crushing violence and complex moral decay, it’s almost impressive how much universal loathing one side character manages to harvest. I’m talking about Seth in The Last of Us. You know him. He’s the guy who serves steak sandwiches with a side of bigotry.
Most players remember him as the catalyst for the "bigot sandwich" meme. It’s a moment of levity—well, as much levity as Naughty Dog allows—amidst the tension of Jackson. But Seth actually serves a much larger purpose in the narrative than just being a jerk at a dance. He represents the friction of rebuilding a society. When the world ends, you don't just get to pick the "good" people to survive with you. You're stuck with whoever made it through the FEDRA checkpoints and the clicker hordes. Seth is the embodiment of that uncomfortable reality.
Who is Seth in The Last of Us Part II?
Seth is an older resident of Jackson. We first meet him during the winter dance scene, which is told through a flashback. He’s the guy who yells at Ellie and Dina for sharing a kiss on the dance floor. It’s an ugly, jarring moment. In the middle of this safe haven that feels like a cozy slice of the old world, Seth reminds us that the "old world" had some pretty nasty parts too.
He’s a father and a grandfather. We know this because of the logs and the way other characters talk about him. He isn't some roaming bandit or a Scars fanatic. He’s a "productive" member of the community. That’s what makes him so irritating to the player. You can’t just shoot him. In the brutal wilderness outside the walls, Ellie handles threats with a switchblade. Inside Jackson? She has to deal with Seth.
The Steak Sandwich Incident
The morning after the dance, Maria makes Seth apologize. It’s awkward. It’s forced. Seth approaches Ellie and Jesse while they’re gearing up for patrol. He mumbles an apology and offers them some steak sandwiches he stayed up to make.
Ellie isn't having it.
"I don't want your bigot sandwiches," she tells him. It’s a line that went viral immediately upon the game’s release in 2020. But if you look at Seth’s face in that scene, he isn't repentant. He’s doing it because Maria, the boss of the town, told him he had to. He’s checking a box. This interaction highlights a massive theme in the series: the difference between a community and a family. Jackson is a community. It requires tolerance, even if that tolerance is paper-thin and built on a foundation of mutual survival rather than mutual respect.
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Why Seth Matters for Ellie's Character Arc
If you think Seth is just there for flavor, you're missing the subtext. He’s one of the few people who actually challenges the "hero" status of our protagonists within their own home.
Think about it.
Ellie is struggling. She’s dealing with the weight of Joel’s lie from the first game, her burgeoning relationship with Dina, and her own identity. Then comes Seth. He’s a reminder that even in "paradise," she is still an outsider to some. Seth represents the mundane evil. He isn't trying to kill her; he’s just trying to make her feel small. For a girl who has killed hundreds of people to stay alive, being belittled by a grandfatherly baker is a different kind of wound.
- Seth is voiced by Robert Clotworthy.
- He is one of the few NPCs in Jackson with a distinct, recurring personality.
- His presence proves that Jackson isn't a utopia.
The writers, Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross, used Seth to ground the story. Without him, Jackson feels a bit too much like a Hallmark movie set in the apocalypse. Seth adds the grit. He adds the reality that some people just don't change, even when the literal zombies are knocking at the door.
The Community Reaction and the "Bigot Sandwich" Legacy
The internet did what the internet does. Within days of the game's launch, "Bigot Sandwich" was a flair on Reddit. It was a meme on Twitter. People were making actual steak sandwiches and posting them online with the caption.
But there’s a deeper conversation here about how we view redemption in games. Some players actually felt bad for Seth during the apology scene, arguing that in a world where people are being disemboweled by bloaters, a mean comment at a dance isn't a "top tier" sin. Others argued that his presence is exactly why the game feels so authentic.
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Honestly, Seth is the guy you work with who says something offensive at the water cooler. You can’t fire him because he’s been there twenty years and knows how the printer works, but you definitely aren't inviting him to happy hour. In the context of Seth in The Last of Us, he’s the guy who knows how to cure meat and maintain the food supply. He’s valuable, but he’s a prick.
Is Seth in the HBO Show?
As of the first season, Seth hasn't made his grand debut. However, with Season 2 covering the events of the second game, fans are dying to see who gets cast. The show has a habit of expanding on side characters—look at what they did with Bill and Frank. There’s a non-zero chance that the showrunners might give Seth a bit more screen time to flesh out the internal politics of Jackson.
Imagine a whole subplot about the tension between the "old guard" survivors like Seth and the younger generation like Ellie and Dina. It would add a layer of social commentary that the show excels at.
Technical Details: Seth's Role in Game Design
From a level design perspective, Seth serves as a "soft" barrier. He exists in the non-combat zones to provide "narrative friction."
In games, you usually have two modes: talking or fighting. Seth is a hybrid. He’s an antagonist you can’t fight. This creates a specific kind of psychological frustration for the player. You’ve just spent the prologue riding horses and feeling like a badass, and then this old man makes you feel like an angry teenager again. It’s brilliant design. It strips away the player's power without taking away their controls.
What Most People Get Wrong About Seth
A lot of players think Seth is just a placeholder for "generic homophobe." That’s a bit too simple.
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If you read the notes scattered around the world and listen to the background chatter in Jackson, you realize Seth is a man clinging to the only world he remembers. He’s a relic. His bigotry isn't a new development; it’s a carryover from the world before the Cordyceps outbreak. He represents the "refusal to evolve."
While Joel evolved from a smuggler to a father, and Ellie evolved from a cargo to a survivor, Seth stayed exactly who he was in 2013. He is a testament to the fact that for some, the apocalypse didn't spark a change—it just provided a smaller cage for their existing prejudices.
The Realism of Jackson’s Social Hierarchy
Maria’s handling of Seth is also telling. She doesn't kick him out. She doesn't throw him in a cell. She makes him apologize and provide food. This is "Restorative Justice" in a post-apocalyptic setting. It shows that Maria values the cohesion of the town over the individual feelings of Ellie. It’s a cold, hard look at leadership. She knows Seth is a jerk, but she also knows they need his labor.
- Seth's apology is a power play by Maria.
- Ellie's rejection of the sandwich is a declaration of independence.
- The scene sets the tone for Ellie's rebellious streak throughout the game.
The Lasting Impact of a Five-Minute Character
It is rare for a character with such little screen time to leave such a massive footprint on a franchise's fandom. But Seth in The Last of Us did exactly that. He reminded us that the monsters aren't just the ones with mushrooms growing out of their heads. Sometimes, the monsters are the people who make your lunch.
He serves as the perfect foil to the idealistic version of Jackson. He is the thorn in the side of the community. Without Seth, Ellie’s departure from Jackson might have felt harder. But knowing that people like Seth are back home? It makes the road feel a little less lonely.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're revisiting the game or prepping for the show, keep these things in mind regarding Seth's role:
- Watch the background characters in Jackson. Seth isn't the only one with a grumpy attitude; he's just the loudest. It paints a picture of a town under stress.
- Pay attention to Maria’s reaction. Her leadership style is defined by how she handles Seth. She prioritizes the "peace" over the "truth."
- Contrast Seth with Joel. Joel was a violent man, but he accepted Ellie for who she was. Seth is a "civilized" man who can't do the same. This makes the player miss Joel even more.
- Look for the subtext in the "Steak Sandwich" scene. It’s not about the food. It’s about the refusal to be bought off with a gesture when the underlying disrespect remains.
Seth is a masterclass in how to write a minor antagonist. He doesn't need a boss fight. He doesn't need a monologue. He just needs to be remarkably, realistically human in his unpleasantness. Whether we see him in the HBO series or not, his legacy as the creator of the "bigot sandwich" is firmly cemented in gaming history.
When you play through that section again, don't just mash the skip button. Look at the faces of the people around Seth. Notice the winces. The sighs. The "not again" looks from the other NPCs. That’s where the real storytelling is happening. Seth isn't just an island; he's a symptom of a world that ended before it could finish fixing itself.