The Last of Us characters feature in new Naughty Dog artwork celebrating the start of Pride Month.
Characters from The Last of Us titles are showcased through a lovely piece of artwork from Naughty Dog, each representing the LGBTQIA+ community. The studio shared the image and said, "Whether in the physical world around us or the digital worlds that reflect reality, LGBTQIA+ individuals universally deserve intersectional representation, equal rights, and inclusion."
Naughty Dog polishes off its tweet with a message, "Happy #PRIDE to all. Here's to celebrating who you are and honoring those who paved the way." Pride Month is celebrated annually throughout the month of June and honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan.
The art shows Ellie, who is the protagonist in The Last of Us 2 that launched last year. In that game, Ellie and Dina - who is also included in the image - both become involved in a romantic relationship with one another. The other character from the sequel is Lev, a trans character that's played by a trans actor. Lev usually travels with Abby, as well as his sister, Yara, in The Last of Us 2 after making their escape from the religious Seraphites faction in Seattle.
Whether in the physical world around us or the digital worlds that reflect reality, LGBTQIA+ individuals universally deserve intersectional representation, equal rights, and inclusion. Happy #PRIDE to all. Here's to celebrating who you are and honoring those who paved the way. pic.twitter.com/t4pboXmReHJune 1, 2021
The Last of Us character Bill is also included in the artwork. His sexuality is never really touched on in detail in the The Last of Us from 2013, and instead implied through a series of in-world elements. The other character is Riley who made an appearance in The Last of Us: Left Behind, an expansion that explores Ellie's teenage years. In this expansion, Ellie and Riley share a kiss. Unfortunately for them both, however, Riley didn't make an appearance in the sequel due to falling ill with a fungal infection in the expansion.
The Last of Us 2 launched last year for PS4 and has a fresh next-gen patch so that fans get to experience the game with improved performance and graphics on the PS5. There's also reportedly a PS5 remake of the original game in the works.
Have a read of our look at The Last of Us series' revolutionary approach to orientation.
