One of the biggest questions in the lead up to The Last of Us 2, Naughty Dog's PS4 sequel that's scheduled to release... [checks calendar] sometime before the turn of the next millennium, regards the original game's main protagonist, Joel.
We know we'll be playing mostly as former AI sidekick Ellie this time around, but - aside from a strange cameo in the game's reveal trailer - Joel has remained curiously absent from any of Naughty Dog's promotional material, leading some to question whether he'll be the main villain of the game, or even just a figment of Ellie's imagination.
The Last of Us 2 is in its final stages of development, says game's Co-Director
Interestingly enough, Joel's voice actor Troy Baker recently gave his two cents at a Manchester Comic Con panel (via Gamebyte) on whether the character can be considered a hero or antagonist of The Last of Us, and his answer certainly leaves us wondering where Naughty Dog is taking him for the sequel.
"I don’t think Joel believes he’s a hero," explained Baker. "If he was to lean anywhere I think that Joel would consider himself a villain, which is why he can say that he’s been on both sides. Like he can say ‘I’m just a guy trying to get by. I’m not here to save anybody, I’m not here to upset anyone’s plans. I’m just trying to live one day at a time.'”
Baker continued to explain how The Last of Us reveals the way in which "everyone is the hero of their own story," but his comments about Joel in particular, and the fact that he himself considers Joel more amoral than good, is telling news indeed, given that the actor has already finished his performance as the character for The Last of Us 2.
What do you think? Is Joel a hero of The Last of Us' pollinated apocalypse, or more of an antagonist than the cannibalistic David himself? Let us know in the comments, and keep an eye out on GamesRadar+ for all the latest Last of Us news as it arrives.
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