The Last of Us Part 1 Finale Question Definitively Answered by Series Creator, Upending Years of Fan Debate

The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann has answered a cardinal instrumentality question down the archetypal game's memorable finale, and revealed accusation that has affected immoderate fans' views of Joel's large motivation prime — and near different saying they'd person prefered not knowing.

Warning! Spoilers for The Last of Us Part 1 follow.

Joel's determination to prevention Ellie, oregon rather, to execution a load of doctors who were readying to usage Ellie's immunity to make a cure that could person saved mankind, has ever been shrouded successful a level of ambiguity.

Within the archetypal game, arsenic good arsenic The Last of Us' HBO TV adaptation, it was ne'er explicitly confirmed whether a cure could really person been possible, and if so, whether it really would person worked.

Because of this, Joel's actions tin beryllium seen done the lens of him redeeming idiosyncratic helium knows volition dice arsenic portion of the process — idiosyncratic helium present thinks of arsenic his daughter, aft his existent girl died — for conscionable the accidental of a cure.

However, Druckmann has present revealed that the cure would have really worked — upending years of instrumentality statement implicit what Joel should person done.

"Could the Fireflies marque a cure?" Druckmann said, speaking arsenic portion of the Sacred Symbols podcast. "Our intent was yes they could.

"Now, is our subject a small shaky that present radical are present questioning it? Sure. Our subject is simply a small shaky and radical are present questioning it. I can't accidental anything. I tin accidental our intent was that they would person made a cure. That makes the astir absorbing philosophical question for what Joel does."

Reaction to Druckmann's revelation has been mixed, with immoderate fans who already assumed this not seeming bothered by the reveal, portion others who assumed the other abruptly having to reconcile their presumption of Joel's actions successful a caller light.

"Maaan Neil truly needs to stop," 1 instrumentality wrote successful effect via forum ResetEra. "Feels similar he's stripping distant what's near of the nuance with those latest comments connected the story."

Some fans highlighted the information that the crippled deliberately portrayed the cure process arsenic shaky, with the pb doc a veterinarian moving successful a run-down infirmary with nary existent means to manufacture a cure shown connected screen.

"Death of the writer applies here, I don't truly attraction what helium has to accidental if it's not successful the archetypal game/text," different instrumentality wrote. "It's intelligibly expected to beryllium ambiguous and it's staying that mode for me."

In March, showrunner Craig Mazin and Druckmann answered the question of whether oregon not Joel was close to prevention Ellie, offering differing opinions to IGN. “I judge Joel was right,” Druckmann said. “If I were successful Joel's position, I anticipation I would beryllium capable to bash what helium did to prevention my daughter.”

“That's truthful interesting, due to the fact that I deliberation that if I were successful Joel's position, I astir apt would person done what helium did,” Mazin said. “But I'd similar to deliberation that I wouldn't. That's the absorbing propulsion and propulsion of the morality of it. And that's wherefore the ending of the archetypal crippled is truthful provocative and truthful wonderful. It conscionable doesn't fto you disconnected the hook arsenic a player.”

In the Sacred Symbols interview, Druckmann reiterated that HBO's The Last of Us' TV adaptation presently has either 1 oregon 2 seasons left, depending connected what is champion to archer the franchise's remaining story.

As it stands, however, the TV adaptation volition not proceed the franchise's communicative beyond the events of The Last of Us Part 2.

Could determination ever beryllium a The Last of Us Part 3 game? On this, Druckmann mostly repeated what helium has said already connected the taxable — that it volition trust connected him having a bully capable idea.

"It's important for maine that everything is of precocious quality. I don't conscionable privation to marque a batch of it," Druckmann said. "I conscionable privation to beryllium precise thoughtful of everything we make.

"If we were ever to travel backmost to it, I privation to marque definite it's a communicative worthy of The Last of Us. I emotion that world, I emotion these characters. With the close oppurtunity, with the close idea, I would wholly leap in."

For now, Druckmann is engaged moving connected Naughty Dog's caller sci-fi crippled Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The developer besides has a 2nd task successful production, connected which Druckmann is taking a much hands-off role.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social