Several people are speculating about Ellie’s sexual orientation in The Last of Us and how her love interests might change from those in the video game after episode seven of the popular HBO video game adaptation aired on Sunday, February 26, 2023.
The Last of Us takes place 20 years after a terrible outbreak that largely wiped out humans. The parasitic fungus that causes the illness, called Cordyceps, quickly takes control of the host’s body and mind. They transform into “the infected,” horrifyingly deformed and violent creatures.
A seasoned survivor named Joel (Pedro Pascal) is paid to transport 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a restrictive quarantine zone. A simple task quickly turns into a hard and tragic trip as they both travel across the Nation and rely on one another to survive. Ellie, who was born after the pandemic, has no knowledge of a world outside of what she experiences with Riley in episode seven.
Is Ellie Gay in The Last of Us?
Yes, Ellie is gay in The Last of Us game and TV show. She appears in the game alongside Riley in the Left Behind DLC and with Dina in The Last of Us: Part 2. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, it’s likely that Season 2 will feature Dina.
Craig Mazin, the show’s co-creator, received a tweet from a fan saying: “Y’all better keep the gay. Please and thanks. Please don’t remove that representation. Well, I’m incredibly eager for this! You have my word, he said.
Mazin and Neil Druckmann discussed how Ellie and Riley’s genuine emotions become apparent as they tour the mall, notably as they stand in front of Victoria’s Secret store, in the most recent edition of The Last of Us podcast.
These females are very attracted to one another, but they are too shy to express it, according to Druckmann.
“These two girls are both gay, and they both find their sexuality to be both perplexing and frightening. To remind everyone, the world in our show ends in 2003,” continued Mazin.
“The cultural revolution that would have led us to accept homosexuality and other non-heteronormative sexualities hasn’t happened… Such a thing is still considered to be “problematic” in this world.
Mazin remarked of their kiss, “It’s just like the game… and that, in my opinion, is not a terrible thing. That was amazing in the game, and it is perfect here, therefore I think it’s wonderful.
While Ellie’s romance with Riley is only skimmed over in the Left Behind DLC, it is extensively explored in the second complete game in the series.
Five years after the events of the first game, in the primary plot of The Last Of Us Part II, we find a 19-year-old Ellie just starting her relationship with Dina, another Jackson resident who may have made an unintentional cameo in episode 6 of the HBO series.
Ellie attends a party at the Jackson village church the evening before the main plot starts, where she dances with Dina before the two of them have a kiss. Ellie and Dina’s connection deepens throughout the game as they negotiate Seattle’s perils while on their vengeance mission.
But, Ellie’s love affair with Dina isn’t her only romance; during Part II, it’s revealed that when she was 17 years old, Ellie also had a brief relationship with a different girl named Cat. Ellie had the tattoo on her arm from Jackson-based artist Cat in order to help conceal the scars left by the bite mark.
In the meantime, check out our The Last of Us TV series cast, and our guides explaining Hunters and Bloaters.
