Roughly 13 years after its original release, The Last of Us still gets brought up in conversations. Gaming communities on Reddit praise it as one of the best-written video games. Many also applaud the game’s story execution. And it has over 200 Game of the Year awards to show for it. Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic adventure has plenty of brutal fights and terrifying infected. But it’s the dialogue that paves the way for the game’s emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters. The Last of Us knows when to keep moments light and when to let heavy-hitting lines carry weight that drives what’s happening.
What follows is my pick of the top quotes from The Last of Us. Lines that aren’t just from video game characters speaking, but from people slowly figuring out how to move forward after the world took everything from them.
The Story of The Last of Us
The Last of Us takes place twenty years after a mutated Cordyceps infection devastated the population. Joel is hired to smuggle Ellie, a teenage girl immune to the infection. What begins as a job slowly turns into something neither of them expected.
You might assume it’s a typical survival story. But it’s more than that. The Last of Us is about what people are willing to survive for. Characters aren’t really portrayed as traditional heroes. They’re flawed people living in an awful world. Raider ambushes. Cannibal camps. Flooded buildings. Areas overrun by the infected.
The real story is about grief, love, loneliness, and the lengths people will go to protect someone they care about. Each character is trying to find something that makes staying alive worthwhile. That gives the game’s dialogue so much weight because it builds toward the choice waiting at the end.
Quotes from The Last of Us Characters
Here are some of the prominent characters from the game, along with their memorable lines:
Joel Miller
Joel Miller was once a caring father. But losing his daughter Sarah turned him into a ruthless and pessimistic smuggler. After the suffering he endured, Joel has become willing to cross moral lines when survival is at stake. Players know him as the playable protagonist who isn’t fond of wasting words.
- “I struggled for a long time with survivin’. And you — no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.”
- “It’s called luck.”
- “And just so we’re clear about back there… It was either him or me.”
- “You wanna know the best thing about my job? I don’t gotta know why. Be honest with you, I could give two shits what you’re up to.”
- “Tommy saw the world one way; I saw the other.”
- “You have no idea what loss is.”
- “You’re right. You’re not my daughter, and I sure as hell ain’t your dad. And we are going our separate ways.”
- “It’s called luck, and it is gonna run out.”
- “Do you even realize what your life means? Huh? Running off like that, putting yourself at risk — it’s pretty goddamn stupid.”
- “It is over, Tess!”
Ellie Williams
Ellie Williams is the complete opposite of Joel when it comes to talking. Having been raised in a world with no filter, her upbringing made her foul-mouthed and impulsive. She makes the journey feel less miserable, but she’s also afraid of losing the people she cares about.
- “Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me. Everyone — f*cking except for you!”
- “After all we’ve been through. Everything that I’ve done. It can’t be for nothing.”
- “I’m scared of ending up alone.”
- “Tell them that… Ellie is the little girl… that broke your fucking finger!”
- “To the edge of the universe and back. Endure and survive.”
- “Admit that you wanted to get rid of me the whole time.”
- “Well, I guess we’re both disappointed with each other then.”
- “Swear to me. Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true.”
Tess Servopoulos
Tess Servopoulos is a notable supporting character in The Last of Us. She’s the smuggling partner of Joel. Ruthless, practical, and often feared in the Boston Zone. Despite her tough exterior, she’s kinder to Ellie and pushed Joel to take her seriously.
- “Guess what, we’re shitty people, Joel. It’s been that way for a long time.”
- “I’m… I’m not going anywhere. This is my last stop.”
- “Our luck had to run out sooner or later.”
The Rest of the Survivors in The Last of Us
- “It’s the normal people that scare me.” – Bill
- “We only take what we have to.” – Sam
- “I get it. But whatever it is you think you’re going through right now is nothing compared to what I have been through.” – Marlene
- “I believe that everything happens for a reason.” – David
Lighter moments in The Last of Us
- “Man, I shot the hell out of that guy, huh?”
- “You know, for what it’s worth, I’m really glad we spotted you.”
- “You got f*cking old.”
These dialogues show how they still try to find reasons to laugh, trust someone, and keep moving forward. All beneath the violence and tragedy that The Last of Us carries.
