6 Years Later, Joel's Final Words In The Last Of Us Part 2 Are Truly Chilling

Published Aug 10, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there. Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers. It has officially been six years since the controversial sequel to The Last of Us was released and yet, fans and critics alike are still talking about it to this day. Released back in June 2020, The Last of Us Part II took the gaming sphere by storm thanks to its controversial story beats, and the brutal death of the game's first protagonist. However, with it now being considered one of the greatest video games of all time, it is no wonder that fans have been calling for a third and final installment. In the meantime, fans have been discussing none other than Joel Miller, agreeing that his last words and final moments have made a lasting impact on us as gamers. What Were Joel's Last Words In The Last Of Us Part 2? In the early events of The Last of Us Part 2, Joel is hunted down by Abby and her crew and killed following the murder of her father at Joel's hands back in The Last of Us Part I. It is a shocking and brutal moment, and one that we can all remember quite vividly, and even though the moment was unfortunately leaked ahead of the game's launch, it still made a lasting impact. That being said, it was Joel's last words that many of us did not expect. Rather than ask for forgiveness, or maybe just explain his actions, he instead merely said, "Why don't you say whatever speech you got rehearsed... and get this over with." As beloved as Joel was as a character, there is no denying that he was not a good person. It could be argued that this was due to his circumstances: losing his daughter and having to survive a post-apocalyptic world. As such, he was not afraid to get his hands bloody, especially if it was to protect his loved ones, and the reason Joel killed Abby's father was to protect Ellie after all. At least in his eyes. Joel's Death Reminds Us He'd Have Done It All Over Again When it came down to it, Joel never regretted choosing Ellie over the rest of humanity. He even says this during one of their last conversations on the porch during The Last of Us Part II. To Joel, Ellie was his world, and so, of course, he would choose her. That is ultimately why his final moments did not consist of him begging for forgiveness or explaining his reasoning. He knew that he would do it all over again if it meant saving Ellie, even if that meant her hating him in the process. Again, I am not condoning Joel's actions and in The Last of Us Part I, I left Abby's father and the rest of the doctors alive. However, this was obviously changed in the canon. Nevertheless, Joel went out the only way he knew how: hardened against the world but sure in his love for Ellie, which makes it all the more heartbreaking to know that in his final moments, he thought she was going to be killed too... but let us not think about that! Released June 19, 2020 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs Developer(s) Naughty Dog Publisher(s) Sony Engine Proprietary Cross-Platform Play no Cross Save no Franchise The Last of Us Steam Deck Compatibility yes