Breaking Down Ellie’s Character From ‘The Last of Us 2’

The Last of Us 2 remains one of the standout action-adventure games to have come out in the 21st century, upholding the lofty standards set by its prequel.

The game is set five years after the events of The Last of Us, with the protagonist Ellie setting out for revenge in the survival-horror game. As the years have passed, her physicality becomes a key part of the gameplay. Ellie is listed at 5’5″ (166 cm) at 19 years old, while she is shown to be 5’3″ (160 cm) at 14/15 years old in flashbacks. The 17-year-old version of the character is approximately 5’4″ (163 cm).

In the sequel, Ellie is depicted as someone who is witty and has a strong character, showing signs of maturing at a very early age due to the circumstances around her. Bogged down by the survivor’s guilt throughout the game, she is shown to become a trigger-happy individual, resorting to violence with zero hesitation. Her occasionally edgy behavior is accentuated by her frequent use of abusive words. While these characteristics somewhat hold her back, her perseverance when her back is against the wall bails her out from the direst of conditions.

The character was created by Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, who drew inspiration from a nonverbal character that was proposed for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The character is portrayed by American actress Ashley Johnson in the video games via motion capture and voice acting, with Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) portraying the TV version in the HBO show. Ellie’s appearance in The Last of Us prompted comparisons with Canadian actor Elliot Page, following which the creators actively made efforts to make the character look younger and improve the design to better accommodate Johnson’s personality and physical features.

The Last of Us 2 is available to play on PS4 and PS5. The second season of the TV series is set to release in 2025, with the first season available to stream on HBO Max, Spectrum on Demand, and Prime Video.