How The Last Of Us Outshines The Walking Dead

When HBO signed on to create a series based on the Playstation classic The Last of Us gaming fans were skeptical. After all, properties based on video games have been a mixed bag. Shows like The Witcher has enjoyed huge success, whereas shows like Resident Evil were canceled in the first season. Luckily for HBO, audiences are hooked on The Last of Us so far proving the “zombie” genre isn’t overdone just yet.

From HBO.com:

After a global pandemic destroys civilization, a hardened survivor takes charge of a 14-year-old girl who may be humanity’s last hope.

Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Wonder Woman 1984) and Bella Ramsey (HBO’s His Dark Materials and Game of Thrones) star as Joel and Ellie. Gabriel Luna (True Detective) as Joel’s younger brother and former soldier, Tommy; Merle Dandridge (The Last of Us video games, The Flight Attendant) as resistance leader Marlene; and Anna Torv (Fringe) as Tess, a smuggler and fellow hardened survivor.

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It goes without saying that the HBO series would draw comparisons to an already established major hit like The Walking Dead. Both share the postapocalyptic survival genre centered on a deadly outbreak that changed the world as we know it. Even though they share a core concept, the two shows couldn’t be more different. A similar tone of survival might be there, but each stands on its own. For instance, The Walking Dead at its core is a show about group survival. Rick and company band together to strengthen their numbers as they try to rebuild society to get back to a sense of normalcy. Their main goal is to hunker down and rebuild or to find a safe haven where they can grow and survive.

The Last of Us focuses more on Joel and Ellie as a centerpiece of their story. Their main goal is to keep moving, keep to themselves, and keep surviving. They’re not looking for a society to settle in. If Ellie is the hope for survival then Joel is protecting her at all costs. But it runs deeper than that. Even though The Walking Dead has favorite connections for the audience, The Last of Us being able to focus solely on Joel and Ellie’s friendship brings more of a connection for the audience.

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The emotional element hits a bit harder in the HBO series. The Walking Dead does a great job of building relationships and the reality of losing those relationships in a postapocalyptic world, whereas The Last of Us forces the two characters to have a disconnect. If Ellie is the solution to the outbreak, then to guarantee her survival Joel is making sure they don’t connect, they don’t get too comfortable, and they don’t want to stay put.

It’s because of their disconnect from society that Ellie and Joel become so close. She knows that he is her protector, she’s safe, and she’s not going to be taken hostage. Joel has his mission and he sticks to it. But Joel also sees a lot of his daughter in Ellie. When his daughter is killed early in the series, he’s obviously crushed. Fast forward to the future, his emotion stirs back up after meeting with Ellie. She’s not just a young girl who he sees as a missed opportunity of spending time with his daughter. His pain and his anger come out as he sees another young victim of the world around her. Just as his daughter, Sarah, didn’t deserve her fate, Ellie will soon be the victim of the same fate if he is no longer there to protect her. It makes their bond and connection run deeper.

Both The Walking Dead and The Last of Us will tug at your heartstrings at times. However, if you’re one of the people who is hesitant to watch the latter, feeling like you’ve seen it before, give it a chance. The show stands on its own and while it shares similarities, the tone and central characters will still bring out the best of the story for you.