The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann and showrunner of the TV series Craig Mazin have weighed in on Joel's decision at the end of the first game, with both agreeing they would've done the same thing.
In any piece of zombie-inspired fiction, you'll be dealing with characters having to make horrible decisions, whether that be to steal food and supplies from other people trying to survive or to kill an infected companion in order to stop them from becoming a monster. The Last of Us is no different, with Joel and Ellie making a number of rough choices across both games. But one of the biggest is Joel's choice at the end of the first game. As a heads up, we'll be spoiling plot beats from both The Last of Us games here and, by extension, the TV series (including potentially spoiling Season 2 of the show ahead of time), so be aware.
