Joel (The Last of Us)

Joel Miller
The Last of Us character
Joel as he appears in the first game
First appearance	The Last of Us (2013)
Created by	Neil Druckmann
Portrayed by	Troy Baker (video games) Pedro Pascal (TV series)
In-universe information
Children	Sarah (daughter, deceased)
Relatives	Tommy (brother) Maria (sister-in-law)
Origin	Austin, Texas, U.S.

Joel Miller is a character in the video game series The Last of Us by Naughty Dog. In the games, he is portrayed by Troy Baker through motion capture and voice acting; in the television adaptation, he is portrayed by Pedro Pascal. In the first game, The Last of Us (2013), Joel serves as the main protagonist and is tasked with escorting the young Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure for an infection to which Ellie is immune. He also appears briefly in the downloadable content campaign The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014). Joel is killed in The Last of Us Part II (2020) by a woman named Abby, whose father he had killed in the first game, prompting Ellie to seek revenge.

Joel was created by Neil Druckmann, the creative director and writer of The Last of Us. The character's casting was extensive, as his relationship with Ellie was imperative to the game; it was the central focus of the first game's development, with all other elements developed around it. Baker inspired aspects of Joel's personality, making the character more emotional than initially pitched. Druckmann wanted players, especially parents, to relate to Joel through his bonding with Ellie. He considered the character morally complex. For Part II, Druckmann felt that Joel's character arc was complete after the original, and his death was a core part of the game's development.

The character has been well-received by critics, including his chemistry with Ellie and the likability and complexity of the character. Baker's performance in both games was highly praised and received numerous awards and nominations. Pascal's performance in the television series was similarly praised and awarded.