“You know what? No. How about “Hey, Ellie. I know it wasn’t easy, but it was either him or me, thanks for saving my ass.” You got anything like that for me, Joel?”
This is our list of the top 25 female characters of all-time.We’re counting down one by one until we reach the best of the best on Sept. 30.
16) Ellie (The Last of Us) – 2 votes/149 points
Shaun: Some characters made our list because of the feats they accomplished, or their iconic design. For me, Ellie made the list because she’s one of the most fully realized, complex, believable characters to ever be explored in the gaming medium.
Ellie’s not a tough talking badass who has a “bone to pick” with the zombies. She’s not out to save the universe. She’s just a girl trying to survive in this wasteland, who happens to be more important than she ever really wanted or cared to be. She’s also trying to maintain her humanity, which, against the face of the tragedy that keeps knocking at her doorstep, is becoming increasingly harder to do.
I thought the gameplay of The Last of Us was highly mediocre, and Joel, while interesting, wasn’t exactly the most sympathetic character for a good part of the game. What keeps me coming back is Ellie and her story. She is the emotional anchor of what’s considered one of the most emotional games ever, and a shining example of the character exploration possible in gaming.
Chris: We’re going to have to add The Last of Us to the list of “games that are lauded as incredible that I don’t really think are incredible.” Is it good? Yes, and at times it’s very good. But like Grand Theft Auto V, I’m just not seeing this flawless gaming masterpiece that every single player should love.
Luckily, Ellie has nothing to do with this game’s shortcomings. If anything, she was a pleasant surprise. After the game’s extremely depressing prologue, Joel is understandably a shell of his former self. He’s gruff and blunt and extremely unlikely to trust anyone. But Ellie essentially ends up kicking his ass and forcing him to move on. When the two of them are forced to work together, us against the world, it’s the 13-year-old girl who usually flashes the most maturity and determination.
Without spoiling too much, it’s also nice that Ellie has such an important role in the game. Despite all the controversy over The Last of Us’s box art (stupid controversy, I might add), there’s a reason she’s front and center and Joel is a little farther in the background. I wish more games were willing to take those kinds of chances.
Jason: I have yet to finish The Last of Us, so I won’t speak much on Ellie. I will say, however, that I am not surprised to see her on this list. In the hour or so I played the game, she was already the best part of it; and nothing major had even happened yet. And if what I’ve seen/inferred from promotional material from the game is true, Ellie apparently only gets more awesome as the game goes on.
TOP 25 FEMALE CHARACTERS
Introduction/Honorable Mention
Objection Network 