How old are Ellie and Joel in ‘The Last of Us?’

One of the gaming world’s most popular stories is playing out via a whole new medium on HBO.

The live action adaptation of The Last of Us is already garnering high praise, and collects droves of new fans with each weekly episode. The series follows cynical smuggler Joel and the teenaged Ellie, who he’s tasked with transporting across a post-apocalyptic U.S. The story through Naughty Dog’s incredible Last of Us series examines the wide-reaching impacts of loss and grief, and hinges itself on its flawed and deeply human characters. 

Ellie and Joel’s ages aren’t a major factor in the Last of Us story, but people can’t help but wonder. Joel seems to be in his 40s or 50s by the time the game takes place, and Ellie is clearly identified as a young teen, but how old are they really?

Ellie and Joel’s ages in The Last of Us, explained

The vast majority of The Last of Us story takes place 20 years after the initial Cordyceps outbreak. An indication of Joel’s general age is included in the original game, and seemingly confirmed in HBO’s adaptation of the story. Joel reveals, during his birthday celebration with Sarah, that he has just turned 36 at the outset of the Cordyceps infection. Given the story’s quick 20-year time jump, that places Joel at a comfortable 56 for the majority of the Last of Us story on HBO. 

In the video game, Joel is a few years younger than his television character, but it’s not enough of a difference to really matter. Joel is 32 before the outbreak, in the Last of Us video game, which puts him in his early 50s for the majority of the story. 

Ellie, meanwhile, wasn’t born until long after the Cordyceps virus ravaged our world. She’s a well-documented 14 through the first Last of Us title, and her age remains the same in the televised adaptation. 

Ellie and Joel’s ages in Part II, explained

The Last of Us Part II jumps several years into the future, and shifts its characters ages up in the process. The story in Part II takes place four years after the conclusion of The Last of Us, which gives a clear indication of how old Ellie and Joel are in the second main title. 

Joel is a cozy 56 during The Last of Us Part II, following a handful of peaceful years in Jackson. In the HBO adaptation, the minor shift in age should see him clocking in at right around 60. Ellie, whose age remains the same in both the games and the adaptation, has left the majority of her teenage years behind in Part II. She’s 19 through the game’s story, just a year—or so—younger than the title’s second protagonist, Abby.