The Last of Us has revealed Ellie’s tragic back story and shed light on her friend, Riley. The Last of Us is one of the most beloved games of all-time and it’s largely because of the characters. All of the characters are written in an extremely authentic way and acted in a way that further emphasizes that. It’s a great story on its own, but it would be nothing without its characters. Unfortunately, almost all of these characters are formed by tragedies. Everyone who has played the game or seen the first episode of the show knows the tragedy of Joel, but some may be less familiar with Ellie’s backstory tied to her friend, Riley.
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Who Is Riley?
Before the events of the main story of The Last of Us, Ellie was enrolled in a FEDRA school and had a roommate named Riley (played by Storm Reid). Riley, however, snuck out to join the Fireflies. Despite this, she wanted to give Ellie the night of her life before officially committing to the Fireflies. The two snuck out of the FEDRA dorms to go to a fully powered mall with an arcade and other relics from the era that came before.
While at the mall, Ellie starts to realize she has romantic feelings for Riley that seem to be largely reciprocated. As the two begin to party in a Halloween store, a lone infected in the mall ambushes them. Riley and Elli survive the attack and kill the infected, but they both get bitten as a result. The two process what to do and think of two options: Kill themselves or live out their lives until the infection consumes them. They choose the latter option, which eventually leads to Ellie’s discovery that she is immune.
What Happens to Riley?
The Last of Us Episode 7 doesn’t specifically show what happens to Riley. Instead, it’s implied that Ellie eventually has to kill her best friend after she becomes one of the Infected. The Last of Us doesn’t show this moment outright, but instead, it focuses on Ellie’s own trauma from the event and how it shapes the person that she becomes.
Although Ellie’s also immune to the Cordyceps fungus, Episode 7 also reveals that she couldn’t carry out her final wish with Riley to join the ranks of the Infected together. As such, Ellie feels as if she has been robbed of a rightful death alongside her best friend, which becomes a core component of her character in the future.
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