The Last of Us Episode 8 Finally Reveals Troy Baker's Character

Episode 8 of The Last of Us has finally revealed Troy Baker's character. For those unfamiliar with The Last of Us video game, Baker is the actor that portrayed Joel in both the original entry and its eventual sequel, The Last of Us Part 2. And while it was known that Baker would be appearing in HBO's version of The Last of Us, it wasn't previously known just who he would be playing. Fortunately, those answers have finally come this evening with the release of Episode 8. 

Who Does Troy Baker Portray in The Last of Us? 

When it was first announced by director Neil Druckmann that Baker would be appearing in the TV adaptation of The Last of Us, it was said that he would be playing a new character in the show. As we have now learned, though, this isn't necessarily true. Baker plays James in HBO's take on The Last of Us. James is one of the allies of David, who is the nefarious leader of a group that protagonists Joel and Ellie end up coming into contact with. 

Compared to the game, James gets far more screen time and depth in HBO's The Last of Us. While James is shown as nothing more than a loyal soldier working under David in the game, the TV series opts to give the character a bit more time to breathe. In doing so, it's suggested that James has some doubts about David's leadership and fears for the direction that things are heading. 

Much like the game, though, James ends up meeting his demise in the same way at the hands of Ellie. When trying to hold down Ellie in an attempt to kill her alongside David, James ends up taking a cleaver to the neck and is unceremoniously killed off. Seeing Baker, who played Joel in the video games, now killed by Ellie in this manner definitely makes for an ironic twist, especially for those who are fans of both the PlayStation entries and this TV series. 

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For more on The Last of Us, be sure to check out The Last of Pods podcast which features weekly breakdowns, reviews, and interviews centered around the ongoing HBO series.