What Happened To Ellie's Parents In The Last Of Us

Ellie's childhood was far from normal in The Last of Us, and although Joel stepped up as a father figure when she got older, she never got the chance to meet her real parents. Despite The Last of Us' horrifying post-apocalyptic setting, season 1's story was all about the emotional bond between Joel and Ellie, as the duo formed an unbreakable connection that closely resembled a father-daughter relationship. They may have taken a while to properly get along, but Joel heavily influenced his adopted daughter, with Ellie looking destined to inherit his dark traits in season 2.

In addition to Joel having a big impact on her life, it looks like HBO could explore her mother figure in more depth than the source material, as season 2 has teased Ellie and Marie's relationship getting more screen time. Their dynamic may show how much Ellie is influenced by those around her, partly because she didn't have proper parental figures during her younger years, and it's not entirely clear who raised her. However, one thing we know for sure is that her parents weren't part of her life, but TLOU has provided some details about what happened to them.

Ellie's Mother Anna Died Shortly After Giving Birth

Marlene Killed Anna After She Was Infected & Took Ellie Somewhere Safe

In the source material, The Last of Us alludes to the fact that Ellie's mother died shortly after childbirth, something that the HBO adaptation expands on in more detail. After getting infected shortly before giving birth, Anna manages to make it inside a building and fights off a zombie moments before Ellie is born. While she successfully delivers her daughter despite being all alone, Marlene eventually arrives to see Anna holding Ellie before spotting her infection. Marlene initially refuses to kill her friend, but she eventually fulfills Anna's wishes, shooting her in the head before taking Ellie to safety.

Although not too much is known about her life outside the brief scenes in The Last of Us, Anna's association with Marlene indicates she was a firefly, and the fact she was bitten just before giving birth to Ellie may explain her daughter's immunity. While it's unclear if Ashley Johnson will have another appearance as Anna in season 2 - despite being one of a handful of actors to appear in both The Last of Us TV show and the video game - it would certainly be great to learn a little bit more about the character.

The TV series makes it clear Anna is the one who named Ellie, while the source material highlights that she wrote her daughter a letter before dying, encouraging her to stay strong. Between the video game and the TV adaptation, there doesn't seem to be too many differences with Anna's story other than HBO actually showing the events of Ellie's birth, but it would still be interesting to find out more information about her, especially since it could solve the mystery of Ellie's father.

Ellie's Father Is Unknown In The Last Of Us

Neither HBO Or Naughty Dog Have Offered Much Insight Into What Happened To Ellie's Dad

While HBO's The Last of Us adaptation expanded on many aspects of the game, it kept Ellie's father a mystery. It can be assumed that he was from the same community as Anna and was also a firefly, but this remains speculation, as neither Naughty Dog nor HBO have offered any insight into who Ellie's dad is, or what fate he suffered. Perhaps this was an intentional detail to make Joel feel even more special, since he became Ellie's father figure, protecting her from danger and making some incredibly tough decisions to ensure her safety.

When the fireflies found out Ellie was immune, they believed she could be the cure to the cordyceps, which is when Joel is tasked with smuggling across the city. Although this was initially just a job for Joel, he slowly became attached to Ellie and saw aspects of his own daughter in her, hence doing whatever it took to keep her alive. Even after finally delivering Ellie to the fireflies, Joel's massacre in The Last of Us season 1 proved he was willing to put her life above a potential cure, making him the closest thing to Ellie's father.

As An Orphan, Ellie Grew Up In Boston's Quarantine Zone

Marlene Looked Out For Ellie From Afar During Her Childhood

Marlene tried to give Ellie as normal of a childhood as possible, as The Last of Us protagonist grew up inside a Boston quarantine zone. Being born during the apocalypse meant Ellie was never going to be able to have a regular upbringing, but she was at least raised in safe conditions. Although Marlene kept an eye on her from afar, The Last of Us never really makes it clear who raised Ellie, as she doesn't seem to reference anyone as a parental figure, but she likely had numerous volunteers taking care of her, even during her military school days.

However, the Boston quarantine zone never provided Ellie with the same kind of love and affection that Joel eventually did during their time together. Ellie also shared a friendship with Riley that briefly turned romantic in The Last of Us while they lived in Boston, but Riley sadly died after being bitten by an infected. This undoubtedly took a toll on Ellie, who felt alone after losing the person closest to her, making her bond with Joel even more special, as he essentially became her unofficial guardian while attempting to help her safely travel across the city.

Growing up as an orphan clearly made Ellie's childhood even harder than other children being raised in the apocalypse, but with Joel stepping up and embracing her flaws, it set up one of the most compelling father-daughter bonds in modern media, even though the two aren't related in The Last of Us.