Fans of survival games are no strangers to Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us. Over the years, both fans have been comparing the games for their similarities in the universe, notably the father-and-daughter bonding between the main characters. On The Last of Us, we have Joel and Ellie, while on The Walking Dead, we have Lee and Clementine.
But which protagonist would come out on top, if put to the test? Does Joel have what it takes or will Lee leave him in the dust?
Please be aware that major spoilers are ahead, so you have been warned!
10 Lee: The Walking Dead’s Infected Creatures Aren’t as Deadly
On The Walking Dead, the only infected creature Lee and co. have to worry about is the Walkers, who could be deadly but notoriously weaker than The Last of Us’ Runners. Players can even cut their way through Walkers’ hordes by smearing Walker’s blood all over their body, walking like them, or skinning their skin and wearing them as clothing as camouflage. Even though it’s not always effectively fruitful, it’s still better than nothing.
On The Last of Us’, you have plenty of types of Infected based on their infection stage, and the most notorious one is the ugly, disgusting-looking Rat King. Good luck surviving from that.
9 Joel: He Was a Skillful & Light-Handed Craftsman
Before the Outbreak Day, Joel worked in construction as a carpenter, proven by several copies of Construction Regionalism book that can be found atop his bookshelf during the beginning event of The Last of Us.
He also previously mentioned that he’s ‘desperate’ to keep his job with a constructor, and the guitar he gave to Ellie was a hand-made by himself. That pretty much explains why he’s so good at crafting, and it’s a highly useful skillset to have when you live in such a chaotic and insane world.
8 Lee: Wanted to Protect Clementine from the Start
During your campaign with Lee on the first season of The Walking Dead, you’ll eventually meet 9-year-old Clementine, hiding in her treehouse while waiting for her parents to come home. Lee always had a sense of pity on her, and he made his last days on this world to be Clementine’s guardian and father-figure.
His caring nature is always needed, especially when you lead a pack of survivors. While Joel, on the other hand, saw Ellie as nothing but his ‘cargo’ at first before the two grew a strong bond between.
7 Joel: Better Combat Skill
Joel might never have formal military training like Ellie, but years of working in a construction site before the Outbreak and surviving after the Outbreak must have given him a lethal combat skill. Joel can stealth-kill an enemy throughout the game, grab them from a ladder, curb-stomp them, or even crush their head through a wall.
On the contrary, Lee might be a criminal before the Outbreak for killing a state senator who slept with his wife, but we’ll have to go with Joel for this one in terms of combat skill.
6 Lee: He Led a Pack of Survivors
In the first season, after meeting Clementine, Lee will come across a group of survivors consisted of Kenny, Lilly, Christa, Omid, Duck, Katjaa, and others. He eventually rose up as the group’s co-leader along with Kenny, much until the end of his time. Albeit Lee’s personality is up for the players to decide, he’s generally an insightful, knowledgeable, and dependable leader; hence, many people trust him.
Joel himself is never big on groups. After the Outbreak, he spent nearly 20 years all on his own and not affiliated to any group. If it wasn’t for Ellie settling at Jackson, Joel would probably have become a smuggler again.
5 Joel: He Was Hunter
Grieving from his daughter’s loss, Joel turned 180-degrees from a loving father into a ruthless hunter, something he’d do for over 20 years following the Outbreak. While this might not be a good thing, it definitely has taught Joel numerous valuable experiences dealing with such a chaotic world.
Speaking about the experience, Lee was relatively new to the apocalypse. During the Outbreak Day, Lee was on his way, handcuffed, to be transported to the Meriwether County Correctional Facility. His experience to the new world was slim to none, thus giving him a worse chance of survival.
4 Lee: He Never Had a Fall-Out With Clem
Like we’ve mentioned before, Lee has always been a protective one of a kind. He’s never afraid to go the extra mile to protect anyone he loves, even if it means death or expressing his anger towards Clem. He spent the last days of his life protecting Clem, and he’s never had a fall-out with her.
Meanwhile, Joel and Ellie went through some rocky and not-so-easy path during the last few months of his life. The pinnacle of it all happened the night before he faced his death when Ellie told him that, “I don’t need your f*cking help, Joel.”
3 Joel: Heavily Armed
Sure, Joel was a lone wolf, but he spent the last few years of his life at a civilized community of Jackson, where he served as a regular patrol officer, making him a better option for weaponry than Lee.
Unlike the very limited resource on The Walking Dead, players can choose up to ten weapons on The Last of Us, ranging from a revolver to a shotgun. With the right amount of parts, players can also upgrade their guns and fix its weaker links.
2 Lee: Charismatic Leader
If you’re looking for a charming and caring leader, then Lee is your guy. Joel might have the experience, but Lee has dedicated the last few days of his life leading a group of survivors while protecting Clementine by sacrificing his life. He’s never a selfless person, and just like Joel, he always profoundly cares about his loved ones.
Albeit sometimes his caring nature gets the best of him, Lee always means the best for his people. Later on, Lee passes his leadership to Clem, and she demonstrates it best when she leads a group of troubled kids of Ericson’s Boarding School during the season finale.
1 Joel: Rugged Classic Survivor
So, who’s to choose? Well, if you’re looking for a robust, ruthless, and hell-raising survivor, then Joel is your man. He has every aspect of being a capable survivor: combat skill, bravery, and weaponry are among his best traits.
Both Joel and Lee will never be afraid to go the extra mile for the one they love, but given more than 20 years of experience in a much stricter universe, Joel Miller is not the man to cross against. Although he later died for letting his guard down for a bit, Joel’s name will always belong to one of the best, yet most perplexing video game characters of all time.
