The Last of Us Episode 6: Is Joel dead?

Did Joel die in The Last of Us Episode 6? In the closing moments of the latest episode, Joel laid bleeding out in the snow, but is he dead?

In our review, we said “Episode 6 is a moving testament to the story’s pathos and tenderness, seamlessly adapted from game to screen; you will believe in Joel and Ellie.”

After the trauma of Henry and Sam, Joel and Ellie trudge through the frosty wilderness of Wyoming and find Tommy, now living in a commune with Maria. They have electricity, food, hot water, a school, and more; the works.

Joel manages to overcome his fears and continue his journey with Ellie, taking her to Colorado on horseback to find the Fireflies. By the time they arrive, they’ve all left… apart from raiders.

Did Joel die in The Last of Us Episode 6?

Relax, everyone: Joel is definitely not dead after The Last of Us Episode 6. We’ve still got three episodes of Season 1 left, and he’s expected to play a major role in the rest of the story, so he’ll be up on his feet soon.

They’re attacked soon after reaching the University of Colorado. After searching empty classrooms and seeing some wild monkeys scurry around, they find a map that reveals the Fireflies left to go to Salt Lake City (more specifically, St Mary’s Hospital).

HBO

In that moment, they hear a group of men outside. Joel and Ellie immediately make a move, albeit quietly, but one of the raiders catches them as they’re about to flee.

Joel manages to overpower him in a fight, but he’s stabbed in the scuffle. Somehow, he gets back on the horse and gets him and Ellie to safety – if your definition of safety is lying in the snow in the middle of nowhere, bleeding out with no help in sight.

“I can’t do this without you,” Ellie mutters in panic, and the episode ends. Our prediction: Ellie will get Joel to a cabin or house somewhere to heal up, and we’ll meet David over the course of the next couple of episodes. The main thing to know, though, is that Joel is definitely alive.

The Last of Us Episode 7 will be available to stream on February 26 in the US and February 27 in the UK. Check out the rest of our coverage here and the trailer for the weeks ahead here.