Best Cutscene Moments in The Last of Us

There were a lot of moments in the game that, whether good or bad, added to the detail of the whole story itself.
The Top Ten
Ellie kills David

Wow. I really felt something during this scene. Ellie was so scared but strong, going into a frenzy. Then, when Joel comes in and she tries to wrestle him off of her because she is still terrified and in shock from what just happened, it hit hard.

When Joel calls her "baby girl," I lost it and started crying. Joel had been so cold to her up until then but was slowly beginning to trust her. This scene is the first time you get some insight into just how much he really cares about her, because he didn't like to show it before. Instead of just saying, "It's okay, get up, you're fine," he holds her face and says, "It's okay, it's me, baby girl," and hugs her.

Joel and Ellie arrive at Tommy's dam

The way the game ends is very interesting, to say the least. Ellie admits that everyone she cared about was lost to the infection, and Joel swears that what he said about others being immune is true, even when it wasn't.

Joel tortures two of David's men

Joel would go this far just to save Ellie. Damn, what a guy.

Henry kills Sam and commits suicide

This moment really added to the intensity and emotional aspect of the story. It got to me a little bit too. It's a shame it happened because I actually liked Henry. It also sucks that he had to kill his infected brother.

Joel kills Ethan
Joel kills Marlene for Ellie's protection

It shifts back and forth between the confrontation and when Joel and Ellie are riding off in a car while he tells her that there are others immune to the fungus.

Tess and Joel kill Robert
Ellie saves Joel from being drowned

He climbs a ladder, gets knocked down, then the guy tries drowning Joel when, out of nowhere, BOOM! Ellie blows his brains out. It's not entirely a cutscene, though. It just shows Ellie holding the gun.

Sarah's death

It really shows what Joel had to go through before the Fireflies and meeting Ellie. He lost his own daughter.

Joel finds Ellie after she runs away

After Ellie takes one of the horses from the dam, Joel and his brother chase her to a house in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, Joel finds Ellie in one of the bedrooms. They have a heart-to-heart discussion where Ellie expresses her upset over Joel wanting her to go with Tommy, saying, "Now don't tell me I'd be better off with someone else, because the truth is I'd just be more scared."

This moment represents a large milestone in character development for Ellie, showing her need for Joel and her true fear of being alone, as first surfaced during her late-night discussion with Sam. However, this cutscene reveals more about Joel too. He responds to her heartfelt speech with coldness and bitterness, explaining that he does not care for her, she is not his problem, and that he is just doing a job. This sets up even bigger development when Joel eventually warms up to Ellie, especially in the "Ellie kills David" cutscene.

The Contenders
Ellie fights her way out of the University while Joel is wounded

This isn't entirely a cutscene either. You're playing as Joel but can't really do anything other than watch as Ellie clears the way. You help her maybe once by using a revolver.

Ellie's first scene
"20 Years Later"
Joel takes Ellie from the surgery room

I guess this ties in with the "Joel kills Marlene" cutscene, but I liked this part especially. You can see how much Joel is conflicting with himself after killing all those Fireflies to save Ellie, really for his own selfish purpose. I'm not saying what he did was right or wrong, but you can see that in the moment he takes Ellie from the hospital bed, he is scared, sad, and confused all at the same time. He knows that he might regret what he does in the future, but he has to do it. This scene gives off so many feelings and thoughts. It's unbelievable.

Joel lies to Ellie

Such a sad scene because, in Joel and Ellie's final exchange before the game ends, not much is said. Ellie tells Joel her story about being bitten and expresses her survivor's guilt. Then Joel lies and swears to her that what he told her about the Fireflies was true, and she accepts it. Not much is said, but this scene was the most powerful scene emotionally in a game I have ever seen. It's the factor of how they say it. You can hear and see so much more than they are actually saying.

Tess' death
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