10 Worst Villains in the Last of Us Franchise | Screen Rant
The Last of Us is set to have a TV adaptation sometime in 2023, and fans are excited to see what the show has to offer, from the distinct settings to the relationship between Ellie and Joel to the many allies the two met along the way.
But one of the most interesting concepts that the show will be adapting happens to be the scariest: the villains. Given the many unique and varied villains that the franchise has to offer, many fans are left scratching their heads to wonder how some of the worst villains in The Last of Us will be adapted.
One of the first villains in the game, Robert is a slimy arms dealer from the Boston QZ. After promising to sell arms to Joel and Tess, Robert instead gave them to the Fireflies and then sent assassins after Tess, before being hunted down and killed by the pair. He was cowardly, arrogant, and an obvious snake, but he was one of the most interesting villains of the early phase of the game.
Just after the death of Sarah, Robert's presence accomplished two things for the series. First, it showcased just how much the franchise would hinge on the human element of villainy, rather than relying solely on the effect of the infected. Second, it gave the player an idea of just how much Joel had changed since Sarah's death — and just how brutal a fighter he would be.
Laying traps, attacking civilians, and attempting to kill children were just a few of the crimes committed by the Pittsburgh hunters. Despite having a vast supply of weapons and materials, the hunters found that life was made easier by attacking passing tourists, rather than attempting to work together with their fellow man.
While far from the most reprehensible of the factions in the game, these were men more than willing to prey on the kindness of strangers, just so they could peel a few meager resources off of their bodies. In most games, it would make them some of the most despicable forces in the franchise. In The Last of Us, they're yet another set of monsters.
In one of the instances where The Last of Us may have gone too far, the Rattlers were some of the worse villains in the series. The Rattlers survived by forcing other human survivors to take care of their needs for them. Those who refused were turned or tied to boards and left out in the sun to die.
Abby's emaciated state after being left to die is a testament to their cruelty. The fact that they would treat a child like Lev the same way is similarly unconscionable. Other factions prove that it is entirely possible to survive The Last of Us without resorting to Rattler-level crimes, and the fact that they resort to it regardless truly showcases their villainy.
Though preaching regularly about a better world, the Seraphites certainly didn't live in one. They regularly engaged in war with the WLF, killing non-combatants and children en masse. They also treated their own poorly. In fact, they ordered the execution of Lev and Yara, simply because Lev refused to marry another Seraphite.
The fact that the Seraphites would torment one of the best video game sidekicks is a crime in itself, but their treatment of the WLF is also appalling. The faction's brutal practices, like breaking the arms of non-believers and sinners, only make their behavior all the more terrifying.
While the game takes painstaking steps to convince players to empathize with Abby, it's undeniable that for a long while, Abby was a stand-out villain. After beating Joel to death with a golf club, it's hard to comprehend how fans could ever come to love her at all.
Abby was a memorable villain who left a significant impact on the series. She avenged her father by ending Ellie's life, causing the most heartbreaking separation in The Last of Us. The fact that she killed Jesse and severely wounded Tommy only made her behavior all the more reprehensible to fans of the series — at least before they came to understand her reasoning.
A faction with the potential to be the saviors of the human race, the Fireflies were arguably among the most disturbing. Driven by a desire to cure humanity of the cordyceps virus, the Fireflies were more than willing to kill a little girl to give themselves a semblance of a chance.
While it may understandable in the face of extinction, it wasn't right. Records showed that there had been other immune survivors, and their deaths hadn't changed anything. By killing so many immune, it was more likely than not that they were just taking the chance of a cure off the table entirely. It's hard to deny that the Fireflies had Joel take part in one of the best escort quests in video games, just so they could help destroy their only hope.
The founders of the Quarantine Zones, the United States military committed several horrendous crimes over the course of the games. After murdering Sarah in the introduction, they hunted down Ellie, proceeded to train child soldiers, and restricted the rights of every civilian living in their QZs.
While the military doesn't have the lasting presence of villains like the Fireflies, their impact on the plot can be felt from the very beginning. By killing Sarah, they set Joel on the path that would see him abandon Boston, journey with Ellie, and eventually destroy humanity's hope for a cure. It certainly doesn't help that the faction strips Joel of the chance to have Tess calm him during his travels.
If Abby was a misunderstood character in The Last of Us Part II, the WLF was not. After being attacked by the Seraphites, the groups began a long and tedious war that led to countless deaths through the years. Eventually, the WLF murdered the prophet of the Seraphites and would later attack their home island, attempting to kill off the entire group.
Between murdering a woman who advocated for peace and slaughtering a wide array of non-combatants, the WLF was reprehensible. Their willingness to torture prisoners was also a testament to how quickly the faction had lost its humanity in the face of war. Their treatment of Lev was also just as despicable as the Seraphites, as they too were willing to kill the boy just for being a former member of the enemy.
Between the clickers, the bloaters, and the Rat King — not to mention the standard-issue runners — The Last of Us has an incredible variety of infected. These creatures started the crisis that spawned the series, and have a great deal of blood on their hands.
Though fighting with the infected is often overshadowed by human conflict, the infected are nevertheless a constant presence. Every conflict, every area, and every faction revolves around them. Each setting is designed specifically with the intention of keeping the infected at bay, and characters are never without the risk of a bite.
By far the worst villain in the franchise, David was a monster. Willing to kill, cage, and cannibalize a little girl who trusted him, David proved to be the most appalling human in either game. It can be hard for many players to forget the horror of sprinting through a diner, trying to escape David while the building burned around Ellie.
The scene in which Ellie kills David is haunting, especially given the fact that Joel is so close but not close enough to get there in time. Players can enjoy every cut alongside Ellie, but the underlying implications are as awful as the attack. David remains a heavy presence on the franchise long after he's gone — a hidden factor driving Ellie further and further into darkness and revenge. It's as tragic as it is fascinating, and it's one reason why many fans remember him as the best villain in the series.