After I suppose of lesbian illustration in video video games, my thoughts goes to the likes of Life is Unusual, Dragon Age, and Mass Impact. However these video video games provide the choice to resolve whether or not your character is homosexual or not. It’s a alternative, in contrast to the polar reverse of sexuality in actual life. What we rarely see in all media is a canon lesbian character, and even once we do, the fiction shifts to the place it might solely be loved by the group it was made for. But, The Last of Us manages to supply a lesbian character that’s so well-written and a romance so plausible—it’s simply regular. And that’s the way it ought to be.
You’ll have observed Ellie and Dina’s relationship lacks affect from pre-existing homosexual tradition. On this setting, their historical past is linked on to Jackson. It’s all they’ve ever recognized. There’s no judgment based mostly on what we’ve seen from this sequence (except for bigot Seth). On this apocalyptic setting all about surviving each day, hardly anybody provides a rattling what your sexuality is.
The Last of Us isn’t an LGBT sport. It’s a post-apocalyptic story that occurs to incorporate a queer character. It’s normalizing these same-sex relationships, each together with a lesbian and homosexual couple (albeit Invoice and Frank’s story was far bigger within the TV present adaptation). What’s essential about video games like The Last of Us is that it exhibits differing types of love. Very similar to Arcane which exhibits the love between a mother or father and little one, sisters, friends-turned-brothers, straight love, and queer love; The Last of Us doesn’t attempt to conceal how actual and mature themes impression everybody, regardless of gender, faith, or tradition.
Warning: Story spoilers for The Last of Us Half II and Season 2 of the TV present are current under.
The Lack of Good Romance in Video Video games
There aren’t many nice portrayals of romance in video video games, interval. There’s Haven, It Takes Two, Uncharted, Last Fantasy, Yakuza, and The Legend of Zelda as the obvious picks, however that’s the place the record just about ends. Most romance in video video games is surface-level, usually suited in the direction of the male gaze customary, or included as backstory and “depth” for a personality’s growth. Sexual relationships are simple to implement in a setting the place somebody would possibly die, because the stakes are elevated when a cherished one is at risk.
As Ellie’s story is about abandonment and revenge, it is smart for there to be a outstanding romantic determine in her life. We noticed the significance of love in each kind for Ellie in Left Behind, the place a platonic relationship shifts into romance, simply for it to finish earlier than it even began. When you might argue this used queer like to make Ellie and TLOU stand out, everyone knows this sequence is loved regardless of Ellie’s sexual orientation—simply take a look at how a lot everybody loves Joel. Why queer love on this occasion works is as a result of TLOU is in no way nearly Ellie.
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Her love story is barely essential when she’s the primary character. It acts as her stakes within the story, the lengths she’s keen to go, and who she wants to consider when obsessing over revenge. Have a look at how this habits modified Abby—her counterpart. When the POV swaps to Abby, we get to see her love story with Owen (or lack thereof as a result of of Abby’s decisions), which is equally as essential as Ellie’s. The literal swap of protagonist/antagonist is there so we are able to deal with how love develops and impacts each characters. It’s additionally there to point out how queer love is strictly the identical as straight love.
What Makes Ellie and Dina’s Relationship So Particular
Not like multiple-choice romance, there’s nuance in Ellie and Dina’s relationship. It’s not there to entertain or please the viewer, however is essential to understanding who Ellie and Dina are as plausible characters. It’s as essential as Joel and Ellie’s father-daughter dynamic, Abby and Lev’s elder sister-younger brother dynamic, or Joel and Tommy’s brother dynamic. The inclusion of Dina being bisexual is wise because it opens the chance for battle, a format that’s utilized in all fiction. Similar to straight love, neither sexuality is introduced up for dialogue. It’s refined in Half II and solely briefly comes up in passing as Joel assumes Ellie is straight years earlier than the occasions of the second sport.
Half II is a drawn-out full circle second of Ellie’s insecurities and fears of being alone coming to fruition. She advised Joel everybody she’s ever cared about has both died or left her. This is able to come true in Half II in a number of situations: Joel and Jesse’s demise, Dina being pregnant with Jesse’s little one, Tommy feeling betrayed, and Dina and J.J. leaving her. Abandonment and management are widespread themes in Ellie’s life.
Ellie and Dina’s romance is simple to grasp but layered, fantastically crafted like each different TLOU relationship. We get subtlety of their affections in the direction of one another at it’s established in Ellie’s journal and Dina’s pursuit on the celebration. Their conversations are pure, with chemistry and banter on fixed present as you discover Seattle and the lookout routes surrounding Jackson. The portrayal of love is proven by their actions, not phrases; like how Dina was keen to danger inhaling spores when Ellie’s fuel masks broke.
The greatest scene that completely illustrates Ellie and Dina’s love for each other is when Ellie returns to the theatre after torturing Nora. It’s a largely silent scene the place their facial expressions and actions speaks for itself. Ellie is unable to take a look at Dina at the same time as Dina takes care of her. It’s an aching scene that exhibits Ellie’s vulnerability. Dina’s contact virtually acts as a launch, validation, and reassurance for Ellie. As a substitute of fearing her, Dina holds her and tells her it’s okay, as a result of she will see Ellie’s remorse. This scene is a reminder for us and Dina that Ellie’s nonetheless in there.
Dina’s priorities of JJ and Ellie (in that order) are proven by Dina defending and calming JJ earlier than consoling Ellie. It’s one other nice solution to present their relationship in a practical gentle, moderately than every thing being sunshine and rainbows, the place nothing else issues however their love for each other. It additionally tells us how Dina is struggling and hurting as a result of of every thing that’s occurred.
Whereas Ellie tries to guard Dina bodily, Dina does the identical emotionally. The first and final time we hear Ellie inform Dina she loves her is when she decides to look for Abby once more. As a queer individual—I’m allowed to say—the phrase love is massively overused locally. So for it to solely be used as soon as on this relationship, tells us how little the pair talk about their emotions, however are conscious of them as a result of of their actions. Ellie’s phrases contradict right here as Dina calls for proof of her love for that is how their relationship has run all alongside.
Ellie and Dina’s relationship is actual as a result of it contains highs and lows all through. Their love for each other is one thing everybody ought to have the ability to relate to. There’s consistency within the relationship because it’s about defending each other and having fun with the time they’ve collectively. It’s about really residing in an undead world the place you may get bit and flip any second. However identical to Abby and Owen, Ellie and Dina couldn’t final as Ellie was misplaced once they obtained collectively, her thoughts purely targeted on exacting revenge. TLOU reminds us that timing is every thing.
Ellie and Dina Really feel Actual
I would like extra relationships like Ellie and Dina’s as a result of they’re actual. We will all hope for a cheerful ending for Ellie and Dina, however that’s not how the world works. Love in video video games is commonly empty or tantalizing. It’s by exhibits like Arcane and video games like The Last of Us that we’re proven sensible portrayals of all sorts of love, which vastly strengthens the content material of the media we’re consuming, because it doesn’t sugar coat something. If Ellie and Dina’s relationship had been excellent, it’d take away from the gut-wrenching story of Half II and reduce the seriousness of the setting and plot.
We want sensible portrayals of love as a result of media can form our notion of how issues are. The excellent love story doesn’t exist, and we shouldn’t be aiming for a fantasy. In any other case, all we’ll ever be is upset. Ellie and Dina don’t get to have a cheerful ending (largely as a result of of the alternatives Ellie made), and that’s okay. Fiction or not, the glad ever after, picture-perfect love doesn’t exist—and as a substitute requires work to keep up. The love story seen in The Last of Us captures simply that, and I would like it to turn out to be the usual.
