<P> When designing Joel 's physical appearance , the team tried to make him look `` flexible enough '' to allow for him to appear as both a `` ruthless operator in the underground of a quarantined city '' as well as a `` caring father figure to Ellie '' . His appearance was aimed to evoke `` rural Americana '' , referencing values of self - reliance and ingenuity when facing hardship and deprivation . When writing the character of Joel , Druckmann initially took inspiration from Josh Brolin 's portrayal of Llewelyn Moss in No Country for Old Men ( 2007 ) , which he saw as `` very quiet , very cool under pressure '' . However , Baker 's interpretation of Joel as a more emotional person evolved the character in a different way . Ultimately , the narrative became an exploration of how willing a father is to save a child ; initially , Joel is willing to sacrifice himself , before evolving where he is willing to sacrifice his friends , until finally feeling that he would sacrifice all of humanity in order to save Ellie . </P>
who is joel based on the last of us
Josh Brolin 's portrayal of Llewelyn Moss in No Country for Old Men