The Last of Us series
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
- Year: 2013 - 2020
- Genre: Shooter Adventure
- Platform/s: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
The Last of Us has mixed reviews regarding how it approaches representation. Some have praised its straightforward representation of Bill's sexuality, and the organic and natural exploration of Ellie's sexuality, while others feel that the game's representation borrows from damaging tropes. Regardless, debates surrounding whether Ellie's relationship with Riley in the Left Behind DLC is platonic or not can be put to rest after Neil Druckmann's responses to a Reddit AMA (which is discussed here). Druckmann confirms that Ellie and Riley's relationship was intended to be non-platonic and that the voice actors knew this when recording dialogue, which influenced their performances.
Ellie is confirmed to be an out lesbian in the sequel, The Last Of Us Part II, in which she shares a relationship with Dina, who was previously in a relationship with a man. There is also a character, Lev, who is a trans man, who has a largely positive relationship with one of the game's protagonists. This representation is problematic, however, as Lev is at times referred to by his deadname by other NPCs.