5 The Last of Us video game characters we’d bring back from the dead (and 3 we wouldn’t)

3. Would bring back: Sam

Very few deaths in The Last of Us are as tragic or impactful as Sam’s. Even if players could sense something was wrong with him a day before his death, it was shocking to see how everything unfolded.

His conversation with Ellie before being turned into a monster was devastating to hear. Sam expressed his fear of being trapped somewhere within his mind and unable to control his body if a clicker ever got to him. He also questioned if people go to heaven before getting infected with the cordyceps fungus, but Ellie and he were quick to reject that concept. It was impossible not to get the idea he felt utterly hopeless and scared. After all, he was just a 14-year-old who was coming to terms with his unfortunate fate. And to make matters worse, it was his own brother, Henry, who had to put him down after being turned into a runner. His death was so devastating that I had to put down the controller for a day before playing the game again. It was rough.

Sam was one of those characters who were “too good” for the world around him. Even if he was forced to do despicable actions due to the horrible reality he was living in, he was only a kid. He just wanted to play with the toys he came across, and The Last of Us TV series even portrayed him as someone obsessed with superheroes.

As a result, Sam and Ellie shared terrific moments where they were allowed to act their age for once. The most remarkable example of that came when they both played in the school area when escaping the sewers. It was a wholesome moment that even made Joel and Henry happy (and that’s quite a feat after you consider everything they went through).

While Sam wasn’t the most ideal partner for battle, we would bring him back to life in a heartbeat. Who knows what would’ve happened if he didn’t get infected? Maybe Elle and he would still be great friends, and above all, Henry would’ve never committed suicide. Speaking of which…