The Last of Us 2 is a tragic and depressing game full of heartbreaking moments. While much of the fan art based on the title reflects this darkness, one The Last of Us 2 fan has changed things up by making something heartwarming, giving gamers a look at what could have been.
Apart from Ellie, no character can compete with the popularity of Joel. A key factor in shaping Joel’s rugged-but-likable personality is the death of his daughter Sarah, which happens at the very beginning of the original game. While he eventually finds a new daughter to love in Ellie, Sarah’s death breaks Joel. As shown by the picture of her that he keeps with him in Jackson, he never lets go of her or moves on from his loss.
With Sarah being such an important character despite only having a few minutes of screen time, it makes sense that a fan of The Last of Us would pay tribute to her with some artwork. However, instead of focusing on the twelve-year-old version gamers are familiar with, Instagram user @fjorgust depicted Sarah as an adult. She would he in her mid-30s by the time of The Last of Us 2, and the artist does an excellent job of aging up the Sarah fans are familiar with to keep her recognizable while still showing some differences.
The older version of Joel from The Last of Us 2 can clearly be seen in the image, with the character’s grey hair being instantly recognizable. The smile on his face shows that he is happy to be with his daughter, with Sarah clearly being in a good mood as well. Her short blonde hair is the same style that she had when she was 12, and she wears a dark blue shirt. She also has a nose ring in the gorgeous fan art, adding a bit of personality and giving viewers a chance to better picture what she would be like as an adult.
As seen by the background and the caption from @fjorgust, Joel and Sarah are in Jackson, the fully functioning town run by Tommy. Based on their happy appearances and the safe place where they are living, Joel and Sarah would likely be able to remain together for the rest of their lives. Knowing the fates of both characters makes the image heartbreaking, and it is interesting to imagine what Joel would be like if he had never lost Sarah and had never gotten the chance to meet Ellie.
With another artist imagining an older version of Ellie, the community clearly enjoys thinking about what the cast would be like under different circumstances. Considering that fans will never get to see an official version of an adult Sarah, this artwork is truly special.
The Last of Us 2 is available now on PS4.