Warning - This article delves deep into some of the main plot points of The Last of Us and The Last of Us 2.The Last of Us franchise is rife with symbolism. From Ellie's switchblade in The Last of Us to Dina's bracelet in The Last of Us 2, numerous items signify the importance of someone or something to their owners. It turns out that no matter the state of the world, human beings can still be materialistic, including Joel.
Quite possibly the most iconic item of Joel's (apart from his plaid shirts) has to be his broken watch. A gift from his daughter, Sarah, the watch can always be found on Joel's person as soon as Sarah gives it to him. There is a lot of significance behind Joel's watch, so much so that the character continues to wear it well into the events of The Last of Us 2.
A Surprise Birthday Gift And An Unlikely Memento
Joel receives the watch from Sarah during the last few minutes of his birthday. Exhausted from the day's work, Joel collapses into his couch before Sarah presents him with the gift. The watch comes as an obvious shock to Joel. Not only is he surprised that his teenage daughter was able to save up for such an expensive gift, but his work obligations must have caused him to forget his own birthday. With no words to show his appreciation, Joel jokes that the watch is broken before watching TV with Sarah.
This tender moment involving the watch soon takes a dark turn as Joel and Sarah find themselves looking for a way out of their home city of Austin, Texas. The city, now besieged by Infected, has forced its citizens to evacuate to the nearest quarantine zone. Joel and Sarah manage to escape the city, but Sarah is mistaken for an Infected individual and shot by a soldier. Sarah dies, and Joel is left to mourn for his daughter. While the watch briefly symbolized Sarah's love for Joel, it now also serves as a reminder of Joel's survivor's guilt. The watch's broken nature alludes to the joke Joel made about it to his daughter. Now broken himself, Joel is forced to survive the apocalypse without Sarah by his side.
A Reminder of Love
Despite the discomfort it causes him, Joel still holds on to the watch to remember Sarah. There is more to his daughter's memory than just pain and Joel just can't bring himself to let Sarah go. As time goes on, the pain subsides and the watch starts to signify Joel's memory of Sarah as a whole. The watch starts to play a bigger role once Ellie enters the picture. Not one hour into her meeting Joel and she points out that the watch is broken - a comment that causes Joel to scoff. This scene is a reversal of the joke Joel played on Sarah all those years ago; only this time the watch truly is broken.
As Joel and Ellie bond, the former starts to look at the watch more. Joel can be seen glancing at the watch after enjoying the view with Ellie atop a Boston museum. Unbeknownst to Ellie, her presence reminds Joel of Sarah more than the watch ever did. Joel starts to feel like Sarah is still with him, and it is because of Ellie that the guilt that comes with the watch slowly gets replaced by the better feelings he has had with the two girls. Joel continues to wear the watch throughout their journey and in their residence in Jackson, all the way to his inevitable death at Abby's hands.
A Reluctant Heirloom
With Joel gone, the watch passes on to his surrogate daughter, Ellie. Ellie never wears the watch in The Last of Us 2, possibly because it reminds her too much of Joel. The survivor's guilt Joel once had has apparently passed on to Ellie, who has once again been left alone by another person close to her. The watch carries an emotional weight Ellie doesn't want to bear at all times, but she keeps it out of remembrance for Joel. The watch currently remains in Ellie's possession - a reminder of its past owners' lives. There is still a high chance that Ellie will take up the watch in the future, now that she has let her lust for revenge against Abby go. Whatever the case may be, it is safe to say that the watch has had more importance tied to it being broken than it ever did fixed.
The Last of Us Part 1 is available on PlayStation 5. A PC version is in development.