In Episode 3 of HBO’s The Last of Us, titled “Long, Long Time,” audiences are introduced to the characters of Bill and Frank, a queer couple living out their days in the town of Lincoln, years after the cordyceps pandemic decimated the population. This episode, besides being one of the most critically acclaimed of the series, also marks the biggest departure from the original game, changing many aspects of this particular chapter in the source material. With such drastic changes, especially when it comes to Bill and Frank’s relationship, some are left asking if Bill was really gay in The Last of Us video game.
Developed in the early 2010s and released in 2013, The Last of Us was created before a time when discussions about representation were within the popular consciousness. In episode 2 of The Last of Us – The Official Podcast, “Summer Part 2,” game director Neil Druckmann confesses that he wasn’t thinking about representation when he created the character of Bill and that Frank was conceived as a “best friend.” It was the voice actor for Bill, W. Earl Brown, who infused queerness into the character post-script after Druckmann allowed him to define their relationship at a table read.
Bill’s queerness, then, is far more subtextual in the game than in the show, but is nonetheless still present in the game and remains an important part of his character. The biggest hints towards Bill being a gay man are his relationship to Frank and a certain magazine that Ellie steals from his stash in the church basement, both of which can be missed by players not engaging in optional content or not paying close enough attention.
One clue hinting towards Bill and Frank’s queer relationship is highlighted towards the end of the Bill’s Town chapter in The Last of Us (2013), where Ellie, Joel, and Bill come across Frank’s body in an abandoned house.
Here, Bill refers to him as his “partner,” and though he feigns not caring, the tears in his eyes suggest otherwise. After the cutscene, Joel can find a letter from Frank in the adjacent bedroom that gives insight into their relationship. Though this note can be read from the perspective of an old friend, it makes more sense coming from a lover tired of their partner’s “set-in-ways.” Players can also give this note to Bill in an optional conversation and hear more of the sadness behind Bill’s harsh words in W. Earl Brown’s terrific performance.
Shortly after the Bill’s Town chapter in-game, Ellie and Joel are on the road to Tommy’s when Ellie pulls out the magazine she stole from Bill’s stash. Though players are never given a good look at the thing, from the front cover and the way the pair talk about it, it’s clear that this is an adult magazine containing pictures of nude and scantily clad men, giving players the biggest clue to Bill’s sexual identity.
So, though Bill is a queer character in The Last of Us video game, the evidence is open to interpretation and relies on players reading into the characters' tone to extrapolate the full meaning of Bill and Frank’s relationship. With the larger scope of the HBO show, smaller characters like Bill and Frank are given more time, allowing the writers to make more explicit changes to The Last of Us and, in the case of Neil Druckmann, approach the text with a greater emphasis on positive queer representation.
The Last of Us Part 1 is currently exclusive to PS5 and is coming to PC on March 3, 2023. HBO's The Last of Us is available to stream on HBO Max.