Main Protagonists and Their Voice Actors
Joel Miller is the primary playable character in The Last of Us Remastered, portrayed by Troy Baker. Ellie, the central companion, is voiced by Ashley Johnson. The remastered version preserves the original motion capture and voice performances from the 2013 release while upgrading textures, lighting, and rendering resolution for modern hardware.
The remaster was developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released on the PlayStation 4 platform and later made available on PlayStation 5 through backward compatibility. The game remains a reference title for character-driven narrative design in action-adventure gaming.
Supporting Cast and Factions
Key supporting characters include Tess, voiced by Annie Wersching, and Bill, voiced by W. Earl Brown. The Fireflies, led by Marlene (voiced by Merle Dandridge), serve as the primary antagonistic faction driving the plot. The remastered build retains the original script and character animations while enhancing environmental detail and character model clarity.
The game's character roster includes members of the Hunters, the Clickers, and the Stalkers, all infected humans transformed by the Cordyceps fungus. The remaster's updated character shading and shadow techniques improve visibility during stealth sequences. Naughty Dog's design documentation emphasizes realistic facial motion capture for all major roles.
Character Impact on Story and Reception
Joel and Ellie's relationship forms the core narrative arc, focusing on themes of survival, sacrifice, and parental bonds. The remastered release maintains the original story beats, dialogue, and character development pacing without narrative alterations.
Critics have highlighted the character performances as a benchmark for the industry. The game received high aggregate scores and remains a top seller on PlayStation platforms. The Last of Us Remastered is frequently cited in lists of best story-driven games by outlets such as Forbes and IGN.