Character Breakdown: Joel

Joel Quick Navigation Links:
Character Breakdown: Joel
The Joel Workout
The Skills of Joel
The Rebirth of Joel

Name: Joel
Game(s): The Last of Us
Skills/Attributes:

• Strong
• Ruthless
• Survivalist
• Brutal Combatant
• Checkered Past
• Protective
• Resourceful

Summary:  Thanks to Redditor ck-pasta for suggesting this week’s character, Joel, from The Last of Us!  Just a warning, there will be spoilers from here on out.  The Last of Us is a fantastic game, and you should really go play it before you dig into the posts, here!  You have been warned!

Joel is a powerful, emotional character in a powerful, emotional game.  The Last of Us is really a hallmark of games as storytelling, worthy of being up there with the best of them.  In my opinion, Naughty Dog has crafter a Game of the Year experience for us, and the relationship between Joel and Ellie is the centerpiece of this fantastic experience.

In The Joel Workout we’re going to look at working out with minimal equipment, while still building a good muscle frame, and a lot of strength.  Joel seemed to be a carpenter in the before times, and his build and strength reflect this years later, even though hard living has made him a leaner, meaner individual.

The Skills of Joel will cover some good survival skills in an apocalyptic situation (coming right on the tails of 6 Healthy Habits for Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse).  We’re going to talk about how to construct your own “bail out bag,” how to care for family members in an “end of the world” scenario, and basic do’s and don’ts in the event of a total societal breakdown.

The Rebirth of Joel is going to delve into Joel’s rather difficult and tortured history.  His story is a moving one, and you experience his losses in a hard, visceral way that draws you into his tortured and checkered past.  Joel has done some terrible things since the Cordyceps plague broke out, and The Last of Us is as much a tale of his own personal redemption as it is a story of his mission and relationship with Ellie.

This is going to be an awesome week, and I’m glad you guys are along for the ride.  Thanks again to ck-pasta for suggesting this on Reddit (btw, if you’re curious, my Reddit name is, of course, DaRatmastah).  We continue tomorroe with The Joel Workout. If you haven’t joined The Champions Guild yet, head on over and sign up now so you can be kept current with what’s going on with the blog!  You’ll also get two free eBooks written by yours truly.  Check it out!

Also, please don’t forget to like the blog on Facebook, and follow on Twitter and Tumblr.  While you’re at it, if you enjoyed this post, please share/retweet it to your friends!    As always, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome.

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace

PS: Bought a shirt, yet?