Critics praised ‘s (left) performance as Ellie in the and ‘s (right) in . Both received awards and nominations.
Video:
Ellie is a character in the video game series by . She is portrayed by through and ; in the , she is portrayed by . In the first game, (2013), is tasked with escorting a 14-year-old Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a cure for an infection to which Ellie is immune. While players briefly assume control of Ellie, the primarily controls her actions. Ellie reappeared as the playable character in the prequel , in which she spends time with her friend . In (2020), players control a 19-year-old Ellie as she seeks revenge on .
Ellie was created by and , the directors of . Inspired by a character proposed for , they created her as a who has a close relationship with Joel; throughout , the relationship between Ellie and Joel was the central focus. Johnson inspired aspects of Ellie’s personality, prompting Druckmann to make her more active in fighting hostile enemies. Following comparisons to the likeness of Canadian actor , Naughty Dog redesigned Ellie’s appearance to better reflect Johnson’s personality and make her younger. For her performance in , Johnson considered her own experiences with anxiety and researched the effects of .
The character has been well received by critics, with Ellie’s relationship with Joel most frequently the subject of praise. The strength and complexity of her character, and its subversion of the stereotype, have also been commended. A scene in which Ellie and Riley kiss in drew social commentary and was commended as a leap for . Johnson’s performance in was praised for her depiction of vulnerability and suffering. Both the character and performance received numerous , and have regularly placed favorably in polls and lists. Ramsey’s performance in the television series has been similarly praised.
The concept for Ellie began with an unused idea for (2009). and , directors of (2013), conceived a sequence with a female character who would accompany protagonist ; Druckmann felt this would create a “beautiful” relationship through gameplay alone. An early alternative name for the character was Lily; Druckmann chose Ellie as he had considered the name for his daughter. Druckmann, who wrote , designed Ellie as a counterpart to , the main playable character. She was also intended to demonstrate that a character bond could be created entirely through gameplay. Druckmann described the game as a story for Ellie, in which she adopts the qualities of a survivor.
