The Last Of Us characters and what their Warhammer 40k army would be

I was playing The Last Of Us Part II the other day and when I wasn’t holding my breath next to clickers or tearing up at the emotional turmoil, I was doing a lot of looting.

On Abby’s second day, I entered an apartment and noticed a familiar sight on one of the tables, Warhammer 40k models. Now they weren’t actually Warhammer 40k models as I’m sure Games Workshop wouldn’t have signed off on that, but they were clearly supposed to be little Space Marines and Orcs. As a Warhammer 40k fan myself, I loved the nod and couldn’t help but laugh at seeing this neat little set-up amidst a crumbling Seattle.

I was playing The Last Of Us Part II in prep for the second season of the HBO series, which will adapt one of the most controversial video games ever into live-action

After finishing my playthrough, I looked back on that moment and had visions of Ellie getting really into the tabletop game if the world hadn't gone to hell and she’d had a normal life. “The Adepta Sororitas,” I thought to myself, also known as the Sisters Of Battle, “That’s the army Ellie would play with.”

Then just for laughs, I started assigning some of the other prominent characters to Warhammer 40k factions, and you can find the results of my quiet Sunday evening below.

Ellie - The Adepta Sororitas

I’ll kick things off by explaining my reasoning for this one. In short, I think Ellie would really vibe with a faction of badass women kicking ass and taking names. The models for the Sisters Of Battle are also very intricate and detailed and I can see Ellie wanting to put a lot of effort into making them look perfect. We know how passionate she can be, and she’s a massive nerd, so it just made sense.

Joel - Salamanders

We love Joel. We see him go from a cold, distanced survivor to a loving adoptive father by the end of The Last Of Us Part I, and while he did some questionable stuff towards the end, I stand by his decision. In The Last Of Us Part II, I enjoyed seeing him take an interest in Ellie’s hobbies and passions, like comic books and her dream of intergalactic travel. It’s for this reason that I think he’d take an interest in Ellie’s hypothetical Warhammer hobby, and he’d go with whichever faction she suggests. In my headcanon, she’d recommend the Salamanders as they’re the kind-hearted space marines that strive to do the right thing whenever possible, often to their own detriment…sounds familiar.

Abby - Orks

This is an easy one, I feel. Orks are insanely strong, some of the physically strongest creatures in Warhammer 40k. Now have you seen Abby’s arms? There’s no doubt in my mind she’d pick a faction as hench as she is, and Orks are definitely the best choice for that.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Dina - Aeldari

Dina gives me Aeldari vibes purely because I think she’d like the aesthetic of them. They’re very elegant and beautiful, with charming designs for their armour, weapons and vehicles. Dina could have gone down the same road as Ellie with the Sisters of Battle but for the sake of making different choices, I think her second pick would be these guys.

Tommy - T’au

I know, I know. Saying Tommy would use T’au sounds like an insult, as they’re often hailed as the most boring faction in the game for their long-distance playstyle. That’s exactly why Tommy would play T’au though. He loves his rifles and after a specific, frustrating, encounter with him in The Last Of Us Part II, I think this is the right choice for him.

Jesse - Chaos Space Marines

I haven’t specified the Chaos faction Jesse would go with, but I think it’d definitely be one of them. We know he doesn’t always like to play by the rules, after all, he ditched Jackson in favour of helping Ellie and Dina in Seattle, with Ellie remarking how he’s not supposed to be there. While he’s not evil in any way like Chaos, I think he’d like them based on aesthetics and also their reluctance to abide by the Imperium.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Owen - Astra Militarum

I don’t like Owen, and I don’t think I ever will. That said, he’s very much a military man and while he could roll with any faction in the Imperium, I think Astra Militarum is a nice fit for him as they’re proper foot soldiers.

Bill - Adeptus Mechanicus

I threw Bill in here just because I like him, and it was pretty obvious which faction he’d go with. The Adeptus Mechanicus are exactly what they sound like, glorified mechanics that pride themselves on creating powerful weapons and technology for the Imperium. Bill loves tinkering and rigging machinery so it’s a match made in heaven, right?

And there we have it, the main Last Of Us cast and their respective factions. This is in an alternate world where Warhammer was in abundance before the apocalypse hit so there’s enough plastic lying around for everyone to get an army.

It was adorable seeing such a noticeable reference to Warhammer in The Last Of Us Part II, and when the second, and third, season of the HBO series roll around, I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled to see if any are slipped into the apartments our protagonists are passing though.