*MAJOR SPOILERS* Finished Last of Us, discuss story, ending and final thoughts

[arcelonious]

Brutalyst said:

 

I do sort of agree with you, even with my argument atleast to some degree, Joel made that choice based on his own desires. By the end of the game, he had lost Tess, had no one in the world left, or a reason to still be in it. Ellie had become his reason to live, the only thing he had left in that worl, and he would die to protect her. I guess my long ass post was just a justification for his decision, but after spending alot of time thinking about it, even if his reasons were possibly wrong, I agree with it :)

I think of it like this:

Remember the soldier/police officer that attempts to kill Joel and Sarah at the beginning of the game?  The officer reluctantly does it for the "greater good" (by attempting to prevent the spread of infection).  In comparison, if Joel had chosen to let Ellie die to potentially help humanity, it would have put in on the same level as that officer that killed his daughter.  When I think of it like that, it makes Joel's decision to save Ellie understandable, human, and realistic.