Content Warning: This article comprises spoilers for the exhibits The Last of Us and The Walking Dead.Andrew Lincoln portrayed Rick Grimes for 9 seasons of The Walking Dead, and his character skilled all the things from falling right into a coma to biting a human enemy like a zombie to saying goodbye to his solely son. Pedro Pascal extra just lately took on the beloved position of Joel Miller on The Last of Us, off on a cross-country journey with a teenage lady in the course of a fungal outbreak.
Whether on their TV exhibits or of their respective video video games, these two characters have at all times resembled one another with their burly, southern appearances and no-crap attitudes, however the two starring characters have a lot extra in widespread.
1 They’re Both the Leading Man
Both exhibits host an ensemble forged of characters, however for Rick and Joel, they every get the consideration of being the main man, respectively. Rick actually led a rising group of survivors for almost all of his 9 seasons on TWD, unintentionally turning into their chief till his disappearance.
On a present the place most characters appear to come back and go, enjoying integral elements of the story till they meet their ends, Joel Miller stays the main man on TLoU subsequent to his teenage sidekick Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who he rescues identical to Rick typically rescued his folks.
2 They Both Lost Their Children
Whether it was earlier than or in the course of the apocalypse, being a dad was each Rick’s and Joel’s goal, they usually each misplaced their firstborns in devastating methods. It was arguably one of many saddest episodes of TWD when Carl (Chandler Riggs) stated goodbye to his father simply earlier than succumbing to his walker chew in Season 8.
Joel had an equally traumatic expertise together with his daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker), simply because the an infection started to unfold. While attempting to get out of city and get Sarah to security, an officer shot at them, lacking Joel however capturing Sarah, who ultimately died in her father’s arms in TLoU‘s collection premiere.
3 They’re Both Southern
An apparent similarity, however one price noting, is the very fact each Rick and Joel are Southern. Whether an intentional choice or a random coincidence, the 2 characters bear comparable Southern accents regardless of neither of their portrayers initially being from the South – Lincoln coming from England and Pascal being born in Chile.
Rick appears to be a born and raised Atlantan, waking up in a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia in the course of the apocalypse and persevering with to journey by way of southern states together with his group till they attain Virginia, whereas Joel was initially from Texas earlier than discovering sanctuary in Boston, Massachusetts.
4 The Apocalypse Takes Them Both East
The two Southerners ultimately discover themselves East because the apocalypse goes on, however for very totally different causes. Sometime in the course of the 20-year time leap on TLOU, Joel goes from Texas as much as a sanctuary in Boston, Massachusetts earlier than he travels throughout the nation with Ellie.
While Rick spent the vast majority of the apocalypse in Georgia or Virginia, he additionally finally ends up East, as revealed within the TWD collection finale when the presumed-dead character seems on an island dealing with the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania cityscape that can result in the upcoming Rick and Michonne spinoff.
5 They Both Father a Daughter Who Isn’t Theirs
Rick and Joel have comparable experiences relating to fatherhood, together with the very fact they each father a daughter that is not theirs. The exhibits do not shrink back from highlighting the worst elements of parenting. Rick memorably raises Judith (Cailey Flemming) after her mom died throughout childbirth, regardless of figuring out she was truly his deceased greatest good friend’s daughter.
After not being near any kids for 20 years, Joel by accident finds himself accountable for a sassy teenage lady who he initially cannot stand, however winds up elevating and caring for as if she’s his personal, selecting to save lots of her the best way he could not save his precise daughter.
6 They Both Use Revolvers
The characters from TWD are recognized for having their signature weapons of alternative, and for Rick, it was at all times his revolver. Rick would whack his gun out the second one thing appeared iffy, providing a delicate tilt of his head earlier than capturing it at attainable threats.
On TLoU, whereas Ellie learns the ins and outs of utilizing her new gun, Joel appears skilled together with his personal revolver. Though he pulls it out on folks a lot much less typically than Rick, it nonetheless stays his weapon of alternative all through the present.
7 They Both Kill to Protect Their Children
Like any good father, Rick and Joel go to nice lengths to guard their kids, together with killing those that are a menace. On TWD, Rick killed loads of folks, however the one which stands out was when his final resort was to chew a bit out of Joe’s (Jeff Kober) neck as a way to save Carl from being bodily abused by one other man.
In the primary episode of TLoU, Joel’s primary precedence is saving Sarah, and whereas he did not kill anybody and wound up shedding her within the course of, Joel kills loads of folks and zombies as a way to get Ellie to security and in the end save her life.
8 They Both Lose Their Wives/Girlfriends Early On
Losing folks within the zombie apocalypse is seemingly unavoidable, particularly for Rick and Joel, who not solely lose their kids and vital pals, however they each lose their vital others early on.
For Rick, it is about 9 months after reuniting together with his spouse Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) that she dies throughout childbirth, sending Rick right into a worrisome psychological state for the rest of the season. On TLoU, whereas Joel’s spouse and mom of Sarah isn’t talked about, the character loses his girlfriend Tess (Anna Torv) to a terrifying sort of contaminated generally known as clickers early into their travels with Ellie.
9 They Both Get Impaled
Another a type of moments that’s both a purposeful imitation or a wild coincidence was when each characters ended up getting impaled. It was in Andrew Lincoln’s ultimate episode that Rick fell off his horse and wound up impaled by a rebar, resulting in his eventual disappearance.
For Joel, it was in the course of the stunning climax of the battle on the college when Joel fell from a balcony and onto a rebar, much like Rick. But in contrast to the TWD character, Joel had Ellie to get him to security and in the end save his life.
10 They Both Wind Up “Dead”
It’s arduous to look at any fan-favorite characters die, however seeing the tip of each Rick and Joel are particularly arduous capsules to swallow for each the characters and the viewers. While Joel stays the star of Season 1 of TLoU, followers of the video games know his loss of life is inevitable come Season 2 when the character is killed by an enemy.
In Season 9 of TWD, after Rick survives an impaling and escapes a herd, the dazed character by no means returns dwelling, leaving his group to presume his loss of life. But viewers know that Rick wasn’t useless and as a substitute was rescued by Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) and brought to unknown whereabouts.