Proof that the remaining 10% is worth braving a post-apocalyptic world for here.
These are recommendations made by Tropers for The Last of Us fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.
Make sure to warn when a fanfic may head into non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business.
You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
General Fics
Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.
The Last of Them
by Red Priest, a trope write-up can be found here.
- Recommended by thelastofus
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Following on from the game, Joel and Ellie return to Tommy's to find nothing for them there. They're forced out into the wild once again. Expands on the game's themes of love and family and morality whilst adding some new ones, like religion, the fear of loneliness.
- Comments: A well-written, in-progress piece that takes place directly after the game. It switches between Joel and Ellie's points of view and stays very true to the characters of Joel and Ellie. The characterization of Tommy changes a little, but for the most part, the writer manages to explain it by rendering him a changed person after the death of his wife, Maria, in the first chapter.: Later on, in the story, the writer begins to weave together Joel and Ellie's backstories using flashbacks. The first half of each chapter is a scene from seven/eight years before the game and introduces some characters. The author stated that it'll later explain how certain things came to be, such as Joel falling out with Tommy, meeting Tess and Marlene for the first time:.
Add ReviewThe Last of Us 3 by Seleneducky123
- Recommended by Pineysammy Marie
- Status: In Progress.
- Summary: After Abby's death, Ellie is broken, without hope, and alone. Burned out and forsaken with no purpose to live for, Ellie stumbles on another chance in life. She comes upon a little girl that becomes the beacon of hope for her. So when the little girl's life is at risk, Ellie is determined to do whatever she can to protect her last shred of hope.
- Comments: The same author, Seleneducky 123, wrote the Infection and a bunch of other stories. LOU 3 is very well written and compelling. Characterization on point, the child in particular is very well-developed and is a good foil to Ellie's cynical nature after all of the events of Last of us 2. Check it out. So give it a shot and check it out.
The Last of Us Part II: Alternate Ending by Kai-E-Soh
- Recommended by MemebaAmoeba
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A seven-page comic wherein Ellie makes a very different choice at the end of her quest for vengeance.
- Comments: Dark, brutal, poetic, and bleakly funny.
The Hardest Road by Metaphorically
- Recommended by thelastofus
- Status: Dormant
- Synopsis: Set a few months after the events of The Last of Us, Joel and Ellie try to live a new life together in Tommy's settlement. And what at first seems like the prime opportunity at a new start, quickly transitions into yet another brutal journey. One that could push Ellie and Joel beyond limits, force them to make harsh choices, and challenge the true strength of their relationship.
- Comments: Well-written and in-progress (like the other one). For the most part, it stays true to the characters, though there's a little more idealizing between Joel and Ellie as characters and their connection with one another. In the later chapters, it becomes sad, mostly through the writer's choice to portray Ellie as very naive, which might occur to you from reading this as out of character, but they manage to pull off.
The Infection by SeleneDucky123
- Recommended by Aleena Jean and thelastofus
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: The Infection is a story about an infected girl who was designed to be a miracle in a world so bleak.
- Comments: This story is about an infected girl that was created and designed to be the embodiment of the fungus and she must live how to learn to survive in the bleak world. She travels with this group of various characters. The writer is very creative and can pull the heartstrings in the story. So give it a shot and check it out.
Bill's Favor by lankypanky
- Recommended by Please Please Stand By
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: We heard a lot about how Bill owed Joel (and Tess) some favors, and got some hints that he was too frightened to turn Joel down when he cashed it in. What might that favor have been?
- Comments: Tess & Joel seem in character, though they do some pretty nasty things to other people. This really rounds out Bill's character and his relationship with both Tess & Joel and Frank.
What Remains of Us by SeleneDucky123
- Recommended by thelastofus, Pineysammy Marie, Aleena Jean
- Status: Ongoing.
- Synopsis: Set in 2038, Joel sets out to be redeemed after experiencing a great tragedy. He is offered the opportunity to transport a genetically modified human experiment that is the confirmed cure, but the travel transitions to another brutal journey. As he gets closer to the young girl, a challenge forms for Joel that could push him beyond his limits.
Autonomy, Beneficence, Justice by BrennanSpeaks
- Recommended by Dreaming Traveler
- Status: Ongoing.
- Synopsis: When Mel volunteered for the mission to Wyoming, all she wanted was to bring Joel Miller to justice. She didn't know what she'd be giving up. She certainly didn't expect to end up trapped in Jackson, trying to nurse Joel Miller back to some semblance of health. Along the way, she faces challenges to everything she believes in. So does everyone around her.
- Tags: Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Brain Damage, Medical Procedures, Angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort.
- Comments: This is a fascinating alternate take of Part II, focusing on Mel and her medical expertise as she tries to heal up Joel while surrounded by people who wish her dead. The fic is part medical drama, and the other the usual TLOU shenanigans. The amount of research the author puts into the story shows, making Mel a fresh perspective, balancing hers with everyone else's. Highly recommended.
two hands digging in each other's wounds by michirukaioh
- Recommended by Con Man 1226
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: {it's spiraling down; biting words like a wolf howling} abby needs something to believe in, lev needs a place to call home, and somewhere along the way, the past they've been running from is bound to catch up to them.
- Tags: Found Family, Character Growth, Redemption Arc
- Comments: After the events of Part II, Ellie is looking for closure by trying to find Joel's original house in Texas. She ends up crossing paths with Abby and Lev, who are heading in the same direction to find a group of Fireflies. And Lev just has to suggest that they travel together. This fic is tagged Ellie/Abby, but there's very little actual romance in it. It's much more of a slow burn as these two women gradually start working together for Lev's sake. Everyone is in character and the ending is satisfying while still leaving room for a sequel. Well worth the read.
- Recommended by piyo99
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Set in the 20 years before the events of the main game. It explores Joel and Tommy's relationship after Sarah's death, and their journeys throughout a changing post-apocalyptic America. It includes Joel and Tommy's time in different quarantine zones, their brief time as bandits, and Joel's experience as a Hunter. It's constantly referred to as one of the greatest TLOU fics and for good reason. Well worth the read.
