10 Gaming Villains With The Best Motivations

In what is surely one of the most polarising endings in video game history, the moral ramifications of Joel's final decision make us question everything we thought we knew about the Fireflies.

Opposing the military some time after the outbreak, the Fireflies were once believed by Joel, Tess and Ellie to be the best chance at curing the infection. Perhaps more respected and organised than the military, the hopes of humanity rested with the Fireflies, and when Ellie is discovered to be immune from the virus, the wheels are set in motion for the reverse-engineering of a vaccine.

To develop such medication would come at a price. Ellie stood no chance at surviving the operation, and the player is left pondering the immense cost of restoring the world to normality.

Ultimately, Joel's selfish actions and love for Ellie clouds his sense of rationality as he proceeds to kill with little remorse when faced with Ellie's dismal survival odds.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, and the Fireflies' motivations rested entirely on the revival of humanity. It's a shame, then, that it was Ellie who was immune, because there was no way Joel would give her up.