Powerful themes of sacrificial love amid graphic survival violence; Episode 3's extended gay love story is the key discernment factor.
The Last of Us is, at its core, a story about a broken man (Joel, played by Pedro Pascal) and the orphaned girl (Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey) who becomes a surrogate daughter to him. The show's central theme — a parent's willingness to burn down the world to protect their child — is powerfully human and resonates with how Scripture describes God's love for his people. Joel's arc in Season 1 involves confronting his grief over losing his daughter Sarah in the apocalypse's early days (depicted in the harrowing opening episode) and gradually reopening his heart to love again through his relationship with Ellie. The finale, in which Joel makes a deeply morally complicated choice to save Ellie at enormous cost, raises genuine ethical questions that Christians can engage with productively.
This is a post-apocalyptic survival show and the violence reflects that reality. The Clickers — infected humans — are legitimately frightening. Joel's methods of survival are sometimes brutal. The show does not shy away from depicting the horror of the world it has built. However, unlike Game of Thrones, the violence in The Last of Us is generally purposeful rather than gratuitous. It communicates the stakes and the brutality of survival rather than serving as spectacle. Romans 8:18 speaks of present suffering in light of future glory — The Last of Us depicts suffering honestly without glorifying it.
Episode 3, 'Long Long Time,' is widely regarded as one of the finest hours of television ever produced. It tells the love story of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) — two men who find each other in the apocalypse and build a life together over many years, ending with a mutual dignified death they choose together. The episode is genuinely beautiful storytelling. It is also an extended, sympathetic portrayal of a gay relationship that ends with the couple celebrated as an ideal of love and commitment. Christians who hold a biblical view of marriage will find this episode a significant discernment hurdle, regardless of how beautifully crafted it is. This is not a brief reference — it is a full episode centered entirely on the relationship.
Season 2 (2025) continues Ellie's story with Joel's consequences from Season 1 unfolding. It is equally violent and continues the same content profile. 1 Corinthians 10:23 notes that 'not everything is beneficial' even if permissible. The Last of Us is a serious, well-crafted show — but Christians must weigh the graphic violence and the extended celebration of a gay relationship against the genuine moral themes it contains.
GodlyScore evaluates every show across nine signal categories grounded in Scripture: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:24-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed — depicted critically, neutrally, or as aspirational. The Last Of Us scores see full guide.
See our Christian TV Reviews hub for comparisons. For episode-level content breakdowns, Plugged In and Common Sense Media complement GodlyScore's biblical framework. Age recommendation: older teenagers and adults.
For another 2026 zombie-horror franchise, see our guide Should Christians Watch Resident Evil (2026)?
See also: Should Christians Watch Lord of the Flies (Netflix)?