How old is Joel in HBO’s The Last of Us TV show? Answered

Warning: This post may contain spoilers for HBO’s The Last of Us.

HBO’s The Last of Us TV show has drawn plenty of critical acclaims thanks to the fantastic performances of its outstanding cast. Numerous viewers have been praising Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, particularly for their roles as Joel and Ellie in the show, respectively. However, there are plenty of details that fans are curious about regarding these characters such as Joel’s age in the series. Here’s what we know about this specific piece of personal information.

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What is Joel’s age in HBO’s The Last of Us TV show?

Joel is 56 years old in HBO’s adaptation of the popular video game based on a statement he made in episode four. Although most its significant details remain unchanged such as the specific date of Outbreak Day, it seems that Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin decided to make our stoic protagonist a little older in the show.

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Naturally, this would mean that Joel’s birthdate is also set much earlier, with it taking place in 1967 instead. This would mean that Joel was 36 years old during the onset of the Cordyceps outbreak since the world-ending event occurred 20 years before Joel and Ellie’s adventure.

The exact reason for this slight change is currently unknown. However, we do know that Joel’s in game age was obtained thanks to an eagle-eyed Redditor who created a post based on a certain cutscene in the game. The thread included an attached image that displayed Joel’s passport showing a birthdate of September 26, 1981. Since its events occur in 2033, we can safely assume that he is indeed 52 years old in the game.