Easter eggs

Easter eggs refer to hidden messages and references of other media put into The Last of Us, The Last of Us: Left Behind, and The Last of Us Part II by Naughty Dog. Easter eggs may also refer to The Last of Us appearing in other media.

List of Easter eggs[]

The Last of Us and Left Behind[]

Photo of Naughty Dog team - At the start of the "Hometown" chapter, in Sarah's room, one of the posters on the wall depict members of the Naughty Dog development team, the developers of The Last of Us series.
Dawn of the Wolf - A film series whose poster can be initially seen in Sarah's room, but appears all over the game in several different variations including posters, billboard advertisements, and DVD cases. The films are a parody of The Twilight Saga, a vampire-themed romance film series based on the novel series of the same name.
PlayStation 3 console - During the chapter "Hometown", when the player goes down to the living room of Joel and Sarah's house, there is a Sony PlayStation 3 console on the shelf under the television set. Another one is found in Larry's TV & Stereo, an electronics store Ellie passes through after escaping David into the blizzard during the "Lakeside Resort" chapter. Inside the store on a shelf near the windows, she can find a PlayStation 3 console with two DualShock controllers.
Uncharted 13: A Lush Movie - Throughout the game, including Left Behind, there are a number of newspapers on the ground called The Daily Metro with a headline stating "Uncharted 13: A Lush Movie — Justin Bieber as Drake." Drake refers to Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series, also developed by Naughty Dog.
Music records - Many of the albums sold in the Marquis Music Store during "Bill's Town" reference real life bands and albums, or other references. These can also be found in Octopus Records, a music store Ellie passes through during the chapter "The Enemy of My Enemy" of Left Behind. These include:
- Into the Breach by the Blaggard Boys, a reference to the 1981 album For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The band name is also a parody of the Backstreet Boys, an American boy band.
- Unidentified Objects by FULLFUNK, a reference to the 1975 album Mothership Connection by American funk band Parliament.
- The Shambalas - A singing trio whose album An Evening with the Shambalas can be found in different variations. Their name is a reference to the hidden city sought after by Nathan Drake in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
The Walking Dead house - One of the houses that Bill, Joel and Ellie travel through looks almost identical to the layout of the house from the beginning of the 2012 episodic video game The Walking Dead by Telltale Games.
Uncharted theme song - When Ellie learns to whistle during the "Pittsburgh" chapter, the tune she whistles is vaguely similar to the "Nate's Theme" track from the Uncharted series.
10000 Ways to Cook Squirrel - A book that can be found in Pittsburgh and other various bookshelves throughout the game which appears to reference Daryl Dixon, who is notorious for squirrel hunting.
Jack Sullivinsky - When Joel and Ellie are separated in the basement of the Hotel Grand, Joel must find a keycard to escape. The owner of the keycard is named Jack Sullivinsky, a surname that is strikingly close to Victor Sullivan's, Drake's companion from the Uncharted series.
JAK Company poster - Near the mob attack note, the player can find a poster about employee rights. This poster is made by the JAK Company, which is a reference to the Jak and Daxter series, also developed by Naughty Dog. The poster also includes a phone number, 1-800-555-TLOU, and the URL for The Last of Us website.
Nathan Drake, Jak and Daxter plush toys - Right after meeting Henry and Sam, Joel will be able to enter a child's room in Serenity Apartments. Jak and Daxter plush toys can be found on a dresser and a Nathan Drake plush toy can be found on the bed.
- In the rebuilt The Last of Us Part I, the Jak and Daxter toys are joined by a Nathan Drake toy.
Film posters- As Joel and Ellie walk through Serenity Apartments with Sam and Henry, there is a locked door on the second floor before entering the toy store. If Joel uses a shiv to open it, there is a bedroom filled with film posters, several of which reference real life films. These include:
- Hair Trigger, a reference to the 2002 action-thriller film The Transporter, directed by Corey Yuen.
- The Season of Vengeance, a reference to the 2003 action drama film The Last Samurai, directed by Edward Zwick.
- The Lost Kingdom, a reference to the Indiana Jones film franchise, created by George Lucas and primarily directed by Steven Spielberg.
Naughty Dog mousepad - Joel can find a blue mousepad with the Naughty Dog logo across it on computer desks in several locations. In Pittsburgh, there is one in the same shiv room of Serenity Apartments, as well as Spenzür Architecture, the office Henry and Sam have taken temporary residence in. There is also one in a second-story bedroom of the ranch house during "Tommy's Dam".
I Want to Ride My Bicycle - Next to the Castro Cycles bike store, before entering the toy store, there is a yellow poster on the wall that shows a green bicycle with text saying "I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE". This is a reference to lyrics from the 1978 song "Bicycle Race" by British rock band Queen.
Uncharted and Jak and Daxter board games - In the ChooChoo Toys toy store, Joel can find severalUncharted and Jak and Daxter board games on a shelf at the far end.
O'Sullivan's Irish Pub - A restaurant bar found near the bridge in Pittsburgh, O'Sullivan's Pub, bears a striking resemblance to the pub from the opening of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. The name "O'Sullivan's" is also a reference to Victor Sullivan.^[1]
Java Jak - A coffee cart called "Java Jak" can be found right outside the O'Sullivan's Irish Pub in Pittsburgh. This is a reference to the Jak and Daxter series. Another one can be found during the chapter "Fun and Games" of Left Behind, outside of Raja's Arcade while Ellie and Riley explore the Liberty Gardens mall.
Ish - Throughout "The Suburbs" chapter, Joel can find several notes that chronicles a character named Ish and the community he was a part of. Ish is a reference to the character Isherwood "Ish" Williams, from the 1949 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel Earth Abides, written by George R. Stewart.
Stress Cereal - In many parts of the game, including the chapters "The Suburbs" and "Tommy's Dam", a box of cereal can be found, referencing "Trix" cereal. The name "Trix" is replaced with "Stress", and the cereal's mascot holds a glass of wine.
Infected inside, do not open - Right after escaping the sewers, the group find "Warning: Infected inside, do not open" written on the wall. This is a reference to the first episode of the TV adaptation of The Walking Dead, in which the protagonist Rick Grimes finds a sign saying "Don't open, dead inside" on a door.
The Game of Strife - During the chapter "Tommy's Dam", while Joel and Tommy are looking for Ellie on horseback, they come across the Hidden Pines Corral ranch house. On a dresser in a second-story bedroom, there is a board game called The Game of Strife, which is a darker version of the real life board game The Game of Life.
Lev Benioff - The journalist's name in the newspaper clipping artifact, found during "The University" chapter, is a reference to the 2008 historical fiction novel City of Thieves—written by David Benioff—and its protagonist Lev. Naughty Dog have cited the book as a major influence on the game.^[2]
Uncharted artifacts - In one of the dorm rooms at the University, Joel can find some items that resemble collectible artifacts from the Uncharted series scattered on a desk.
Kathryn McCormack - One of the books Ellie owns is called To Get to the Other Side!, which can be found in her backpack during the "Lakeside Resort" chapter. The fictional author of this book is named Kathryn McCormack, a reference to author Cormac McCarty, who wrote the 2006 post-apocalyptic novel The Road, which served as a major inspiration for The Last of Us. Ellie also owns this book during the events of Left Behind.
Faithful Dog - After escaping from David during the "Lakeside Resort" chapter, Ellie will enter a pet store called "Faithful Dog". This is a reference to Naughty Dog.
Uncharted 2 phurba - After Ellie drops down into the kitchen of Todd's Steakhouse, move into a back office where there will be a notice board. Here, a piece of paper can be seen which displays the phurba dagger from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
NDI sticker - During the chapter "Bus Depot", Joel can find an NDI sticker on the wall of a bathroom stall in the Logan James Bus Station, which is a reference to Naughty Dog. The sticker is also identical to the ones seen in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.
Eye chart - In the Firefly's lab at Saint Mary's Hospital, there are eye charts with messages that can be read from left to right. One of them says "RUN YOU R NEARLY THERE DON'T QUIT!!"
Jak and Daxter clothing - Upon completing The Last of Us, the player can unlock several skins for Ellie that reference the Jak and Daxter series. These clothing options include a Jak and Daxter t-shirt, a Jak hoodie, a Daxter backpack, and Jak goggles.
Naughty Dog clothing - Upon completing The Last of Us, the player can also unlock Naughty Dog-themed t-shirts for Ellie.
Uncharted Nathan Drake costume - During the chapter "Mallrats" of Left Behind, in the Spooky Town Costume Emporium in the Liberty Gardens mall, Ellie can find packaged Nathan Drake costumes from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Jak X Jak costume - In the same Halloween store, Ellie can also find packaged Jak costumes from Jak X, just beside the Uncharted costumes. However, the costume looks more like Jak's outfit from Jak 3.
Raja's Arcade - During the chapter "Fun and Games", Ellie and Riley come across an arcade named "Raja's Arcade" in the Liberty Gardens mall. The name "Raja" is a reference to the siblings Eddy and Rika Raja from the Uncharted series. Raja's Arcade also makes an appearance in The Last of Us: American Dreams.
Jak X: Combat Racing arcade game - In Raja's Arcade, Ellie can find a dysfunctional arcade game called Jak X: Combat Racing, a reference to the video game of same name, also developed by Naughty Dog as part of the Jak and Daxter series.

The Last of Us Part II[]

In other media[]

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception[]

"Deadly fungus" newspaper - In the first chapter of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, on top of the bar table, the player can find a newspaper with a headline of "Scientists are still struggling to understand deadly fungus" which refers to the Cordyceps brain infection.

Dying Light[]

"Clicker" weapon upgrade - In Techland's 2015 video game Dying Light, during "The Bunker" side quest at the Old Town's town hall, the player can find a zombie in a bloody elevator shaft that looks very similar to a clicker. Upon killing the zombie, it will drop a weapon upgrade called "Clicker".

Firewatch[]

University of Eastern Colorado sweater - In the 2016 adventure game Firewatch developed by Campo Santo, the main character Henry can come across a supply cache while exploring the Wapiti Meadow. After entering the 1-2-3-4 code, he will find an old sweater for the University of Eastern Colorado. Henry radios his supervisor Delilah and the two doubt the existence of the university.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End[]

Strange pendant - During Chapter 9 of Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Nathan Drake can find a collectible strange pendant in an alcove on a cliff side. The strange pendant is directly designed after the Firefly Pendants. The name on the pendant, "Druckley", is a portmanteau of the game's directors Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley.
Clicker - During Chapter 12, Drake is given control of a boat where the player can freely explore parts of the ocean. Inside of a shipwreck near a small island, you can find the skeletal remains of a pirate with coral growing where his head should be, resembling that of a clicker.
American Daughters poster - In the epilogue a poster of a comic called The Last of Us: American Daughters can be found.
Savage Starlight 2 poster - There is also a Savage Starlight 2 poster present in the room as well, to the right of the American Dreams poster.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy[]

Strange skull - During Chapter 8 of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Chloe Frazer will use her rope to swing along the side of a cliff. In a small alcove below where she came from, you can find a strange skull treasure. This is a reference to the fortune-telling toy Skeleseer that Ellie and Riley finds in the Halloween store during The Last of Us: Left Behind.

Life is Strange 2[]

Creepy mushroom - During Episode 1 of Dontnod Entertainment's video game Life is Strange 2, the two main characters, Sean and Daniel, will encounter a "creepy mushroom" growing on a tree while on a walk through Mount Rainier National Park. Daniel will remark how the mushroom "looks like a clicker" as Sean proceeds to imitate the sound of a clicker.

Trivia[]

The Uncharted board game that can be found in the "Pittsburgh" chapter is a real-life board game by Naughty Dog.
The Easter egg of the "deadly fungus" newspaper added in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was said of being a "screw-up." When Naughty Dog added the Easter egg, they said that they expected to reveal The Last of Us before releasing Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, although, they didn't, and they forgot about the game. They state how they almost spoiled the secrecy of The Last of Us themselves.^[3]
What some fans thought was an Easter egg was actually a phone sex line, however this was a mistake on Naughty Dog's part and therefore not an Easter egg.
The name of the survivor group "The Marauders" in Factions is a reference to a group of the same name in Jak 3.
In The Art of The Last of Us, there is a picture of Chloe Frazer at the store in Pittsburgh.

References[]

[1] The Last of Us Vs. Uncharted 3 - Comparison (Easter Egg Joke)

[2] The Last of Us: Naughty Dog On Elevating the Interactive Medium

[3] Uncharted 3's The Last of Us Easter Egg Left in by Mistake

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