Tommy Miller

This article is about the character from the HBO series. For his appearance in the video game series, see Tommy Miller.

Tommy Miller
Biographical information
Birth date	1972 or 1973
Age(d)	50–51 (season 1) 55-56 (season 2)
Status	Alive
Gender	Male
Occupation(s)	Soldier (formerly) Contractor (formerly) Militiaman (formerly) Patrolman Councilman
Affiliation(s)	U.S. Army (formerly) Fireflies (formerly) Jackson community
Relationships	Javier Miller (father) Unnamed paternal grandfather Unnamed paternal grandmother Joel Miller (older brother) Maria Miller (wife) Benji Miller (son) Sarah Miller (niece)
Resides	Austin, Texas (formerly) Boston, Massachusetts (formerly) Jackson, Wyoming
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Brown
Behind the scenes
Appears in	HBO's The Last of Us (seasons 1 and 2)
Portrayed by	Gabriel Luna David Miranda (young)

“

Just because life stopped for you doesn't mean that it has to stop for me. ―Tommy's defiance to Joel.

”

Tommy Miller is a supporting character in the first season and a main character in the second season of HBO's The Last of Us. He is a survivor and Joel's younger brother.

A compassionate and natural leader, Tommy survived the early Cordyceps brain infection outbreak with Joel. However, Tommy eventually left him to join the Fireflies and later seek a peaceful life with his wife Maria and the community of Jackson.

Quick Answers

What was Tommy Miller's dream when he was young in 'The Last of Us'?

In 'The Last of Us', Tommy Miller aspired for a life of significance beyond mere survival during the outbreak's initial years. His dream led him to become part of the Fireflies, signifying his desire to contribute to a cause larger than his own existence.

Provided by: Fandom

In which military operation did Tommy Miller serve?

Tommy Miller, a recognized combat veteran from the HBO series, served in Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War in 1991. He was a member of the 1st Armored Division, or 'Old Ironsides', of the U.S. Army.

Provided by: Fandom

How is Tommy Miller related to Joel in 'The Last of Us'?

In 'The Last of Us' series and game, Tommy Miller is Joel's younger brother and the paternal uncle of Sarah. They survived the initial years of the outbreak together. Tommy, seeking a life beyond survival, joined the Fireflies. As children in Austin, Texas, the brothers were close, with Tommy assisting Joel in his construction business and in raising Sarah.

Provided by: Fandom

What is the backstory of Tommy Miller in 'The Last of Us'?

Tommy Miller, Joel's younger brother and Sarah's uncle, is a key character in 'The Last of Us' game series and HBO adaptation. He endured the initial years of the outbreak alongside Joel. Seeking more than survival, Tommy joined the Fireflies for redemption. He has held roles as a carpenter, insurgent, and patrolman in Jackson, affiliating with the Hunters, Fireflies, and Jackson community.

Provided by: Fandom

Where did Tommy and Joel grow up in 'The Last of Us'?

Tommy Miller and his older brother Joel from 'The Last of Us' grew up in Arlington, Texas. As adults, they relocated to Travis County, Texas, engaging in construction work. They shared memorable experiences like cross-country rides on rented Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Provided by: Fandom

Biography

Background and early life

Tommy in 1983.

Born between 1972 and 1973, Tommy is the younger brother of Joel and grew up with him in Austin, Texas. They were close growing up, with Joel greatly protective of him, especially from their father, Javier who raised them but struggled to control their behavior so resorted to corporal punishment as a solution. Tommy feared him, the man belting him whenever he was in trouble. In 1983, Tommy got into trouble when trying to buy drugs from a local gang in Austin. Joel spotted the deal and ran over to help him, beating up the boys harassing Tommy. However, Javier (a member of the police force) found out and Tommy panicked that he would be belted severely. Joel, protecting Tommy, lied to their father that he was the one seeking the drugs, not Tommy.

Tommy dreamed of making a difference when he was young, leading him to enlist in the United States Army when he was eighteen in 1991. Tommy served in the military in Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War, as a part of the 1st Armored Division, nicknamed "Old Ironsides."

After growing disillusioned with the military, he was discharged and joined his brother's business as a contractor and ran various jobs with him. Joel ensured they worked together on most jobs, to ensure they both received a high payment for their work. Tommy also bought a pickup truck and stuck a combat veteran bumper sticker on the rear, proud of his service in the Army. After Joel had a daughter, Sarah, Tommy helped to raise her, becoming a close uncle. He regularly drove the girl to school and soccer practice for Joel, though Joel scolded him whenever he smoked in the car while she was there.

Events of HBO's The Last of Us

Season 1

Surviving the outbreak

On September 26, 2003, Tommy arrived at Joel's house in the morning to inform his brother he had secured them a job for extra money. Joel insisted only he and Tommy work on it. Sarah interjected, insisting the brothers not do it and instead celebrate Joel's birthday. The brothers declined though, with Tommy assuring her they would be done by 9 PM that night and they would get a cake to celebrate.

Tommy drove Sarah to school as usual, but not before Joel made him put out a cigarette he lit while in the driver's seat. Once he dropped off Sarah, he drove himself and Joel to complete their assignment. However, the work took longer than expected, and he only dropped Joel off at 10 PM, the brothers forgetting to buy a cake they promised Sarah.

An hour later, Tommy drove to a bar in the city where he flirted with a waitress. However, in Tommy's words, a "crazy man" started to attack the waitress, so Tommy intervened, knocking the man out with a punch to the jaw. The unusually high police presence that night witnessed the attack and arrested Tommy and the crazy man. He was escorted to jail, where he frantically phoned Joel, insisting his older brother bail him out, stating that the jail was in utter chaos as police kept bringing in crazy people. Relenting, Joel agreed and traversed to the jail.

Upon arriving, Joel managed to bail Tommy out and the pair quickly realized the city had fallen into mayhem as the news networks revealed a Cordyceps brain infection outbreak had reached the city. The pair fought their way to Joel's house, Tommy acquiring a bolt-action rifle along the way, where they arrived in time to protect Sarah from Nana, Joel's elderly neighbor who had succumbed to the Cordyceps. Panicked, Tommy asked Joel what they should do, and his brother decided to kill Nana in self-defense. They then retreated to his pickup truck and drove away to the highway to reach Travis County.

Tommy outside Joel's house during the outbreak.

While driving, Tommy noticed Jimmy's farm was set alight, hoping he made it out. Tommy also contemplated pulling over to help a family whose car had broken down, but Joel insisted they press onward to the highway. Upon reaching it, they saw that the rest of the population was doing the same thing, leading to a traffic jam. Desperate to reach the other side where the news networks had promised it was safe as the military were guarding the area, Joel ordered Tommy to drive off-road into town. However, upon doing so, the truck was knocked off the road by an exploding plane that fell from the sky above.

Tommy managed to regain consciousness and escape the truck but was separated from Joel and Sarah, who had been trapped in an alleyway by burning debris. Rifle in hand, Tommy assured Joel he would be okay and would rendezvous with him across the river outside of town. Tommy arrived there in time to save his brother from a soldier, shooting the man in the head. However, he was too late to save Sarah, whom the soldier had shot multiple times. Knowing Sarah would die from her wounds, Tommy looked on somberly as Joel cradled her as she died.

After the outbreak, Tommy and Joel joined a group of survivors traveling to the quarantine zone that FEDRA had established in Boston. It was in this group where the two met Tess. While in this group, Tommy murdered people to survive, actions that began to haunt him. Conflicted with his morality, Tommy later met Marlene and joined the Fireflies, hoping to create a better world rather than just survive through extreme measures. While in the group, he visited their main research lab at the University of Eastern Colorado. Tommy eventually left the Fireflies at a later time.

Life in Jackson

Between 2018 and 2023, Tommy then made his way to Wyoming on his own, where a woman named Maria took him into her community in Jackson. Tommy integrated well into the community, putting to use his pre-apocalypse skills in construction to help construct parts of the town. He would also go out on patrol and shoot infected with his scoped hunting rifle.

In time, Tommy also grew close to Maria, the two eventually marrying and planning to have a child together. Knowing Maria was pregnant, Tommy became more cautious, focusing more on living in the settlement and constructing rather than going out on patrol. They lived in a house together, where Tommy made a memorial to honor Sarah's death, alongside one Maria made for her son, Kevin. Tommy also kept Joel informed that he was alive by sending radio messages to Abe in Boston daily using the Cody Radio Tower, but - at Maria's insistence - did not reveal information about the Jackson community. By 2023, Tommy's messages became less frequent, with Maria eventually banning him from having any radio contact at all. Despite knowing Joel would not like him no longer contacting him, Tommy honored Maria's wishes and stopped messaging Joel in either late August or early September that year.

Reuniting with Joel

Tommy and Maria watch Joel and Ellie eat.

In the winter of 2023, Tommy was helping other residents in the community build structures when he heard a man call out to him. Tommy looked up and saw Maria's patrol had returned and had found his brother Joel along with a teenage girl, Ellie. Overcome with emotion, Tommy raced from his construction post and hugged his brother.

Soon after, Tommy and Maria treated Joel and Ellie to a meal in the town's mess hall. Tommy revealed he had married Maria and considered her as close to family as Joel was to him. Sensing Joel's bitterness as this revelation, he offered to give them a tour of the town, revealing the supplies, way of life and stability that was brought on by their collective ownership. Joel quipped that Tommy was living in a communist society, a comment he deflected but Maria insisted was correct, briefly stunning him. Maria then offered to take Ellie to freshen up at a house across from theirs, allowing Tommy to take Joel for a drink.

Inside the Tipsy Bison, Tommy broke the ice and shared a drink with Joel, taking pride in Joel's comments that the liquor was high quality, remarking he was breeding hogs and planned to be eating bacon soon. Tommy then asked how Tess was, Joel claiming she was fine and that he was really only in Jackson because he was taking Ellie to the Fireflies. Tommy sat next to his brother and told him about the Fireflies' base in the University of Eastern Colorado but insisted he would not be going with him, admitting he was going to be a father. Joel did not congratulate him, which sparked Tommy to declare that, although Joel's life had stopped after Sarah's death, his had not. Angered, Joel stormed out of the bar, leaving Tommy alone.

Tommy watches Joel leave the bar.

Hours later, Tommy was with Maria watching a movie in the mess hall with most of the community. He asked a man where Joel was, learning he was in a workshop alone. Tommy collected a pair of hiking boots and proceeded to the workshop, finding Joel sullen in a chair. He put the boots on the work bench as a gift for Joel, stating he was sorry for how he reacted earlier, understanding Joel's resentment at Tommy having secured the family life that Joel had lost.

However, Joel confessed that Ellie was in fact immune to Cordyceps. Stunned, Tommy moved to leave the workshop but relented and sat opposite Joel, asking him to tell him everything. Joel then admitted that he and Tess were hired by Marlene to smuggle Ellie out of Boston and get her to safety so the Fireflies could make a cure. However, Tess was bitten and died; her dying wish being for Joel to take Ellie. Joel then broke down, confessing he did not feel he was strong enough to care for Ellie and would only fail her as he had done Sarah twenty years earlier, admitting he was having nightmares where his failure was unrelenting. Seeing his brother's emotional state, Tommy agreed to take Ellie from him as a final favor for the years Joel had spent keeping him alive. He then directed Joel where Ellie was staying to go and join her.

Tommy listens as Joel tells him about his journey with Ellie.

By dawn, Tommy packed his bag and hunting rifle and collected Ellie from the house. However, when arriving at the ranch to collect a horse, they found Joel there already prepared to leave. Joel then gave Ellie a choice between either him or Tommy taking her, the girl choosing the former. Tommy then hugged his brother, promising the pair a place in the Jackson community should they return. Joel accepted the offer and asked to borrow Tommy's rifle, the man accepting. Tommy then hugged his brother once more before leading them out, watching as they rode away from Jackson together.

Season 2

Living in peace

Tommy continues to live peacefully with his wife Maria and their son Benji. He also serves as part of the Jackson community's council alongside Maria. He keeps Joel and Ellie's secret about her infection. In 2024, two months after Joel and Ellie moved in, Tommy found Ellie having burned her arm with chemicals in the kitchen to hide her bite. Shocked, Tommy took her to the local doctor, who bandaged her arm and gave her painkillers. He took her back to Joel's house and explained what had happened, then left to await the doctor to bring more painkillers. Over the years, Tommy still but still goes out on patrols, mainly to snipe infected. He also used to go on patrol with Joel, but Maria disliked how the pair constantly broke protocol by breaking off from the agreed routes. By 2028, Tommy also takes Ellie on these patrols as well, training her how to snipe as good as he can. By 2028, Tommy was present when Joel told Gail Lynden that her husband Eugene was infected while on patrol and took his own life. However, Ellie revealed that it was a lie and that Joel had killed Eugene even though he had not turned into a runner yet. Distraught, Gail slapped Joel and cried into Tommy's arms, the man looking on as Ellie stormed out.

Tommy and Ellie sniping.

In December 2028, Joel asked Tommy to remove Ellie from future patrols after learning she had been wandering off to kill infected alone. Tommy agreed and said he would speak to her. Later on, Tommy and Ellie kill some stray infected with a sniper rifle on patrol. They observe that the number of infected they have been seeing has increased. After finishing for the day, Tommy reveals he plans to take Ellie off patrols and put her on gate watch. Ellie easily guesses that Joel told him to do this and says she is fine on patrols because of her immunity. Giving him, Tommy reluctantly assigns her to a patrol group at 1pm. Tommy returns to meet with Maria, Benji and Joel. Joel asks where he had been, to which Tommy lies that he was killing infected on his own. Joel then leaves, Tommy not revealing that he put Ellie back on the patrol routes for Teton County.

By 8 p.m., he is called into a meeting with the Jackson council when Ellie and Dina return reporting signs of a new stalker variant of infected. He reprimands the pair for leaving their patrol route only for Maria to chastise him given he and Joel used to do the same. He later attends the dance with Maria, Benji and Joel, the group sitting together drinking whisky. Late in the night, he takes Benji to bed and bids Joel goodnight, saying he will see him "next year".

Defending Jackson

The following day, a patrol from Kylie and Max revealed that they found a thirty-strong horde of infected hidden between the snow at Seven Cabins. This, coupled with Ellie's story the prior night, led Tommy and the other councilmen to put the community on high alert and begin prepping defenses. Tommy personally went to the Tipsy Bison to inform the residents in that area about their defense plans should an attack happen: he and the other able-bodied adults would fight atop the roofs and walls while the young, elderly and infirm would shelter in the basements. He also warned everyone to stay off Main Street, as that was the most vulnerable position if a horde breached the town. Afterwards, Benji congratulated him on delivering his speech.

A time after, Tommy and Maria helped prepare defenses at their main gate when a watchman revealed he had sighted a horde of infected charging towards the town. Kissing Maria goodbye, the pair moved to their stations, with Tommy taking up a sniping position atop Jackson Hole. There, he rallied the gunmen and led them in shooting at the horde as it smashed into their walls and gates. He eventually gave the order to launch their gasoline barrels into the horde and ignite them, setting dozens of the infected ablaze. However, despite pouring hundreds of bullets into the horde, it kept coming, with Tommy even spotting a bloater among them. The horde then followed the bloater to another part of the wall, leading Tommy to correctly guess the horde was about to breach the town. He rushed to inform Maria's unit atop the buildings, arming himself with a flamethrower along the way.

Tommy using a flamethrower to defend Jackson.

Tommy then made a defiant stand against the horde as it charged in, eventually becoming the last flamethrower user left standing. Amidst the attack, he noticed the bloater charging towards Maria's building. He rushed forward, pushing through the horde to shoot the bloater, drawing it towards him instead. He lured it towards a blocked area in the town, unleashing all of the fuel from the flamethrower into it only for it to keep charging at him. Fearing he was going to die, Tommy collapsed to the ground, only for the bloater to eventually succumb to the burns. Reinvigorated, Tommy drew his pistol and returned to Main Street to rejoin the fight, where by now the Jackson hounds were assisting in the defense. Eventually, the horde was beaten and Tommy found Maria, still alive, in the aftermath, collapsing in her arms at the relief of having survived the ordeal.

Rebuilding Jackson

In the aftermath of the attack on Jackson, Tommy learned that Joel was killed while on patrol by an unknown group. He went to the morgue where dozens of Jackson's dead lay, including Joel. He traded places with the morgue attendant and took to personally cleaning Joel's body. He noted Joel was still wearing his long-broken watch causing him to say to his brother, "Give Sarah my love."

By April that year, Tommy had taken to rebuilding the town with support from the community. He also had taken Ellie into his care and deemed himself personally responsible for her now that Joel was gone. He worked with Jesse repairing the wall at Jackson Hole. Struggling to drive a pillar into the ground to finish a foundation, he switched places with Jesse, allowing the man to finish it for him.

Later that day, Ellie (having recovered from her collapsed lung) was discharged from the hospital and came with Dina to reveal that Joel's killers were from Seattle, the leader was Abby Anderson and Ellie wanted to pursue them. Tommy admitted he supported her idea but that it was serious enough to require an official discussion and vote from the town's council. Ellie rebuked him, claiming Joel would already be to Seattle the day after the attack if it was her or Tommy killed. He rejected that claim though, revealing he believed Joel would have done so to rescue them, but not to seek revenge. He then hugged Ellie before letting her go.

The following day, Tommy was present at the council's public hearing. After having Scott press on from his topic, he focused the discussion back with Rachel and Carlisle about the proposal to send a group of 16 patrolmen out to find and kill Abby. However, he and Maria were unable to stop Seth intervening, who berated those against the plan and any on the council who would be as well. When it was Ellie's turn to speak, he gave her a reassuring nod and cast his vote. Amy-Beth revealed the council had voted 8-3 against the proposal, with Tommy only able to look on as Ellie left the hall.

By the afternoon, he approached Gail watching a baseball game in the town. She correctly guessed he had come to discuss his concerns with Ellie. Tommy expressed he was worried that her time with Joel had turned her violent the way his brother had been during their initial years together during the apocalypse. Gail assured him though that, in her view as a psychotherapist, Ellie was naturally like Joel anyway and that whatever he feared was destined to happen no matter what he did.

Rescuing Ellie

Upon learning that Ellie had snuck out of Jackson with Dina to head to Seattle to find and kill Abby, Tommy discussed with Jesse a plan to find and bring her home. The pair agreed to head to Seattle and also broke council protocol by sneaking out the following night. They made it to Seattle one day after Ellie and Dina arrived. To cover more ground to find them, he and Jesse agreed to split up, planning to rendezvous the following morning.

Physical appearance

Tommy's attire in Jackson.

Before the outbreak, Tommy had shoulder length curly black hair, was clean shaven and tended to wear red shirts with a white polo vest and jeans. After the outbreak, he grew his hair longer, had a moustache and changed his clothing while living in Jackson by 2023. Notably, he wore leather gloves, blue buttoned shirts, a blue winter coat and walking boots. By 2028, he wore a red winter coat and tied his hair back. He also tended to have and use a scoped-hunting rifle as his weapon of choice, remarking it was his favorite from his time serving in the Army.

Personality

Tommy is defined by his selflessness towards other through care and collaboration, believing when people were dependent on someone, that was a sign they truly loved them. In Joel's words, Tommy was a "joiner" and had always wanted to "fix things" and seek to help make a better society in life. This started in his youth, with Tommy joining the Army to accomplish this. After leaving the Army, this selflessness continued, stretching from his efforts to help Joel run his construction business to caring for his niece Sarah. Even during the outbreak, Tommy got into a fight with an infected man to protect a waitress. Furthermore, when realizing how bad the outbreak had become, Tommy allied with Joel to help keep Sarah safe and even saved Joel from a soldier, risking his own life to keep him alive. He also expressed he and Joel shared a bond that meant if one or the other was ever in danger, then they would not let anything stop them from saving each other.

This selflessness left Tommy morally conflicted when Joel convinced him that surviving in the apocalypse meant they had to murder innocent people, making him believe there were no other means to survive. However, Tommy's desire to restore society eventually led to him abandoning Joel to join the Fireflies and later join Maria's community in Jackson, always choosing the chance to build a new society based on cooperation and mutual trust rather than keeping family safe through violence or isolation. He even married Maria, a leader within the group, and became a lead councilman with her, displaying how his desire for a better world is equal to his love for family. Tommy's dedication to the community further drives conflict in Tommy when Joel later re-enters his life, the man having to choose between his old relationship with Joel and his new life with Maria, Tommy eventually deciding to honor his connection to Joel and take Ellie to the Fireflies for him. Tommy's selfless nature also made him committed to moving past Joel's death rather than seek vengeance, firmly against Ellie's plan to personally go out and kill Abby, indicating he would still put the community in Jackson before his own selfish desires.

Tommy was also a highly optimistic individual. Consequently, he was dismissive of the potential that an infected horde could mount an attack on Jackson in the winter of 2028-29. He even rebuked any concerns about the group of infected Kat and her patrol team had encountered. He also believed in an afterlife, expressing hope that Joel and Sarah were together again after Joel's death in 2029.

Having served in the Gulf War before the apocalypse, Tommy was a calm, collected and courageous individual and instinctive natural leader, the man rallying his team atop Jackson Hole to fight an infected horde. He also gave them clear, decisive commands and exuded a confident control over the situation, ensuring each person knew what to do and how to fight. He also once more displayed his selfless nature, charging into the horde to draw the bloater towards him rather than Maria and bravely fought on to the end with the rest of the defenders.

Relationships

Joel Miller

Joel and Tommy reunite in Jackson.

Tommy is Joel's younger brother, and the pair were close, growing up together in Austin, Texas. Tommy loved his brother, working together in his construction business and helping raise his daughter, Sarah. Joel, however, viewed this love more as a dependency on him. Indeed, in their lives together, Tommy relied on Joel to help him out in tough scenarios. This ranged from providing him a job after he left the Army to bailing him out of jail after he was locked up for fighting. Tommy's dependency on Joel's help and protection started from a young age, with him relying on Joel to save him from drug dealers and protect them from their father, Javier, whenever he threatened to beat him during his childhood. This dependency continued after the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak, with Tommy relying on Joel to keep him safe in the post-apocalyptic years. Indeed, Tommy remarked that it was easier to always agree with Joel and let him take the lead. Although, Tommy had the chance to also protect Joel, notably saving him from a soldier trying to shoot him during the outbreak.

Despite initially lying to Tommy about his reason for being in Jackson, Joel soon opened up to him about Ellie's immunity and pleading with him to take Ellie to the Fireflies in his place, revealing Tommy was the only man Joel completely trusted, even feeling comfortable enough to display emotion and cry in front of him. Tommy reflected years later that he understood how deeply loss affected Joel, believing every time they lost someone during their years together during the apocalypse that all it really did was break him down.

However, the brothers did have a strained relationship. Unlike Joel, Tommy was an idealist, fixated on improving the wider world. As such, the two parted ways over Joel's dark actions and Tommy's new cause with the Fireflies. Although Joel thought this a sign Tommy resented him, he denied this, admitting he didn't judge him for the sins they committed to survive. Tommy would even share this burden with Joel, admitting they had killed innocent people together, even if Joel was the initiator. The two also kept in contact with one another, with Joel concerned when Tommy's radio messages stopped in August 2023. Joel would remark this as another sign of Tommy's dependency on him, with Joel seeing it his duty to leave Boston and go out and help him in Wyoming.

When seeing Joel again for the first time in years in the winter of 2023, Tommy was overcome with emotion and hugged his brother tightly. However, when left alone to drink in private, Tommy recalled the pain he and Joel had caused in their efforts to survive, eventually declared his life had moved on even though Joel's had not, affirming his new life was with Maria rather than following Joel anymore. Despite this anger, Tommy understood his brother's pain, inferring Joel's resentment at his declaration about becoming a father reminded Joel of his failure to save Sarah.

By 2029, Tommy still deeply cared for his brother, spending New Year's Eve with him and wishing to see him often in the future. During the infected horde attack, Tommy panicked when Joel failed to report to Amy on the radio of his location during a snowstorm. He even ordered her to keep calling out every ten seconds, desperate to know his brother was okay. When Joel's body was returned to Jackson and left with the bodies of those who had fallen in the attack on Jackson, Tommy personally tended to his brother's body and whispered to him to give Sarah his love, showing clear heartbreak to have lost his older brother. Despite the loss, he didn't believe in seeking vengeance for him, arguing that Joel always taught him to do anything possible to protect and save one another rather than seek revenge.

Maria Miller

Tommy was married to Maria and was the father to her unborn child. The two were close, living together in Jackson. Tommy loved Maria so much that he stopped keeping contact with Joel via radio, choosing to respect her wishes to keep Jackson isolated rather than talk with his brother. He also affectionately held her hand when he insisted, she was family to Joel and could be privy to their conversations. This affection also led Tommy to live a more careful lifestyle, the man abandoning efforts to patrol and seek fights as he once did to keep himself safe to ensure he would be there to care for their child.

However, after seeing how much Joel's time with Ellie had affected him, Tommy was convinced to abandon his life with Maria and risk transporting Ellie across Wyoming to Colorado, demonstrating his dedication to Maria did have limitations. Regardless, during the infected horde attack on Jackson in 2029, Tommy came to Maria's aid, luring a bloater to fight him when he noticed it was aiming to attack her. He also focused on meeting her after the battle, showing immense relief that she had survived.

Sarah Miller

Tommy was Sarah's uncle and cared for her, helping Joel to raise her growing up. Although, he wasn't always the ideal uncle Joel wanted him to be, notably smoking in front of Sarah, an action Joel disliked. Because of Tommy's care for Sarah, he supported Joel's efforts to protect her during the Cordyceps outbreak, driving her to safety in his truck and even checked if she was okay when finding her again. Tommy was grief stricken when Sarah was killed, blaming himself for not being able to save her from the soldier as he did Joel. When he settled in Jackson, Tommy kept a memorial for Sarah in the home he shared with Maria. Even twenty five years after Sarah's death, Tommy still thought of his niece and when tending to Joel's corpse, he tearfully whispered to his body to give Sarah his love.

Ellie Williams

Tommy treated Ellie fairly as she was with Joel when they first arrived in Jackson. Understanding Joel's care for her, he agreed to take her to the Fireflies when Joel asked him to. By 2028, he was considered like an uncle to her, taking her out on sniping patrols, even though Joel disagreed and disapproved with this. He remarked that Ellie was exactly like Joel, which is also what caused him to relent to her request to go on patrols later that day.

After Joel's death, Tommy saw it his duty to care for Ellie in his brother's place, doing what he could to advise and guide her through the grief they shared together. This still caused them to have conflict though, with him having a different understanding to her about how best to honor Joel, with him arguing it was to forgive and remember him as he was rather than seek revenge for his murder. When Ellie went against his advice and pursued Abby anyway, Tommy left Jackson to head to Seattle to bring her home, fulfilling his promise to look after her.

Marlene

Tommy was once a loyal follower to Marlene and the Fireflies' cause. He saw in her a chance to restore the world to its civilized state. As such, for years he allied with Marlene despite it causing great tension and resentment from his brother Joel. However, by 2023, Tommy lost faith in Marlene's cause and left her group, displaying his faith in her wasn't absolute.

Quotes

“

Joel's younger brother, a former soldier who hasn't lost his sense of idealism and hope for a better world. ―Official description from HBO's website.

”

---

Tommy: "Hey! Still alive you old fucker."

Sarah: "Aww, he loves you."

Joel: "He's dependent on me. It's not the same."

Sarah: "I think it's the same."

Tommy: "It's definitely the same."

---

Tommy: "Joel. It's me. I'm okay."

Joel: "Yeah?"

Tommy: "But I'm in jail."

Joel: "Goddamnit"

Tommy: "It wasn't my fault this time. I was at the bar, some guy goes crazy, starts swinging at a waitress. I stepped in, knocked him out, got sewn up. Look, it doesn't fucking matter, you gotta bail me out."

Joel: "Now?"

Tommy: "It's Friday. You don't get me out tonight, I'm in here all weekend. It's a fucking mad house Joel, I gotta get out."

Joel: "Which jail? Travis County?"

Tommy: "Yeah, on the 10."

Joel: "Goddamnit Tommy."

Tommy: "I'm sorry. Please."

Joel: "Okay."

---

Tommy: "Just because life stopped for you doesn't mean that it has to stop for me."

Behind the scenes

Gabriel Luna, the actor who portrays Tommy.

• Tommy is portrayed by American actor and producer Gabriel Luna, while a child version of Tommy is portrayed by child actor David Miranda in the second season. About a month after the casting of Pascal and Ramsey as Joel and Ellie respectively, Luna was asked to submit an audition tape. He was familiar with the work of co-creator Craig Mazin and executive producer Carolyn Strauss, and had previously worked on HBO's True Detective. About a week after submitting his tape, he was offered the role and, according to Luna, they instantly knew he was "the one". He was enthusiastic for the role, having lived in Austin, Texas—Joel and Tommy's hometown—around the same time as the show's setting. He was also given a PlayStation 5 during production to play the games as research.
  • Luna provided input for Tommy's costume, such as the Texan plant Indian paintbrush on his boots and his First Nations-crafted belt buckle, which he felt Tommy "found and treasured because it was just so well-made".
  • Luna partly took inspiration from popular Texans such as Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson for Tommy's personality, particularly Kristofferson for his relaxed attitude.
  • Luna believed Tommy desires a family like his brother's and a world in which people can return to peaceful living. Luna says he could also personally relate to Joel's actions as an older brother, particularly as he had been the patriarch of his own family alongside his single mother.

Gallery

Season 1

Promotional images

Promotional poster featuring Gabriel Luna as Tommy.

Official stills

Tommy with his rifle.

A bloodied Tommy.

Tommy in Austin during the outbreak.

Tommy with his rifle during the outbreak.

Tommy outside Joel's house during the outbreak.

Tommy sees Joel.

Joel and Tommy reunite in Jackson.

Tommy and Maria watch Joel and Ellie eat.

Tommy smiles at Joel.

Tommy and Maria take Joel and Ellie on a tour around Jackson.

Tommy in the Tipsy Bison.

Tommy tells Joel about the University of Eastern Colorado

Tommy and Joel drink together.

Tommy tells Joel he will not help him with Ellie.

Tommy watches Joel leave the bar.

Tommy listens as Joel tells him about his journey with Ellie.

Tommy and Ellie prepare to leave Jackson.

Season 2

Promotional images

Official stills

With Ellie.

With Maria and Benji.

Tommy and Maria on the town council.

Tommy and Maria on the town council.

Tommy giving a speech about how to defend Jackson.

Tommy giving a speech about how to defend Jackson.

Tommy defending Jackson.

Tommy defending Jackson.

Tommy defending Jackson.

Tommy defending Jackson.

Tommy defending Jackson.

Tommy's face bleeding after the battle.

Finding Joel's body at the morgue.

Speaking to Ellie and Dina.

At a town council meeting.

At a town council meeting.

Appearances

• HBO's The Last of Us
  • Season 1
    • Episode 1: "When You're Lost in the Darkness" (first appearance)
    • Episode 2: "Infected" (mentioned only)
    • Episode 3: "Long, Long Time" (mentioned only)
    • Episode 4: "Please Hold to My Hand" (mentioned only)
    • Episode 5: "Endure and Survive" (mentioned only)
    • Episode 6: "Kin"
    • Episode 7: "Left Behind" (mentioned only)
    • Episode 9: "Look for the Light" (mentioned only)
  • Season 2
    • Episode 1: "Future Days"
    • Episode 2: "Through the Valley"
    • Episode 3: "The Path"
    • Episode 5: "Feel Her Love" (mentioned only)
    • Episode 6: "The Price" (flashback)