Last of Us Theory: What Happened To Joel’s Wife

One of the biggest unanswered questions in The Last of Us franchise is what happened to Sarah’s mother. Although the figure of Joel’s daughter Sarah plays a big part in the games, despite being killed off so early, the same can’t be said for his wife.

The Last of Us begins by establishing Joel’s role as a single father. The opening scene shows him arriving home from work only to tuck his pre-teen daughter into bed. Early the next morning, however, Joel becomes aware of The Last of Us’ infection and tries to flee town alongside his brother and daughter. No mention or concern is given to Sarah’s mother. The child doesn’t even bring the subject up.

Throughout the rest of The Last of Us’ story, after Sarah dies, talking about his daughter is a difficult subject for Joel. But even in the few times he does open up, particularly to Ellie, he still doesn’t reveal any details about his daughter’s mother, leaving much up in the air for players to imagine.

Why The Last Of Us Doesn’t Mention Joel’s Wife

Given that Sarah’s mother is never mentioned, particularly when Joel and his family are trying to flee the city in the beginning, it seems to imply she’s either dead or abandoned their family. Even if she and Joel had split up before The Last of Us, it’s strange that neither he nor Sarah showed any concern for her whereabouts as the infection was wreaking havoc on the world. One could make the argument that it was the heat of the moment, so it’s understandable they didn’t have time to stop and discuss the location of their loved ones. But it appears Joel never made any effort to find Sarah’s mother, even after his daughter died, implying the mother either also died or he had a good enough reason to not want to track her down.

Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that Sarah’s mother is a very painful subject for Joel, since he never brings her up, even when discussing his daughter in The Last of Us. It also appears she may have died or left when Sarah was very young, or could have even have died during childbirth, since there are no pictures of her with Sarah or Joel in their home. Tommy also never brings the subject up, which backs up the theory that whatever happened to Sarah’s mom occurred a long time ago. Players know for a fact that Joel had his daughter at a very young age, likely in his teens, from when he explains to Ellie why he never went to college. If Sarah’s mother wasn’t in the picture from the beginning, then it’s all the more reason Joel couldn’t go to college. In the end, however, it’s unfortunate that The Last of Usfranchise doesn’t give more answers as to what happened to Sarah’s mother.

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