Black Deprivation in Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Remastered and The Last of Us Part II

Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us series functions through a framework of black deprivation, a narrative strategy that systematically relegates Black characters to disposable roles to ensure the existential longevity and emotional development of white protagonists. By utilizing a white gaze, these titles construct Black characters as secondary figures whose primary purpose is to suffer or perish, thereby reinforcing a racialized hierarchy that prioritizes white survival. Characters such as Henry, Sam, Marlene, Nora, and Isaac are denied meaningful agency or long-term narrative arcs, effectively reducing Black lives to spectacles of death that serve the status quo of whiteness.

This analysis highlights a persistent failure to envision a future for Black humanity within the post-apocalyptic settings of the franchise. By consistently framing Black identity through tropes of nihilism and expendability, the games uphold a whiteness thesis that centers white experience at the expense of authentic, autonomous representation. These findings suggest that the industry’s current approach to character development relies on harmful stereotypes that strip Black figures of their inherent value, positioning them merely as tools to facilitate the growth of white leads.

To address these systemic issues, the gaming industry must move beyond these reductive patterns. Meaningful progress requires a fundamental shift in development practices, including the diversification of creative teams and a commitment to featuring playable Black protagonists with complex, independent narratives. By moving away from the reliance on disposable tropes, developers can foster more authentic representations of Black identity, ensuring that diverse characters are granted the same narrative depth and survival prospects as their white counterparts.