A brutal survivor with few moral lines left to cross Joel, now in his late 40s, has been hardened by the ravages of the fungal plague that has devastated known civilization. He's lost family and pieces of his humanity due to the damages of the plague and the heavy-handed military presence that surrounds the events. Living in one of few remaining military-controlled quarantine zones he operates as a black market smuggler, dealing in contraband, taking numerous de-humanizing jobs over the years to survive and while shutting down his emotions to cope as his conscience slowly dwindles away.