Ellie Visits Joel’s Grave in 'The Last of Us' and Leaves Behind a Symbol of Their Bond

Even though The Last of Us viewers only get one full season of Joel and Ellie's relationship, it's clear going into Season 2 that there was a lot of off-screen tension they had to work out. Unfortunately, they don't get the chance to do that because Joel is killed in front of Ellie in the second Season 2 episode. But the pseudo father/daughter duo had a lot of time to bond before that, which led to Ellie's little inside joke of leaving coffee beans on Joel's grave.

But why does Ellie leave that on Joel's grave in The Last of Us, and what significance does it have to their relationship? Coffee plays a small role in the beginning of their bond before it grows into more of a shared respect and love for each other. And, unless you remember everything about the first season, you may need a little refresher on why Ellie would leave coffee beans of all things on Joel's grave.

During Season 2, Episode 3, after yet another time jump, Ellie visits Joel's grave before setting out to find the group responsible for his death. Instead of leaving flowers or even something more obvious to symbolize their relationship, Ellie puts coffee beans on Joel's grave. No other explanation is given, but some more dedicated fans might remember a certain exchange from the first season.

In one of the first episodes, when Joel and Ellie are on the road together, she wakes up to him making coffee at a campfire. Disgusted by the smell, Ellie asks what it is, and it's clear that she has never smelled or come into contact with it before. This is understandable, since this is a post-apocalyptic world where it's a little harder to get your favorite Starbucks order.

But Joel doesn't need his venti order from Starbees to enjoy the simple things in life, even with the constant threat of danger around them. Ellie doesn't quite understand his love for the drink, which she doesn't feel compelled to drink herself. But, in sprinkling the coffee beans on Joel's grave, Ellie calls back to an early moment between them and honors something that Joel especially liked, even after the world began to fall apart.

When Joel meets Ellie, she is introduced as a kid raised by the Federal Disaster Response Agency (FEDRA) to become a trained soldier. Later, in Season 2, as Ellie is traveling with bestie and crush Dina, her travel companion asks her who the first person she killed was. Like most kids in the world of The Last of Us, killing is a part of life.

Ellie won't tell Dina the details, but the first person she killed was Riley. In Season 1, viewers see Ellie's time with Riley and their budding romance. They also see Ellie forced to kill Riley when she gets bitten and becomes infected.