David - A Deconstruction of Villainy

[@MarcellusMaize]

I never realized that David serves as the only real “boss fight” in the game. Perfectly fitting for what he represents in the story.

[@tincano-beans2114]

Except there's the big boys that 100% constitute a boss fight that he ignored to make his point 😂

[@emilykerbs5226]

​@@tincano-beans2114 I disagree. big boys pop up enough throughout the story that they don't come across as threatening beyond the first encounter, just another problem to overcome, albiet more challenging. David's fight is the only one that at least *feels* like higher stakes. Plus David's fight has much clearer phases to it, which indicate the very common structure in video game boss fights. Big boys just feel like a normal clicker++, not a boss. Idk, they give off more miniboss vibes because they don't really contribute to the plot.

[@yafiosa]

@@emilykerbs5226i agree

[@robogreek3157]

Fire flies at the end... the bloater with bill.... the basement of the hotel with joel.... the tunnel in the spring. There's a few in the game... boss battle doesn't necessarily mean 1 guy

[@Sturzfaktor2]

@@robogreek3157 The bloater at Bill's is the only one of the bunch you actually have to fight though.

[@northwindy]

My mother, someone who knows absolutely nothing about The Last of Us, its world, or it's characters, immediately flagged David as suspicious, then a predator within the first 10 minutes of meeting him

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

I knew he was gonna be that From the beginning its kind Of obvious.

[@professorboltzmann5709]

female instincts

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@professorboltzmann5709 which is flawed just like Male instincts.

[@snakesnoteyes]

@@professorboltzmann5709 heuristics, not instincts. Humans don’t have instincts, but our brains are pattern building and identifying machines. Even when those patterns are false, which is why people interested in the truth have to constantly question their own assumptions.

[@JosephWalker-ip7pd]

Just the way he talks even at first is off just his voice is off putting.

[@StolenAlias]

I like how the further Joel and Ellie get from home, the worse the people get. To an oppressive government, ruthless murderers, and then finally depraved cannibals. Its like in the silence of the lambs, when meeting Hannibal, we go by progressively crazier inmates until finally we see a clean and and polite Hannibal. This is like with David where he presents himself as a polite helpful and trustworthy man. So in both stories we progressively meet nastier people until we meet a seemingly polite person who is actually a monster.

[@ts0088]

Interesting

[@sethflower2067]

Ive never thought about that

[@zacharygilmore1075]

David's line about "You shouldn't be out here all on your own" is to test if Ellie is telling the truth about her living in a settlement with women and children. Obviously, sending a child to hunt in order to feed women and children is not very likely. And Ellie falls for it, saying that "I don't like company." She didn't say anything about other hunters in the area, confirming that she is, in fact, on her own. But obviously there is no way for Ellie to have survived all on her own, so David guesses that she partnered up with at least one other person--several at most. Considering how desperate Ellie was for medicine, it's also likely that she would stay close to her settlement, where at least one of the people she's with is too sick to fight back. David learned all of that by asking a single question, which makes him extremely dangerous.

[@okaywow3486]

this was so satisfyingly articulated.

[@iguanasandwich28]

Doesn't Ellie refers as herself in a kind of sarcastic way when she says "women and children" here?

[@picassoggz6571]

@@iguanasandwich28she says it in a more frantic, “I don’t want him to think I’m alone” kind of way

[@lorenzogoglee1320]

that's one thing scary about him, is dangerously smart

[@axil_v2153]

Any human with a functioning brain should be able to do that, the fact some can does make them "dangerous". Let's not conflate how dangerous you can be when having a proper intellect with the capacity of evil some humans are capable of.

[@CrimswordKnight]

When I first saw David show up in game I immediately thought, "Shoot him." I had a real gut feeling that he was dangerous and not trustworthy. Like how people always comment that serial killers were quiet and seemed so nice and normal. He immediately got my skin to crawl.

[@clappagemcphee]

This is so fucking well said

[@ShadowProject01]

Same. I did not buy the act all the way up to the betrayal. My tell was his partner. Always looking to him for direction and quietly. I believe Ellie picked up on it as well. And so did David which is why he acquiesced to fast sending him away.

[@Garrus1995]

Predators like serial killers often work up a superficial charm in order to get their potential victims to drop their guard and give them an opening. They get you think “no way is this guy bad, he seems so soft spoken and polite.” One of the most prolific serial killers in history, Ted Bundy, was a fairly handsome young man who knew how to exploit that to lure his victims in.

[@clappagemcphee]

@@ShadowProject01 I hadn't paid much attention to his partner - that's an excellent observation, too

[@Funkyatomicmonkey]

as soon as i saw him with his hand up to allude he meant no harm, i immediately got a chill that no other entertainment has given me

[@matti.8465]

I like how one of David's tactic is shifting the blame. He's not the one keeping Ellie trapped and who wants to eat her, it's "the others". David is just trying to help, he's positioning himself as the guy "defending" Ellie from the other settlers. So when Ellie rejects this, David acts like she's biting the hand that feeds her, instead of the one keeping her locked up.

[@biscuitsgravycat1057]

Very well put!

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

But why is he doing that & what does He have to gain from it??

[@West_is_Jelqing]

​@@elongatedmanforever1252Food.

[@Bioskye]

​@@elongatedmanforever1252 Because he wants *her*

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@Bioskye Why though?? is it because Of her abilities of immunity Or just because??

[@creationsylphfandom6256]

As someone who unfortunately encountered a man like David as a girl.. they got the character of a cunning predator pretty damn accurate. Especially the subtle touch on Ellie’s hand and the “you’re special”. He had me fooled until he dropped the mask. I wonder how many others felt that familiar unease with him from real life experience.

[@michaeloneill1360]

I'm sorry you had to go through that life is hard enough most of the time without those types of encounters!

[@creationsylphfandom6256]

@@michaeloneill1360 thank you

[@ziggyzaggs4949]

I am sorry that you had to endure that in you're life.. but i am also glad to see your still moving on with life at your own pace! I wish you all the best 😊

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

Did he die horrifically?

[@David.77]

He sounds off mainly because he's using tactics to lower Ellie's guard and come across as a normal person. Ordinary people don't do that, so when bad people use these tactics, their mannerisms differ from an average person's, which we subconsciously pick up and notice(being able to pick up this stuff instinctually is something that comes with experience; this is why young/naive/inexperience people become victims to these kinds of people in real life). [This last sentence in the parentheses is not meant to be a jab at you; this is just additional information for those wondering] For example, this one sentence alone has so much hidden intention: "We're from a larger group - women, children - we're all very, very hungry." Notice how he never explicitly said here that they are hunting for his group to feed hungry women and children; he wants us to assume that. He's making us connect the dots while omitting so much information. He phrased his sentence this way to emphasize women and children. He wants us to focus on women and children, so we make the connection that a group with women and children are honest and reasonable people(but we know that's not necessarily true). When he added that "we're all very, very hungry," he wanted us to empathize with him and his group. Also, notice how he chooses not to say that he and his partner "mean no harm," "aren't looking for trouble," or "we're not dangerous." He doesn't say this because he subconsciously doesn't want to lie. Most people try not to lie, but when they do, they usually lie by omission. This is still true even with evil people like David. He also chose to emphasize women and children because those would bring joy and comfort to female kids, which Eliie is. All in all, he's trying so hard to lower Ellie's guard and indirectly make himself sound like an ordinary person. The average person, with their hands up (notice how David in the scene doesn't do that), would probably say instead, "We're here hunting to bring food for our group; we mean no harm" or "We're here hunting for food; we're not looking for trouble." There is no need to emphasize the words hungry, women, and children as he did. I'm no expert on this type of analysis, but it's really interesting once you learn how bad people choose to speak compared to normal people. Once you familiarize yourself with these tactics employed by bad people, it just screams terrible intentions.

[@nightmare0xranmabloodedge122]

Just in case people didn't know, David is played by Norlan North. The same guy that plays Nathan Drake in Uncharted and is the voice actor or Deadpool in the Deadpool game and UMVC3 (Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3). If y'all watch behind the scenes, Norlan plays it dangerously well.

[@domthe5260]

Norlan North is literal in everything. I think he’s also voiced Magni from God of War.

[@Dctctx]

@@domthe5260Modi. It’s Troy Baker who voices Magni

[@ZEHAHAHA9697]

Nolan has one of the most recognizable voices on the planet, the list of characters he voices is huge. ​@domthe5260

[@kingdavis890]

Guy is so talented

[@Vinylmelody1517]

Nolan north, the guy who is every other guy in almost every other game

[@enbybunny6827]

The fact that he had another gun just showcases that yes, indeed he was pretending to act vulnerable. He had a backup plan, he knew what to do with the second gun.

[@ronaldolson6553]

Still, keeping a second, hidden gun is a reasonable move, and didn't throw up any red flags with me. Of course, I was suspicious of the guy myself, but him having a second gun didn't contribute to that. It's something I'd do if I could in similar circumstances. It's not really a bad guy move, just a smart one.

[@TYKZY.BRANX._TEEK.SEE.BRANCH.]

@@ronaldolson6553 TREACHEROUZ ASS [NOT YELLiNG, JUZT LiKE TYPiNG iN CAPZ]

[@eva1585]

@@ronaldolson6553 Its something we'd want Ellie or Joel to do in a similar situation

[@ronaldolson6553]

@@eva1585 Exactly.

[@Garrus1995]

Rewatching that scene where Ellie first meets him really shows how naive she was at first. She says that she also belongs to a group with “women and children”, literally just repeating what David tells her so he could probably pick up that that was a lie. She also too quickly asks for medicine which would tell them that whoever she is with is sick and/or hurt and probably not a major threat.

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

She was alone and desperate. I don't blame her at all.

[@gabrielchastain6091]

I disagree She's not naive You also could have interpreted her line as smartass or vague as in I have someone who's sick aswell but I'ma replace that wording with women and children She is desperate for that medicine because Joel is on the doorstep of death She is incredibly distrustful of him at first She only trusts him after he does not shoot her after revealing he had another gun and could have shot her the whole time or let the clicker get her Alot of people can fall under Dave's silver tounge even if they arnt naive He's good at that She has no problem listening to his story after he saved her and humoring him But once he mentioned the crazy man and the little girl she knew he was a threat and put her defenses back up She is also a skilled or capable killer already throughout the game she learns from Joel She shot the man who strangled Joel and afterwards shot many men with a rifle Joel gave her to assist him She also kills a gigantic chunk of David's gang during her escape including eventually David himself She is not naive nor innocent When David tried to get her on his side she played along and manipulated him She knew he didn't give a damn about her and she was just an object to him She manipulated him and almost escaped if it weren't for the fact her arms were too short She was smart and that's how she survived all of those people and all of that time while Joel was sick taking Care of both of them like a reversal of parentage that had been going on throughout the story When she had no choice she did not hesitate to chop David to bits It did mess with her afterwards which makes sense Shooting or stabbing a man and taking him down in one hit is alot easier and less personal Than slamming a machete into a man screaming in horror fear and pain repeatedly knowing she had too because if she stopped out of guilt or mercy he would overpower and kill her That was not easy for her Alot of people don't notice this But that was horrifying to have to do Most adults probably haven't even had to do that in this universe as the usual play is fast kills that take them down fast and with less ruthlessness She was never naive she was always intelligent and such in the game She even was hard with Joel for awhile not wanting to get close for a bit because of what happened to Riley She even picked up on the fact that Joel internally tried to send her away because she reminded him of Sarah Ellie is incredibly smart She is not naive before And she sure as shit aint naive after David either

[@NoCluYT]

when she refers to "women and children", she's talking about herself sarcastically. Because she's female and a child

[@fifthstoryfall]

She is very smart, yet quite naive and inexperienced.

[@cameronhermann9400]

It also tells them that she needs Medicine ASAP

[@perry-1572]

I think what makes David’s first scene so offputting in that subtle way, for me, is the feeling that he’s done this song and dance before. He does not look the part of a perfect negotiator, so the fact that he seems to pull that off so well is troubling, especially with his companion being completely at odds with that behavior. David spins plans even his allies don’t know about, and the way he slowly reveals he knows who Ellie is shows his whole act is meant to confuse her and show her that he’s the one with control over the situation, even with a gun aimed between his eyes.

[@suspectthirteen4355]

I noticed it the moment he shot the infected with his pistol after he lied to Ellie about not having a weapon.

[@TheoTungsten]

You can find some children’s clothes as Joel, and the goon refers to her as “newest”. He’s done this before.

[@stephengrigg5988]

"A *crazy man* traveling with a little girl" He becomes so threatening even though he barely changes his tone

[@SingingInferno]

From the moment of that "I can protect you" I knew immediately that he was a predator. The clear attempts to manipulate, isolate, and control Ellie are textbook behaviors of how predators behave. I was really scared going into that chapter that Ellie was going to be assaulted. Thankfully, David was turned into ribbons before that could happen, as should happen to all predators.

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

But why was he like that & why did david want to menipulate Ellie??

[@GrugFan]

“Turned into ribbons” 💀

[@uMaud]

To sexually assault her ? Isn't it obvious from everything we know about his caracter ? Some people don't need a tragic back story and feelings of fear or anger to drive their emotions. Some people are plain unempathetic and sadistic, and get a thrill out of dominanting, controlling, and torturing physically or mentally others. Some extremely twisted individuals even get sexual gratification over forcing themselves on someone else. They usually go for those they think are weaker and more vulnerable, physically and mentally, which is why they go after children and teens. As to why he wanted Ellie specifically and not any of the girls in the camp, you could speculate. Perhaps he didn't want to turn the fathers/other men of the camp who care the kids (of their camp at least) against him and loose his power. Perhaps he percieved Ellie as a thrilling challenge to overcome, since she wasn't already under his thumb and has showed she won't go out without a fight. In his mind, she's like a prey, and hunting a wild prey is more thrilling to him than one bred in captivity, if that makes sense.

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@uMaud My issues is that men & women are treated Differently based on Them doing these things & women usually are Not made to be 1-note Like dudes are, anissa From invincible got a entire redemption arc but characters Like david or bumby From alice madness & other 1-note male villains in these kinds of stories Especially with a female Protagonist, Dont even get a backstory Or reasoning to anything They do, Sexism much??

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@GrugFan Yep getting taken Out by a teenage girl easily Lame, what next a psychologist Gets pushed in front of a train By a victorian girl who goes To wonderland, oh wait That did happen.

[@doopydoody4809]

I think a large part of why David is so off putting is that he is so calm. Writing wise, he is having a friendly conversation with Ellie, in a situation that is far from friendly. She's aiming a bow at him and his friend. There is an obvious lack of human instinct, David doesn't seem phased by the possibility of violence. This paired with the full grown man next to him being appropriately petrified. In my eyes, is why he seems so off putting from step one. A perfectly written mask of Psychopathy. Edit, you also made it super clear to me how Joels decision at the end of the game can be reflected in David's motivation. The idea that both own her and her fate. How that much lack of control scares and affects Ellie. Really interesting. Great analysis.

[@marcopoloonpollo5937]

Exactly. It's as if he knows he has so much control of the situation itself that he has to go out of his way to give some perception of control back to Ellie. He's far too calm and collected in an environment like that. He should be like a hostage negotiator, with the essence of fear or stress somewhere in his voice, but he just ... doesn't.

[@thedarkone9552]

I'd say David is not a psychopath, because normally they lack an emotional pallete of common people. Anton Chigurh is a good example of a psychopath.

[@doopydoody4809]

@@thedarkone9552 That's exactly my point though. They lack the normal emotional pallette. So David would lack the instinct to be scared if a gun was pointed at him. Thus his off putting and out of place friendliness stands out. He is trying to come across as normal, but it's off.

[@David.77]

@@doopydoody4809 The main reason he sounds off is because he's using tactics to lower Ellie's guard and come across as a good person. Ordinary people don't do that, so when bad people use these tactics, their mannerisms differ from an average person's, which we subconsciously pick up and notice(being able to pick up this stuff instinctually is something that comes with experience; this is why young/naive/inexperience people become victims to these kinds of people in real life). For example, this one sentence alone has so much hidden intention: "We're from a larger group - women, children - we're all very, very hungry." Notice how he never explicitly said here that they are hunting for his group to feed hungry women and children; he wants us to assume that. He's making us connect the dots while omitting so much information. He phrased his sentence this way to emphasize women and children. He wants us to focus on women and children, so we make the connection that a group with women and children are honest and good people(but we know that's not necessarily true). When he added that "we're all very, very hungry," he wanted us to empathize with him and his group. Also, notice how he chooses not to say that he and his partner "mean no harm," "aren't looking for trouble," or "we're not dangerous." He doesn't say this because he subconsciously doesn't want to lie. Bad people typically try not to lie, but they do lie by omission. He also chose to emphasize women and children because those would bring joy and comfort to female kids, which Eliie is. He's trying so hard to lower Ellie's guard and indirectly make himself sound like a good person. A well-intentioned person(with their hands up, notice how David in the scene doesn't do that) would probably say instead, "We're here hunting to bring food for our group; we mean no harm" or "We're here hunting for food; we're not looking for trouble." There is no need to emphasize the words hungry, women, and children as he did. I'm no expert on this type of analysis, but it's really interesting once you learn how bad people choose to speak compared to good people. Once you familiarize yourself with these tactics employed by bad people, it just screams terrible intentions.

[@McNugge.]

....what? What kidn of stupid analysis is that? Calm when threatened? I mean dang, f#ck...... You want him to throw a mcfcing stepdance and scream horrayyy? Blud is outta mind if you think it's more normal to act irrational and aggressive when you get a bow pointed at you😂🤡 He survived over 20 years by having a BRAIN , you know🤡🤡

[@Zack-bl2gg]

One of the creepiest things about David in the game is you’re confronted with dangerous people time and time again, then you meet David. And David seems like the only decent person whatsoever. Somehow. And he helps you. But he’s not good.

[@OilTank-wc3ev]

some times, the people you think is bad are the best people. David seemed way too nice when i first met him. While everyone else either wanted to kill me or i knew was good from yt vids or others.

[@jumentogenial-oi2oo]

The weirdest thing is that in real life it's like this. It's always the kindest and most caring person who ends up being a serial killer or a predator. In real life, people like David are like Ned Flanders in The Simpsons, religious, a pillar of the community. ps: I'm not saying that everyone who seems good is necessarily bad, but almost always the best are confused with the worst and the worst confused with the best people.

[@bungalowfeuhler1541]

What makes him instantly frightening is his lack of fear. Psychopaths lack empathy AND fear. His total lack of fear reactions gives you the creeps.

[@MrSpartan993]

They’re monsters by birth.

[@thehammurabichode7994]

I don't know if that's entirely true. But, to be fair, there are several situations where psychopaths can exhibit (seemingly) fearless behavior by being - impulsive - thrill-seeking

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@bungalowfeuhler1541 Or maybe he's a caricature?? and not a very intimidating Villain, he didn't do anything Very scary & he never won.

[@Dookieman1975]

David is what happens when suddenly laws do not matter anymore, an evil man no longer has to put up an act. A cult leader in the making, a sexual predator, and abuser and manipulator, and I’d excuse cannibalism in a dire situation but he does it regularly cuz it’s easier. The day the infections started was the best day of his life. It is insane how we went from Jackson to him and his town, a direct evil version of Jackson. How long had he wanted to do awful things to his students? How long had he shamelessly done his deeds in secret and while he was able to do whatever he wanted. I cannot believe I ever thought he could’ve been helpful and chill before the twist hit us. I would not be surprised if his end goal was to create a cult like the seraphim in part 2 where they take his every word very seriously

[@nave712]

You think he was a teacher before the outbreak?

[@solen5529]

@@nave712 He was a teacher in the hbo show which fleshed out a couple more details then the game so its safe to assume david as a teacher as well in the game

[@Canadian_Zac]

I honestly would love to see a show with someone like him as the Protaganist. In Walking Dead, they said if we'd followed Neegan's story, we'd rout for him like we do the other characters. I wonder if that would be the same. Would we be brought in by his mask, and see him as a guy doing what is necessary to survive out there. Or as the monster he is, using necessity merely as an excuse to indulge his twisted desires

[@TheOfficialAnniekins]

"The day the infections started was the best day of his life." That literally gave me chills. Cause when u think about it without any laws in effect- It's basically a playing ground for People like him. The world will rott SO badly if this ever happens irl. And it's terrifying to even THINK about

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

People like him are who make the laws

[@richardmillhousenixon]

I played Part One for the first time in December. Almost immediately I got a bad vibe from David, but the sequence was written so well that I began second guessing my initial hostility. Like if I was in the moment, I probably would have fell victim to David. And for that very reason, he terrified me more than any villain in any other story.

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

Ive seen worse, davids not that Threatening.

[@Dutchy4564]

​@@elongatedmanforever1252the scariest thing about him is how smart he is I mean look at the fight he is the only enemy in the game that can counter hearing by just staying still

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@Dutchy4564 Well he was until Ellie Killed him out of stupid Convenience, with a tool Under a desk that for some Reason he couldn't see, yeah I think she took him out way To easy & it was kind of laughable & This villain to easily be taken out by a child who wasn't even trying.

[@skillfuloli492]

It's very terrifying if you consider that there's people like him in real life, that's why I applaud the writers for making a textbook predator character

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@skillfuloli492 Well.. I wouldn't say he's completely Accurate.

[@Zack-bl2gg]

I think it’s also interesting how JOEL is the one who pulls her away from David, from the hatred and merciless slashes. When Joel’s gone, he can’t do that.

[@cocob0l0]

Fucking hell I’m going to tell a trusted adult about this

[@Zack-bl2gg]

@@cocob0l0 wtf 😂

[@heyyzoeegee]

​@@cocob0l0😂😂

[@connerthewubbzler1062]

Yeah, the game really did handle that segment way better than the show.

[@applepieexplosion4030]

Perfectly leads in to the second game too

[@valexx2651]

I just realized something. In the original game, when Ellie reaches the last phase of David’s boss fight he says “Run little rabbit. Run, hide.” I wonder if this is a call back to the introduction where Ellie shoots the rabbit. This boss fight is sort of meant to mirror that hunter/hunted aspect of this story where Ellie is now the prey instead of the predator, David. I don’t know why they took that line out.

[@matthewmcewen1]

Took that line out? When?

[@thebeavpercabethftw9604]

​@@matthewmcewen1I assume in the remake that we totally needed.

[@bell4889]

I just replayed this game today (winter and spring,) and the line in the remastered version is still there :)

[@blu4390]

@@bell4889 theres a remastered version for the ps4 and xbox one, which was just tlou but on next gen, and the remake, which is a total graphical revamp with some gameplay changes

[@yureiNekoX]

the thing that gets me about David's character is that *every* woman and girl who has seen this game or seen the show, they know *exactly* what kind of person he is. it might not be an immediate realization, but its clear from his language and tone. but he's a surprise to most men who encounter him for the first time.

[@darthrevan454]

I don't really think that's true. I'm pretty sure anyone who's paying attention knows what type of person this dude is on their first play through.

[@yureiNekoX]

@@darthrevan454 you'd be surprised. I've had to explain his character to way too many people because even after witnessing the "twist," some folks think it's "unrealistic" and not how a person would actually behave.

[@darthrevan454]

@@yureiNekoX I mean I get it but that's just a personal experience. From my end, I know a lot of people that already knew what he was. Or at the very least creepy as all hell.

[@Salvage5681]

I watched a playthrough of the game when i was rlly young and didn't suspect him of being a weirdo at all, it actually kind of scares me how trusting i am with characters similar to this (the ones that seem slightly off at first and only later get revealed to be monsters) only when the twist happens with these characters can i look back and say "oh my god how didn't i realize this sooner" I feel like David saving Ellie and not using his second gun to attack her was what really made me think "oh this guy is actually cool" ... i guess i couldn't have possibly known his actual reasons for doing that

[@themoongateofficial]

Anyone actually paying attention to the scenes could come to that conclusion, it’s not gender specific

[@notknown5950]

I think the difference between David & Henry is the fact that David is calm. Henry is trying to keep his brother alive & he’s desperate to do it, and you can see that through his actions. David however, does not have such desperation. Even when he says he’ll trade he does so as if it’s just a means to an end to get Ellie to calm down & listen. The survival of his group is secondary to the discovery of the cute puppy at the malls pet shop window. You can smell the ulterior motivation within his voice.

[@Somegoy]

When you first meet David I also felt extremely uneasy around him too. Nolan played this guy perfectly. You can tell that he is a master of putting on the face of a helpful guy right up until its too late for you

[@galavantgambitgaming]

This may sound silly but I appreciate people who stop by channels like this. Reading (some of) y'all's comments is fun.

[@breadchips4803]

❤

[@BarracudaT.V.]

Some aim to please, good day.

[@thehammurabichode7994]

I came here for the comments! I've never even played the game (or watched the video!) but one comment by someone named @zacharygilmore1070 really fascinated me

[@ZarMationStudios18]

I love how Ellie delivers that “oh” after David tells her she’s special. It all finally clicks for her in that moment. And her very next thought is to break his fuckin’ fingers ❤

[@David.77]

He sounds off mainly because he's using tactics to lower Ellie's guard and come across as a typical person. Ordinary people don't do that, so when bad people use these tactics, their mannerisms differ from an average person's, which we subconsciously pick up and notice(being able to pick up this stuff instinctually is something that comes with experience; this is why young/naive/inexperience people become victims to these kinds of people in real life). For example, this one sentence alone has so much hidden intention: "We're from a larger group - women, children - we're all very, very hungry." Notice how he never explicitly said here that they are hunting for his group to feed hungry women and children; he wants us to assume that. He's making us connect the dots while omitting so much information. He phrased his sentence this way to emphasize women and children. He wants us to focus on women and children, so we make the connection that a group with women and children are honest and reasonable people(but we know that's not necessarily true). When he added that "we're all very, very hungry," he wanted us to empathize with him and his group. Also, notice how he chooses not to say that he and his partner "mean no harm," "aren't looking for trouble," or "we're not dangerous." He doesn't say this because he subconsciously doesn't want to lie. Most people try not to lie, but when they do, they usually lie by omission. This is still true even with evil people like David. He also chose to emphasize women and children because those would bring joy and comfort to female kids, which Eliie is. All in all, he's trying so hard to lower Ellie's guard and indirectly make himself sound like an ordinary person. The average person, with their hands up (notice how David in the scene doesn't do that), would probably say instead, "We're here hunting to bring food for our group; we mean no harm" or "We're here hunting for food; we're not looking for trouble." There is no need to emphasize the words hungry, women, and children as he did. I'm no expert on this type of analysis, but it's really interesting once you learn how bad people choose to speak compared to normal people. Once you familiarize yourself with these tactics employed by bad people, it just screams terrible intentions.

[@JustaRandomDude1812]

"I'm not an expert on this Type of analysis" Mf you just explained the whole twist and why it's about to happen on his first scene, how do you not consider yourself an expert on this???

[@notknown5950]

Wrote my thoughts exactly better than I did. Wish I saw this before I posted my own comment. Very well written & comprehensive. Consider making analysis essays of your own because you have the talent for it.

[@LARA-sg4bt]

Everything was great until your small obsession with the good and bad people trope. No such thing as a good and bad person my friend, we’re all huge shades of gray that on average commit more good than bad. No hatred here, just wanted to share some perspective 😊👍🏽

[@David.77]

@@LARA-sg4bt Great perspective. I will edit some words to better reflect the idea of normal behavior compared to bad behavior. I will keep the word "bad" since we are discussing an evil person(David from LoU). Thanks for the input.

[@LARA-sg4bt]

@@David.77 incredible response from you, thank you for understanding! 🥰👍🏽

[@bassplayer2011ify]

This is my favorite part of the game from stalking the buck to the final confrontation with David. And through the stalking, they teach you how to win the fight with David. While stalking the buck if you step in a bush you break a twig alerting the buck doesn't matter if you are crouching. And in the final fight there are broken plates scattered around the restaurant that will tell David where you are. Again it doesn't matter if you are crouching. Combine that with the weather slowly getting worse as you progress. Oh it's just so damn good.

[@Cl0v3r-o5h]

I didn’t even think of that, that’s so smart how it prepares you like that

[@jurassicsmackdown6359]

I think Henry's introduction feels so stark in contrast to David is because... Henry is just a guy, looking after his little brother. He's a genuine dude just trying to survive David feels... Off. It feels like he's overly kind, like he's acting like what he thinks a trustworthy person acts like. Like he's... Faking it, to gain the trust of his prey. ... Down to the mimicking someone trustworthy, the consumption of human flesh... Even down to being in the winter chapter... David is, figuratively, a Wendigo.

[@retrodefault7913]

Wow, I never thought about like that, but now that you point it out, it makes perfect sense lol. Personally David scares me more than the actual wendigos in Until Dawn haha

[@LadyLeomon]

I see what you mean in the metaphorical sense, that f*cked was evil. I’m undecided on the Wendigo thing (metaphorically) cos depending on the version you read they’re either people who _chose_ to consume human flesh (in which case he totally fits the bill) or someone who driven to it (the Wendigos in Until Dawn, felt so sorry for those two). But hey it’s an awesome Theory-a *Game Theory!* Thanks for sharing 😎😎😎

[@mattelwood980]

Its the way David is cool, calm and collected in that first interaction. The world has literally gone to shit and everyone is living in survival mode and dude is just acting like its another fuckin Tuesday.

[@Saku_honey7]

Because for him what he is doing IS an actual fucking normal Tuesday, he was a teacher before the outbreak (or at least that's what the series says) and it gives me literal chills to think about it

[@bronmill33]

It just blows my mind how Troy Baker came out and asked “Tell me one thing that David did wrong” and basically tried to defend him. The man who played the father figure of the girl who David tries to groom, rape, and murder completely misunderstands and misinterprets a monster like that simply because he wanted to say that Joel was a bad person by comparing him to a pedophilic cannibal

[@LadyLeomon]

JFC seriously??? *That* is messed up 😰😰😰

[@YeeterSkeeter-uw4mu]

Troy is a good actor but has little media literacy and is led around by his agents.

[@Egobert]

I mean he's right, Joel was probably as horrible as David during those 20 years we din't see..and Joel tells Ellie a little when they are in Pittsburg

[@bronmill33]

@@Egobertdont try to justify his bullshit. Joel is a murderer but he isn’t a cannibalistic pedo who kills people for fun and not just for survival

[@anolive7535]

@@Egobert While Joel committing cannibalism is never confirmed or even implied in TLOU it can't entirely be ruled off the table. But Joel purposefully harming a child with malicious intent (esp. pedo stuff) is incredibly unlikely considering he was once (and became again) a loving father, even in his cold survivalist state. As for whether Joel is a 'bad person', I can't help but disagree. Joel's character cannot be neatly sorted into a 'good' or 'bad' category. He's been through hell and obviously had to do terrible things in order to survive as the post-outbreak world was incredibly harsh. Despite this he's able to reconnect with his more tender, loving side through Ellie. His decision to save Ellie instead of sacrificing her for a cure can be seen as 'selfish', which Troy seems to agree with, it was also the more empathetic/human choice. Ellie is his daughter and the only thing that he has left. To have her so viciously taken away from him after all they've been through is too much for him and the player themselves should be able to resonate with these feelings. So, Joel chooses to save Ellie over 'saving humanity', 'selfish' in the big picture but it's the choice any parent would make for their child. On the other hand, David is objectively evil. He's a sly predator that puts on a mask of friendliness to lure in his prey, then emotionally manipulates them before he goes in for the kill/sexual assault and cannibalising them. The excuse that 'David's doing it for survival' doesn't stand here as David seems to revel in the way he ensnares his victims. Everything Joel did was because of necessity, to protect himself and later to protect his new daughter from the harsh world they live in. David does it because he likes it.

[@jamesnorman9160]

What makes David's villainly so effective is that he isn't some gross monster or obvious supervillain...just a predator wearing human skin. And these kinds of people do exist in our world now. But in the world of TLOU, where the laws are gone and people can indulge in their depravity with abandon, these kinds of people can thrive. Bad enough that Ellie being on her own has to deal with the infected, she also has to deal with a predatory creep who comes across as nice and charming, but the second the mask comes off we all see him for what he truly is. And the final confrontation is one of my favourite 'non-traditional' boss fights in recent media. Creeping through the burning restuarant as David taunts you and urges you to come out, all while trying to get around him and hit him from behind. Ellie has no chance overpowering him head on - especially since when he can use his machete for an instant kill from the second phase onwards - so she has to get him from his blind side. The TV show as well showed a really effective portrayal of David too. Like he's clearly the leader of this group, but they all look clearly terrified of him too, especially the women and the girls. None of them like to make eye contact with him, for one thing.

[@alexischavez3238]

Where did you see the women and girls and other members of his group were scared to even look at him??

[@andytrevino4077]

​@@alexischavez3238Just look closely at everyone's faces.

[@lauritzen2]

​@@alexischavez3238he is takling about in the TV show

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

Yes people can be like that But have more nuances & Can be men & women.

[@fw--kx6sk]

I noticed while watching the show that when Ellie meets David for the first time and she asks for medicine, David asks if it is for her father and if this is his gun, implying that he knows about Joel and Ellie in some way, but she doesn't notice until he gives his speech about "things happening for a reason".

[@zierka13]

To me the thing that triggers so much anxiety when first encountering David is that he is a very charismatic old survivor. And in a setting as desperate as Last of Us, where someone like Joel who is also old is a known monsterous killer. David draws parallels with all the worst traits I ignore on Joel. Basically since I trust Joel I know his intentions, evil the particularly cruel ones, meeting a stranger with those same qualities in the surface level automatically assumed that his evil side would also be like Joel but being a stranger adds more danger as I don't have all the information against him. And then all the worst assumptions I've created in my mind are paid in full because it turns out, he's worse.

[@greekoutcast]

Thank you so much for this video. As a kid who was the victim of a pedophile, you have helped me reconsile with some of my emotions and thoughts about my abuser. The line you said about how it took such a vile, evil man to get Ellie to act in such rage and ferocity, resonated with me. My abuser has been dead for some years, yet i often think of what i would do to him if he was alive. People who know about what he did always told me it was lucky that he died, but i could only feel that he got off easy. Makes me not hate myself, believing that it took such a piece of trash to make me okay with wanting to harm another human

[@Cacowninja]

If it's ok to ask how'd your abuser meet his demise?

[@greekoutcast]

@@Cacowninja he got hit by a car while leaving drunk from work

[@Cacowninja]

@@greekoutcast Wow wonder who hit him.

[@greekoutcast]

@@Cacowninjait was a random woman. She was destraught

[@Cacowninja]

@@greekoutcast Distraught for hitting the guy?

[@noeraldinkabam]

“You shouldn’t be out here all on your own” is such a ‘nice guy’ line. “What’s a pretty girl like you doing here all by herself?” It creeps you out but you don’t know why. If you had girl parts you would know😢.

[@KaylaLoveHeart]

As well as wanting to "own" Ellie, I'm sure David also wants to kill Joel, getting revenge and giving Ellie no other means of survival to force her to his will. So giving her the medicine would make it easy to follow her tracks as well back to Joel too.

[@essandera9499]

That's exactly what I thought as well!

[@syca5094]

He's an underrated yet incredibly written character its ACTUALLY insane.

[@josephin92]

First time I saw David I thought he was a priest. Something I thing was not just my impression because in the live action he was kind of leading prayers and stuff. I think that resemblance to a priest is what makes me so uneasy about him

[@pizzapuff3680]

Personally, he’s not scary because he’s a priest. He’s scary because he hides his deeds as nessesary and also, he also hides between his belief. Which is wrong

[@matti.8465]

He kinda acts like a youth pastor in his friendly demeanor

[@watching7721]

In the show, they lean into him as a cult leader. I personally think that takes away from the intent of the character that the game portrayed, but that's just me

[@ratsoda]

@@watching7721well actually in the game theres signage in the restaurant that say something like “He shall provide” with the word “he” in red, so i think there was definitely some religious/cult undertones present in the game already. they used the same “He shall provide” sign in the show.

[@JohnSmith-pm3ew]

​@@watching7721 Im not so sure. In-game David already defiles "the flesh" and "the covenant" if we use catholic theology. God's covenant on Earth with humanity the second time is through Jesus Christ which is represented in his "marriage." To the church. But-that marriage said to be emulated between man and woman consensually-is instead here between a man and a child he wants to coerce. From a religious angle by being a pedophilic cannibal he is defiling both humans made in god's image and his covenant. By making him a priest, now he is defiling the Word of God itself, which existed before humanity or time itself. That is evil incarnate and it makes total sense to make that change in the show because of what i said before and the fact that the church absolutely has a problem with letting men with authority get away with an awful lot. Not like it's the only institution with that problem though. But that's exactly what would attract someone like David to that position.

[@magnum567134]

There's one small moment that always stuck out to me that shows Ellie's state after her confrontation with David. In the next chapter, you're going through a building and need to get to an upper level. So you need to boost Ellie so that she can find a way up for Joel. Pretty routine...but when you hit the button to interact, Ellie doesn't come. And if you look around, you'll see that she's standing somewhere staring off into space. Then Joel calls her over and she snaps out of it enough to do the action. I remember playing this for the first time and was just like, "Goddamn....this poor kid..." It's such a great way to use gameplay to add to the story

[@Sgt-lott10]

Makes me wonder what happened between gameplay/scenes to fuck up ellie of all people, someone who's been through more than most people doesn't just break like that over something small in comparison to the rest of everything

[@JohnSmith-pm3ew]

​@Sgt-lott10 This is after she is almost assaulted by a pedophilic cannibal. She is truamatized, and that can cause disssociation. That feeling of inherent safety that non-affected people have-that subtle blanket that surrounds you-it's gone now. Her brain disconnects from her body and she will have trouble feeling anything but the strongest emotions (absolute love, hatred, fear, etc.) moving forward, which leads into the events of TLOU 2. She will lack awareness of what she is really doing. It could have been reversible before Joel died, but he lied to her deliberately to keep her from leaving him. So she basically had no one to heal with, not really.

[@CarlosMunoz-vn5es]

the way the david plays in the show is even more intense .

[@syca5094]

Did they portray him well fr??

[@zackwalker1789]

​@@syca5094it's a good adaptation, but there's some distinct differences between the 2, and I prefer the game's version. Its revealed much sooner that David is a bad person, Ellie and David don't survive together, and they put much more focus on the cult leader thing. The entire group is very nervous around him, and most of them don't know they're being fed human meat. When the guy that stabbed Joel is killed, David tells the group they'll bury him in the spring when the snow is gone. He then secretly feeds him to the group, including the man's daughter, and David seems to take pleasure in tricking her into eating her own father

[@syca5094]

@@zackwalker1789 thank you so much! Yeah I'll definitely check the show out then :)

[@filipvadas7602]

David, and his group for that matter, are what Walking Dead tried to do for years but perfected. They're essentially what happens when laws don't exist anymore, but they're largely not sadistic, savage or even really selfish. They're mostly just regular people trying to survive. Which is the *perfect* enviorment for a monster like David to thrive in. He has this disarming, almost cult leader like personality which, when combined with how calm he is, really gives you an idea of how many times he's probably done this song and dance and how many victims he's likely taken advantage of since society collapsed

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

Question is how did he become Who he is?? every villain has a Backstory even pure evil ones.

[@mrsfieri]

@@elongatedmanforever1252he’s probably this way due to the virus break out. he probably had weird desires towards little girls in the normal, before cordecyps infection world, , but due to laws, didn’t act out on them. in a world that now has no laws, he’s not going to face legal repercussions. this allows his true colors to show.

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@mrsfieri i was thinking he propably was abused by his parents him saying things like "everything Happens for a reason", sounds like what a abusive parent would say to their child & it messed him Up psychologically, people that Have "interests in kids" have Something wrong with them & are usually mentally damaged.

[@mrsfieri]

@@elongatedmanforever1252 i personally don’t think that’s the case at all

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@mrsfieri How come?? People Dont just randomly have "certain feelings" in their head, its mostly from Derangement or abuse, albert fish is the best example.

[@PiperLNorth]

I'm so glad you talked about David. He's definitely one of the most interesting characters in the franchise, but he often gets overlooked.

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

Its most likely cause hes so Underdeveloped.

[@ZEHAHAHA9697]

Another masterful video, I like you are able to break down characters good/evil whether you like them or not. Giving the equal understanding and breathing life into the characters and making them feel real. This was a journey and appreciate these videos. You are really creeping into my top 10, one video at a time.

[@joecroft4274]

The introduction of david is done so much better int he game than the show. The fight sequence where Ellie and David have to work together to survive does a masterfull job at allowing the player to get comfortable with him, like Ellie does, before the reveal that knows who she is and that Joel and her killed some of his men. Which turns the paranoia up to 11 for both Ellie and the player.

[@my_girl_seraphine5294]

The first time I knew about David was all thanks to the TV show and he seriously triggered me. Since he reminded me of people I’ve met and had hurt me at several points. So I was more than happy to see his face get hacked in.

[@connerthewubbzler1062]

The game does his story better imo, I didn't care for their cheap attempt at trying to have some "morals" for him, the show didn't executed nearly as well as it was in the game.

[@NoCluYT]

@@connerthewubbzler1062 sometimes some villains do NOT need to be humanized.

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@NoCluYT Yeah but they are human they arent some carroon villain & they are complex & have More reasons then "i am bad".

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@connerthewubbzler1062 Well having him be pure evil Could of worked if his character Had a goal then just being a simp for ellie.

[@connerthewubbzler1062]

@@elongatedmanforever1252 Yeah, although I feel even Dio from Jojo's felt more "Human" than David, and he even started off a bigger dick than anyone on east side of of Fiction...then they gave him some really interesting moments where you see he's not trying to do good, but struggling with his own sense of self. (The guy cried when his brother died, that's a pretty good way of giving a character a Humanizing trait without trying to make him seem gray.)

[@V_0777]

13:28 that line is like #1 red flag alert that they shouldn't be trusted. In fiction or in real life. If I heard a stranger say that to me irl, alarm bells will IMMEDIATELY go off in my head

[@Gentleman_Ghoul]

I never even thought about David having THAT kind of interest in Ellie.

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

i thought he just wanted her To join him & be like him it could be both.

[@Cl0v3r-o5h]

It was very clear to me the first time I played the game, the way he talked to her, wanted to be a team, and what really confirmed it was when he placed his hand over Ellie’s and talked about how similar they are.

[@lunicean]

For me it's the fact that the first time they sit by the campfire, Ellie keeps her distance and doesn't let go of her rifle. Right after they come back from fighting the infected TOGETHER, she sits and immediately lowers her gun. She wouldn't mind keeping her hands cold 'cause she'd rather be ready to shoot him if he tried anything, but he gained her trust that he wouldn't let her die, and so she lowered her defenses against him. It's absolutely clean and amazing. The attention to detail, the body language of every single character. Immaculate, I'm so in love with this game.

[@gayroach2916]

The part where hes coming at you with a machete is fucking TERRIFYING you’ll be sneaking around and you just see him turn and start SPRINTING towards you I was screaming in circles around that diner for what must have been like 20 minutes

[@michaeloneill1360]

Wow! You Hit It Out of the Park with your Analysis of David! There's really nothing left to say, except that Killing David was the #1 Most Satisfying Boss Kills of All Time! I just wish they could've Cast someone for the HBO Show that resembled him more, the actor in the show is ok, but the Game Character just looks 10 times more Creepy! David is up there in the Villan's Hall of Fame with Leatherface & Norman Bates!!!!

[@juancortez3077]

David is a monster! I thought Odin was manipulative.

[@domthe5260]

But I ask, would Odin eat Midgard and Asgard citizens? Have Pedo vibes?

[@juancortez3077]

@@domthe5260 Odin was never cannibalistic in the game. He would of course sacrifice anything and anyone to keep power. Odin was also not a pedo.

[@Ch3CKP0INT.]

David’s not that bad

[@Ishbikes]

@@Ch3CKP0INT.so you relate to David? 🧐

[@Ch3CKP0INT.]

@@Ishbikes NO,it’s just not as bad as people make him out to be

[@demiraziz7783]

The first encounter with david and his pal gave me chills, he seemd off from the get go they did a great job to make the monster that is david. In the remake of tlou 1 it was even more scarier to face him in the dinner ,you rly got me hooked on tlou again W.

[@NikkiLuv618]

its how Buddy Boy (James) reacts to David's kindness that sets off my alarm bells. Buddy Boy looks at David like he cant believe theyre stepping out of cover, and clearly wants to argue about the medicine. David is clearly not behaving how he normally behaves around Buddy Boy.

[@matthewmcshane399]

You should totally analyse the WLF and the seraphites from the second game.

[@picachurocket]

💯this!!

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

13:28 The reason why that line probably makes you feel so uncomfortable is because David was trying to come across as reasonable or to create a division. "You know, I get you. You shouldn't be here on your own. See? I'm not one of the bad guys, even though I'm implying I think like they do". He's trying to be relatable. He's trying to be like "Eh, see? I'm not a bad guy, I'm a good guy. There are bad guys out there (who are not me, of course) though". It also sounds like a threat. Like he knows there is something out there, but he won't, for whatever reason, be clear about what that something is.

[@rubenhinze7695]

Also something that stood out to me about David's village (In the series - which I watched first) was that they were the first group we saw after Tommy's village. For me this put my guard down since they appeared very similar, just that they were struggling more, which made them appear more sympathetic. In the series we see the community side before we see the enemies side of the village like in the game (besides the men at the university of course - who I didn't make a connection to until David revealed it). But my point is how the story was designed to put your guard down just before this because after seeing Tommy's village, there's suddenly hope that people aren't all viscous and jaded killers in this world, but then of course they pull the rug out from under us and shows this to be the worst group of people you've met thus far. Absolutely brilliant

[@George-on5hi]

12:42 those are traits of a sexual predator. My elementary school principle was a predator molested my friend Noah. And thats how he would act and my mom always had a bad feeling about him before anyone knew. That was Early 2000s

[@David.77]

He sounds off mainly because he's using tactics to lower Ellie's guard and come across as a good person. Ordinary people don't do that, so when bad people use these tactics, their mannerisms differ from an average person's, which we subconsciously pick up and notice(being able to pick up this stuff instinctually is something that comes with experience). All types of evil people use similar tactics, which is why sexual predators to sociopaths just sound off sometimes.

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

​@@David.77 The question is what is davids Character he just likes ellie & thats it??

[@eva1585]

@@elongatedmanforever1252 You'll understand when you're older

[@elongatedmanforever1252]

@@eva1585 that already happened You're point Is??

[@CriticalSurvival0]

The Giraffe scene was absolutely beautiful. Gave the game that one extra thing that makes a perfect game.

[@colleen_sculpts]

It’s awesome to see videos like this taking the time to thoughtfully break down the moments between characters who myself and the team worked so hard to create, love to see it

[@jackpotter3887]

Did you work on TLoU?

[@colleen_sculpts]

@@jackpotter3887Yep for 4 years. Dream project

[@colleen_sculpts]

@@jackpotter3887 Yes! For about 3 years. Dream project

[@TheAhsokaTanoFan]

Excellent video and breakdown! I wanted to add that he also secretly had another gun but made her believe he only had the rifle, this was another hint that he was untrustworthy from the start

[@hot-_-fries1254]

I think what’s really crazy about his character is how his twisted snd perceptive he is. David’s first conversation with Ellie when they meet in the woods when he gets her to basically tell him that she’s alone and not with a group when she goes from “ I’m with a group, women and children, all very hungry “ to “ if you give me some medicine, the deers all yours.”

[@pedrotbird5426]

I remember meeting David for the first time and my immediate thought was "this guy feels really wrong" 90% of people you've met on the way try to kill you in one way or another, to see someone actually offering you things is an immediate red flag that something is wrong ironically.

[@KentrenYeh]

Low key, if I had to pick the most genuine character, it would probably be Bill. His rudeness and hostility towards Ellie, was just an indication that he wants nothing to do with Joel and Ellie. Shit he was reluctant to help get them a car. Bill would sense David's big bullshit from a mile away

[@A_99_R]

Every time I hear the line “and get this, he was travelling with a little girl” every hair on my body stands up. I can feel David’s cold breath on my neck when he breath chuckles at Ellie’s shock. He enjoys watching his victims feel scared. David was played incredibly by Nolan North and, honestly speaking, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such great acting in anything else, whether it be a movie or tv show.

[@emekao502]

We can all have discussions of the ethics and moral implications of Joel’s decision and if it makes him a bad person. But there’s no justification for being a child predator.

[@FabulousFire]

Ngl, the reason I never bring up David or remember his part in the story is because I got so traumatised and locked the experience away in my mind lmao

[@ctripp0073]

I haven't even played the last of us yet but its fatbrett so I must watch

[@nave712]

It’s easier to appreciate it if you’ve played the game

[@ctripp0073]

@@nave712 I played 3 hours of it a few months ago but got distracted by something else but now I think imma go download it cause this peaked my interest so I'll watch this after I play it, also I already own the remastered version but the remake looks great so should I buy it instead if its worth it?

[@b.hstudios6322]

You got to finish it man it’s a masterpiece and so is the second one

[@ctripp0073]

@@b.hstudios6322 im definitely going to now I have it downloading as I type this

[@ctripp0073]

@@b.hstudios6322 I'm definitely going to im downloading it as I type this

[@steel2572]

I havent played the game in years but just from these first few cutscenes he reminds me a lot of Odin from GoW. That calm reasonable tone of voice. He talks like everything will be ok if you just trust what he says. Kinda interesting how similar they are in a lot of ways. These kinds of people tend to be the most dangerous.

[@steel2572]

Watched a bit further and I see Brett mentions this also lol.

[@Thomasfoolery69]

At 23:32 right when you say "okay, here it is" in regards to what David was about to say to Ellie giving a voice to evil, for me it cut to a commercial for paramount plus where one of the characters in whatever show it was, in a montage of paramount plus properties, said " click click" and that was the first words in the ad after you saying " here it is"

[@tommyp440]

I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.

[@snakesnoteyes]

David has cult leader vibes from jump

[@snakesnoteyes]

Cult leader vibes is vague, so what I mean by this in specific terms are the following: 1. David always feels like he thinks he’s in control when you meet him, 2. David’s “concessions” feel patronizing and manipulative (because he feels like he’s in control), 3. David’s followers when Ellie meets them in the wild feel almost feral, and like David is only one holding the leash (so they read as a more organized version of the raiders you met earlier).

[@SpuddyWesker]

@@snakesnoteyes bruh cult leader vibes said it well enough

[@snakesnoteyes]

@@SpuddyWesker thanks, mate. It’s the internet so you can never know

[@Vivid12334]

Farcry 5 😮

[@DEML91]

There is a detail that writers missed in both the game and the series , cannibals tend to easily get kuru with makes their hands shake, its a small detail but it would have been a better way for Ellie to notice that he was a cannibal instead of out right showing it.

[@sheesherwhiz3846]

You get Kuru only from eating the brains of infected people, which have also only eaten brains of the infected. I doubt they’re eating anything except for the meat.

[@essandera9499]

Only if they eat the brain. Also, kuru kills you in three months once you start experiencing symptoms. It would be kinda weird fighting a boss who will die in two months. He also wouldn't be able to fight that good etc.

[@nave712]

I did not expect to see this so soon!!! You’re the best at what you do Brett!!!!

[@Rockport1911]

In the documentary its mentioned that Ashley herself suggested that Ellie gets portrayed more badass and then this substory of Winter with David got put together. Originally Joel was the only one playable but suddenly being able to play Elllie suprised everyone and helped to shape her charactere so much more. Definately the right decision, a good segement between Joel getting injured and a climax before starting the last stretch to the Hospital. The segment is just pure storytelling- gold. Unfortunately its one of the many pieces from Part1 that show what the story in Part 2 is missing.

[@BlueMoonlight777]

I actually loved playing Ellie because she is so much more vulnerable. Getting used to Joel with his level ups in everything felt save and then we have to play her with half his health bar?! I was so scared being hurt 😅 I loved that. Felt real.

[@Josh-ez5hf]

I love the meek "sorry" he gives Ellie when shes surprised he has the second gun. He's still putting on that innocent front after the reveal is a hint of what's the come

[@spacejasontodd]

Holy shit, only now that I finished and clicked away from your essay I noticed it was published solely one day back! Thank you, it's a joy to hear more from you, I'll definitely be coming back now :)

[@jorgecastillo2391]

They picked the perfect person to voice David. When you think of a psychotic dangerous man, David’s voice perfectly fits that description. A high pitched voice that’s always shaky and never still. I kinda wished we spent a little more time with him seeing that mental decline or display how manipulators behave, maybe see Ellie come to somewhat trust David before he reveals his true intentions. This game was made for the ps3 originally so I guess that is a lot to ask from a game 2 console generations ago

[@ihaveproblemsandissues1060]

I love the last of us and David in my opinion is one of the most overlooked characters. He’s so intimidating yet calm. The writing in this game is too good! Great video essay

[@vaclavkokes6236]

oh yeah i would want a full on essay about the similiarities between kratos and ellie that sounds fun

[@leearthcolonel4311]

What really got me when i saw him for the first time it was that he was waaayyy to calm, friendly , and overall creepy, where in a world like the last of us, almost no one would be that confident, calm, and willing to obey someones else demands, it was clear to me that David knew from the start that he had an advantage, like the example of when he showed that he had an extra gun, or that his men was about to kill Ellie, he knew he could easily play with her, it is sooo interesting everytime to see what a manipulative persoon is capable of, and most of the times it is just natural to them, they were born with this ''talent''.

[@azathoththe3rd]

Characters like this really make me wonder "what did they do before the apocalypse"

[@KentrenYeh]

I'm still on the fence on wether or not David was a typical or actually a felon-like person before the apocalypse. From what I gathered, he seemed to be a Youth Pastor.

[@henriquesouza8704]

Great video, just a little correction. The guys in Pittsburgh are also cannibals, Joel walks through their "meat locker" that has a bunch of corpses hanging from the ceiling.

[@Cacowninja]

They don't eat those people they just kill them, scavenge them and leave their bodies lying around. I know he walked through cannibals meat locker in Colorado and saw bodies. But the hunters just kill and scavenge people not eat them.

[@Frankly_Amazing2000]

Yeah, I never trusted Dave at all. And I knew what he was doing trying to be friendly…too friendly.

[@lenig3012]

I think that for a lot of women who played the game, we still did not trust this guy. We knew something was sketchy from the start, and although he had saved Ellie earlier, something in how he interacted with her made my skin crawl. Women know men like that all their lives. Even when they do something 'noble', it comes with ulterior motives.

[@LilReezy_1437]

Not every guy, and I’ll tell you this, not every guy is awful.

[@Mavuika_Gyaru]

​@@LilReezy_1437 many are so putting your guard up around men is a good idea

[@LilReezy_1437]

@@Mavuika_GyaruSounds a bit like internalized misandry...

[@Mavuika_Gyaru]

@@LilReezy_1437 internalize deez nuts, I'm only spitting facts. You never know which man is bad or not so best to put your guard up around one until proven otherwise

[@joshc5051]

​@LilReezy_1437 You're a fucking high class moron of them all. Instead of understanding one's fears with compassion, you take it as an insult to your personal character when it isn't.

[@connerthewubbzler1062]

That's where I felt like the Show tried WAY too hard to try and Humanize David, not only did they make him actually worse, but they also fucked up trying to give any angle of giving him Humanity.

[@Luc42]

Let's be honest. David knew exactly who Ellie was the minute he met her. It seems like he was just waiting for her as he and James step out from behind the cabin the minute she makes it to the deer. I always read his non-hostile behavior as two things: First from a player perspective, to try to catch us off guard. Every single stranger not previously mentioned that we've met in this game (with the exception of Henry and Sam) has tried to kill us. I think deep down we know who David is. If not the leader of whoever attacked us at the University, he's certainly affiliated with them as it's logical that Ellie couldn't have dragged a critically injured Joel far in late October or mid November. Two, from a story perspective. Ellie just brought down a deer by herself. David can see that she's good with a bow. And if my theory is correct, he knows she and Joel killed several of his men at the University. It's safe for him to assume that she's as deadly as Joel is because even after being wounded, they escaped his group once before. I think it's true that David gives the faceless, nameless human enemies a face and a voice. But I think he's also a dark mirror of Joel. At this point, Joel loves Ellie like a surrogate daughter. It's part of why he ends up sacrificing the potential of a cure to save her. Joel believes she deserves a chance to grow up and live a relatively normal life. David, on the other hand, turns very hostile toward Ellie the minute she doesn't do what he wants. He thinks she should be grateful for the lengths he's gone to to keep her alive. He feels like Ellie owes him something for "saving" her life.

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

1- He's not scared by Ellie. Had I been in that position, I would've ran away. The fact he acts as if he were in control when it's in fact Ellie the one who could shoot him an arrow between the eyes is creepy as hell. 2- His "friend" doesn't question his orders. Had I been the friend, I would've been like "Are you sure you want me to leave you abandoned with this psycho girl?". The fact the guy flees and is more concerned with following orders than leaving David to possibly get killed is another concerning issue. 3- When he's in the cabin with Ellie, he asks her a lot of questions. Were that me in his position, I would shut the f*ck up so as to not upset or trigger anything that could get her to shoot me. He kept trying to get her to engage. Very odd. Conclusion: His behaviour doesn't match the circumstances. It's clear by his keen demeanour he wants something from Ellie. It's also bright as day he's a top dog. There's something theatrical about him. Too good to be true.

[@IvaraGG]

Oh man, i really enjoyed your analysis of this character, i was waiting with passion for that, the character with the presence and potential to be a incredible final boss without being a real final boss to this game.

[@theblackcatgirl7013]

10:53 I think I can somewhat point to why David felt a lot more suspicious than Henry. Henry was not trying to deliberately appease and appeal like David was. David was overly friendly in a world where you could barely trust anyone, even in today's world overfriendliness is a red flag. He was also very forward, pushy, kept making soft jokes and his companion wasn't like either him or Sam at all, not that he wasn't a kid but because he was just plain unfriendly. Downturned brows, angry face, quiet, looked behind a lot, and having a burglars hat.

[@daniloribeiro2361]

Wow man. This was really good. Congrats to you! Such rich arguments that this couldnt be better described than as an essay. Keep up the work!

[@spiculicious]

100% of everyone "omg i was so suspish of his nice guy act he is so obviously evil" meanwhile me trusting him all the way up to the moment physical violence breaks out. says something about my naivety.

[@connorscortex]

Bloody brilliant video lad and an expertly written script as well!! I’ll definitely be coming back to this video when I’m looking to write for an antagonistic character. Good work! 👌

[@unavezms8167]

In the show he's played by Scott Shepherd and I was uncomfortable by him. There's nothing to be worried about, the guy was nice but my gut was telling me he's a bad guy. I am 100% sure it's intentional.

[@sobekmania]

I like how David is depicted in the show. The writers take it one step further by depicting him as a manipulative preacher who is capable of keeping a village's worth of people under his control by instilling fear and hope into them. He rewires religion into a weapon against the people he encounters, presumably so that he can have his way with them. I found his depiction in the show to be chilling, because knowing about his interaction with people, especially children, who are far more vulnerable than adults, is solely based on what he wants to do to them.

[@robchuk4136]

Because I'll keep beating this drum, the way David is written to disarm Ellie (and the player), who rightfully should be weary of strangers, is an example of how the first game does a better job at something the second game tried to do

[@theoalara]

I first saw tlou when my brother was playing it, I didn’t even realize he was a creep until he puts his hand on Ellie’s in the cage

[@vclentines9350]

You make an amazing point with winter being shown to be the worst season for Ellie- in the second game Joel dies during winter

[@danielgonzalezjimenez5677]

Hell yeah, right as the video cones out

[@lunarose698]

What makes David a terrifying character is that he represents the dark side to the humanity of The Last of Us. I completely understand this because I've had an encounter with a man who was just as crazy as David was. The way he touched Ellie on her hand now reminds me of what happened that night.

[@ghita3afrita]

David is immediately unsettling because of how friendly and open he his. he immediately gives his name, unnecessarily tells ellie that his group has women and children, offers to give medicine and hands over his gun, etc. in an environment where you absolutely cannot trust a stranger, and resources are so scarce, its unsettling that he's so..forthcoming. it immediately sparks red flags. then he tries to touch on personal matters. he asks why ellie is alone, says that whoever is hurt must mean a lot to her. again, topics you dont bring up with a stranger in such an environment. another minor thing for me was how he spoke to his buddy and how the buddy replied. David's tone with ellie was soft, and it became assertive in a split second when ordering his buddy, then immediately gentle again when addressing ellie. buddy-boy seemed anxious or maybe scared. add this to the already suspicious dynamic of an old man who has company with a little girl in the woods, it's all very unsettling.

[@jellyking8319]

dude another tlou vid legends

[@gummybearchewy5444]

Great analysis but I do feel one thing is left in the air. When David is able to take the gun away from Ellie and is standing over her with the gun. David asks her a question “How did you do it?” Which is left unanswered. My personal interpretation of what he meant is how were you able to get the better of me. Which if that is what the Developers were going for shows a level of Arrogance that we don’t see with any other character in the game. Story wise it is also the turning point in this fight. He had just caught her by surprise, disarmed her and is now pointing her gun at her. But instead of killing her David asks this question and the Fire then distracts him allowing Ellie to get away and proceed to get the upper hand in the fight.

[@anamariapritcan2586]

As a teenage girl that has a teacher that is like David I knew who David is from my first gameplay. I felt his fakery and how his character acts with Ellie