10 reasons why The Last of Us is better than The Walking Dead

The Last Of Us has established itself as a fantastic zombie drama that is even better than The Walking Dead in many ways! Here's why.

Debuting in 2023, The Last of Us became an instant sensation. Adapted from the acclaimed video game sereis by Naughty Dog, the show takes place in a world where a deadly plague has killed millions around the world and mutated many more into dangerous feral creatures. Survivors are scattered, with society collapsing into different types of rule with several American cities under ruthless military control.

Joel (Pedro Pascal) is a hardened man making a semi-criminal living when he's hired by the Fireflies, a paramilitary group fighting the oppressive military rule over what's left of civilization. Joel is hired to escort Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a young teen who, for some reason, is immune to the plague and might hold the key to a cure. That takes them on a road trip across a devastated United States.

It's easy to compare The Last of Us to The Walking Dead, and there are several reasons why this HBO saga, in just one season, is so much better than Walking Dead and why it's such a hit.

1. The Last of Us is far more faithful to its source material

While the first episodes of The Walking Dead hewed closely to the comic book by Robert Kirkman, it quickly went off in its own direction. By the mid-point of the original series, it was obvious that TWD was its own beast and that it was not afraid to go against the comic in terms of storyline, characters, and more. That has led to changes angering comic fans and some backlash.

In contrast, The Last of Us brilliantly adapts the award-winning video game it's based on. Several scenes are lifted verbatim from the game (which was already stunningly realistic), from the chilling opening of the outbreak to several key adventures. It does take a few shifts here and there, but otherwise, game fans have loved how well the series adapts its source material.

2. The main leads are fantastic

The Walking Dead is known for a large and sprawling cast, some of whom are very good, like Andrew Lincoln, while a few others don't quite measure up. The Last of Us is laser-focused on Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, and they are nothing less than sensational. Both have scored numerous award nominations, with Pascal winning a SAG award for his work.

The chemistry between the pair is stunning to watch as their initial distrust slowly thaws into a pseudo-father-daughter relationship. Each has suffered terrible losses and is hardened by this world, yet Ellie's child-like demeanor gets through Joel's bitter shell. Watching them eat the screen alive puts any of TWD's dramatic scenes to shame.

3. The characters feel more fleshed out

The Walking Dead does a good job with its characters, yet there are a few that feel a bit empty, more talked about than shown. The Last of Us makes the characters more fleshed out, mostly with great flashbacks. Pascal shows Joel's believable transformation into a hardened man, while an extended flashback shows Ellie's own childhood tragedy, so you feel for her more.

It's not just the leads, as we get great insight into short-lived characters like Tess (Anna Torv) in a way that makes her fate feel like a blow. There is also the tragic tale of Henry and Sam and the realistic bond between Joel and his brother Tommy. And don't forget Melanie Lynskey's scene-stealing turn as Kathleen, the cold militia leader who becomes one of the show's best villains. Even small characters feel amazingly real and are more vibrant than TWD's cannon fodder.

4. It can cut loose more with the visuals

The Walking Dead can push the boundaries when it comes to gore, as expected for a zombie show. However, it's still a basic cable program on AMC, and thus can't cross lines when it comes to serious cursing or violence. HBO doesn't have that problem. So we get characters cursing up a storm, gunshots are more graphic and it can depict stark brutality. But the show doesn't overindulge, giving us a realistic vision of how these people are handling this brutal world.

And the HBO budget makes the production top-notch; The Last of Us looks like a big-screen event and more epic.

5. We get a better feel for this world

While we've gotten hints now and then about the sider world of The Walking Dead, the story is generally very contained and doesn't usually step outside a handful of locations. Even spinoffs like Fear the Walking Dead didn't tell us enough about how the zombie outbreak impacted the rest of humanity. In contrast, we get an instant sense of how the cordyceps plague has changed the world of The Last of Us.

It's there in the ruined cities and a crashed airplane Joel and Ellie stumble upon during their journey. The viewer gets a sense of world that has changed in shape, and one that feels lived in. The production values help, as does discussion of how things went on. There are nice details like how Ellie is a bit out of date on pop culture, or the world-weary attitudes of people we meet. It feels like a real world that draws viewers in.

6. We actually learn how the outbreak happened

The Walking Dead has never really explained how the zombie outbreak happened. Even after over a decade on the air, the origins remain unknown and are just hinted at in the early days. The Last of Us doesn't make that mistake, as the very scene of the show has a scientist hinting at the plague to come and the whole first episode is dedicated to the initial chaos that unfolds as society falls apart fast. Episode 2 has a flashback to a scientist telling the military they need to bomb the entire city of Jakarta to contain it, which we know fails.

Another powerful scene has Joel telling Ellie how the cordyceps plague spread through food, and thus, in a single weekend, the world as we knew it ended. It's a great move by the series to show how this unfolded, the way it spread so fast, and answering those questions off the bat, which removes a potential distraction from the drama.

7. The infected are far more terrifying

The Walkers on The Walking Dead can be dark, there's no denying it. They can be scary, attacking in droves, and even a single one horribly grotesque. But they have nothing on the Clickers from The Last of Us. At best, you get people still resembling human beings, only pushed by the disease into feral beasts that make those chilling sounds as they amass on people. It's uncanny and unnerving.

Then there are infected with mutated fungus growing out of their heads and other body parts, barely looking human anymore. The bloaters are the worst, monstrous creatures spewing acid and tearing people apart with their bare hands. People know it's better to run and hide than try to fight these monsters, which makes them feel like more of a threat than the Walkers.

8. The Bill and Frank episode is a masterpiece

The Walking Dead has had some good episodes over its run, but few that can be called TV classics. In contrast, the third episode of The Last of Us, "Long, Long Time," instantly earned acclaim as one of the best TV episodes of the 21st century. An extended flashback shows how Joel's acquaintence Bill (Nick Offerman), a suspicious hermit, finds drifter Frank (Murray Bartlett) intruding on his land and reluctantly lets him stay.

From there, the pair connect and embark on one of the most wonderfully written and heartfelt romances television has ever seen. The actors are wonderful as we see their lives together and their heartbreaking end. Offerman won a much-deserved Emmy for the role, as this one episode puts so much of TWD (and many other shows) to shame.

9. The Last of Us doesn't pull punches

The Last of Us takes place in a dark and brutal world, and the series is stunning in showing how it hardens people. That means the show can be nasty; no one is safe, not even children. The pilot features a horrible death that forever changes Joel. There are more gruesome fates ahead, and the show doesn't shy away from how Joel has done some pretty horrible stuff in his past.

The topper is the first season finale, which replicates the game's ending with Joel making an impossible choice that many debate to this day. It's not tidy, it's ugly and makes you think, which is more than what most seasons of The Walking Dead have done. That finale alone shows how nothing is easy on The Last of Us, but that makes it better.

10. The Last of Us isn't outstaying its welcome

There have been so many jokes made about how The Walking Dead became a zombie itself, shambling along to a weak end after 11 seasons, not to mention the spinoffs. Although the franchise still has things to offer, that was too long for some fans. In contrast, the producers of The Last of Us have made it clear they don't want it to go that long.

Season 2 will adapt the second game in the series, split over the course of two seasons. And while it's possible there will be more story after that — Naughty Dog has hinted at a third game for a while — there's no expectation. That's a good idea, as it's far better for a show to go out on a creative high than drag things out and lose the spark.

These two shows do share some good qualities, like in the way smaller characters making a big impact, and everyone is free to enjoy them both. Yet in many ways, The Last of Us is a better watch than The Walking Dead.

The Last of Us season 1 streaming on Max. Season 2 is due out in 2025. All seasons of all Walking Dead shows are streaming on AMC+. The third season of Daryl Dixon premieres on Sunday, September 29.

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