Have you ever wondered about the exact year when the world of The Last of Us, a place filled with intense stories and desperate survival, truly began its descent into chaos? It's a question many fans ask, and it’s a good one, because understanding the timeline really helps make sense of everything that happens. You see, the years when events unfold can be a bit tricky, especially when you think about the differences between the original video games and the popular television series.

There's a good reason for any confusion, too. The creators made some interesting choices when bringing the story from consoles to the small screen. So, if you've been pondering just what year Joel and Ellie’s adventure actually takes place, or when the cordyceps brain infection first started to spread, you're certainly not alone. It's a pretty common query, and getting the dates straight helps paint a clearer picture of this post-apocalyptic world.

This article will help sort out those dates, giving you a clear idea of when things happen in both versions of this powerful story. We’ll look at the initial outbreak, the main journey, and how the show shifted things around a bit. So, let’s get into the details of the timeline for The Last of Us, shall we?

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Table of Contents

• The Outbreak: The Beginning of It All
  • When Cordyceps First Appeared
  • The Outbreak in the Game
  • The Outbreak in the HBO Series
• The Main Story: Joel and Ellie's Journey
  • The Game's Primary Timeline
  • The HBO Series' Primary Timeline
  • The 20-Year Gap: What Happened In Between
• Why the Timeline Changed for the Show
• Frequently Asked Questions About The Last of Us Timeline

The Outbreak: The Beginning of It All

When thinking about The Last of Us, the very first thing that comes to mind for many is the start of the cordyceps brain infection. This event, the moment the world truly changed, is a significant marker for the entire story. It’s what sets everything in motion, really, and knowing when it happened helps us understand the characters’ lives and experiences. So, let's explore how the beginning is presented in both the video game and the HBO series, as they do differ a little, which is interesting.

When Cordyceps First Appeared

According to the research available, the cordyceps, the fungal threat that brings about so much trouble, apparently appeared on Earth on a certain date. This is the very first point on the complete timeline of all known and trackable significant events within The Last of Us universe. It's the absolute earliest moment we can pinpoint for the existence of this particular danger, which is quite a thought, isn't it? This initial appearance sets the stage for everything that follows, even before the widespread outbreak.

The Outbreak in the Game

In the video games, the story of The Last of Us begins in a specific year, a moment that really kicks off the action. The plot of the game first opens in 2013, and this is the year when the initial outbreak of the cordyceps brain infection (CBI) truly starts to cause widespread chaos. It’s during this time, in 2013, that Joel and his daughter Sarah are forced out of their home because of the rapidly spreading infection. So, for game fans, 2013 is the year the world turned upside down, a pretty memorable date, you know?

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The Outbreak in the HBO Series

The HBO series, however, opted to have the outbreak start in a different year. This is different from the original game, which is something many viewers noticed right away. The initial outbreak, as adapted by HBO, occurred in 2003. This means that for the TV show’s timeline, the very first day of the outbreak, sometimes called Outbreak Day, happened on September 26, 2003. This is a full decade earlier than in the game, a pretty big change, as a matter of fact, and it shifts the entire starting point for the show’s narrative.

The Main Story: Joel and Ellie's Journey

After the initial chaos of the outbreak, the story of The Last of Us truly gets going with the journey of Joel and Ellie. This is where the bulk of the narrative takes place, showing us how life is lived in a world forever changed by the cordyceps. The time period for this main adventure also differs between the game and the show, which means the characters experience their world with different amounts of time having passed since the outbreak. It's a key detail, really, for understanding their experiences and how they cope with the new reality.

The Game's Primary Timeline

In the video games, as we know, the story starts off in 2013 with the outbreak itself. The main part of The Last of Us’ story, where Joel and Ellie go on their long and dangerous journey, largely takes place in that same year, 2013. So, the events you play through, the encounters, and the difficult choices, all unfold relatively soon after the world changed. This means the game’s primary timeline is quite concentrated around that initial year of the outbreak, which is kind of interesting when you think about it.

The HBO Series' Primary Timeline

The HBO series, on the other hand, sets its main story much later. While the initial outbreak occurred in 2003 for the show, the majority of The Last of Us’ story, as adapted by HBO, takes place in 2023. This means that when we see Tess and a much older Joel living in Boston, and when Ellie realizes she is immune, these events are happening in the summer of 2023. So, the present timeline in The Last of Us Season 1 begins in 2023, a full 20 years after that initial Outbreak Day. It’s a significant jump forward, giving the world a lot more time to crumble, too it's almost.

The 20-Year Gap: What Happened In Between

Because the HBO series skips over a whole two decades, there's a lot of time that passes between the outbreak in 2003 and the main story in 2023. During these 20 years that The Last of Us skips over, Joel builds a completely new life for himself. This period of time is when he adjusts to the changed world, finds ways to survive, and develops into the person we see at the start of the main narrative. Like so much of that time period, we don't have many specific details about what exactly happened during those two decades, but it's clear that Joel’s experiences during this gap shaped him profoundly. It’s a big chunk of time, obviously, that the show lets us imagine, in a way.

Why the Timeline Changed for the Show

You might be wondering why the creators decided to change the outbreak year for the HBO series. It’s a pretty big decision, after all, to move such a foundational event. Series co-creator Craig Mazin told Insider he suggested the change so the show's main timeline felt more immediate and relatable to a modern audience. It might be that the 2020 pandemic popped up in Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s minds at the time, leading them to think about how a more recent outbreak might resonate. This decision, to shift the dates, was made to make the story feel more connected to our present, in a sense, which is a pretty clever move, you know?

By moving the outbreak to 2003 and the main story to 2023, the show essentially brings the "present day" of the narrative closer to our current real-world time. This helps viewers feel a stronger connection to the characters and their struggles. It makes the idea of a world twenty years after a global catastrophe feel very tangible. So, the change wasn't just random; it was a thoughtful choice to enhance the viewer's experience, which is really something to consider.

The source video game, meanwhile, opted to have the outbreak start in 2013, keeping its narrative closer to that initial event. This is different from the original game, which is primarily focused on the immediate aftermath and the journey beginning right after. The show’s decision to have a longer gap allows for a different kind of world-building, showing the long-term effects of the infection and how society has adapted, or failed to adapt, over a greater span of time. It gives a different flavor to the world, honestly, making it feel more established in its brokenness.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Last of Us Timeline

People often have questions about the specific dates and years in The Last of Us. Here are some common ones that help clarify the story’s setting.

What year does The Last of Us game start?

The video game version of The Last of Us starts in 2013. This is the year when the cordyceps brain infection outbreak first happens, forcing Joel and Sarah to leave their home. So, the game begins right at the very start of the world-changing events, basically.

When does the HBO Last of Us series begin?

The HBO series for The Last of Us begins its main story in the summer of 2023. This is 20 years after the initial outbreak, which, for the show, occurred on September 26, 2003. So, while the outbreak itself is in 2003, the primary narrative we follow with Joel and Ellie is set two decades later, in 2023.

Why is the HBO series timeline different from the game?

The timeline for the HBO series was changed to make the main story feel more current and connected to our present day. Series co-creator Craig Mazin suggested this shift. It might be that the 2020 pandemic influenced this decision, making the idea of a post-outbreak world in 2023 feel more immediate and relatable for viewers, which is a pretty good reason, I think.

Learn more about The Last of Us universe on our site, and check out this page for more insights into the show's development.

For more general information about the show's background, you might find details on HBO's official The Last of Us page helpful.