David - A Deconstruction of Villainy
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มิ.ย. 2024
- David represents the worst of humanity in The Last of Us, and Ellie's confrontation with him marks a major turning point for her character.
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
02:30 A False Final Boss
04:46 The Meaning of Winter
07:10 His First Scene
14:38 Revealing His True Identity
21:15 Fractured Power
23:17 Ellie is Captured
31:38 Final Confrontation
35:24 Conclusion - เกม
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.
This is so fucking well said
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.
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.
@@ShadowProject01 I hadn't paid much attention to his partner - that's an excellent observation, too
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
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.
this was so satisfyingly articulated.
Doesn't Ellie refers as herself in a kind of sarcastic way when she says "women and children" here?
@@iguanasandwich28she says it in a more frantic, “I don’t want him to think I’m alone” kind of way
that's one thing scary about him, is dangerously smart
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.
I never realized that David serves as the only real “boss fight” in the game. Perfectly fitting for what he represents in the story.
Except there's the big boys that 100% constitute a boss fight that he ignored to make his point 😂
@@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.
@@emilykerbs5226i agree
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
@@robogreek3157 The bloater at Bill's is the only one of the bunch you actually have to fight though.
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
I knew he was gonna be that
From the beginning its kind
Of obvious.
female instincts
@@professorboltzmann5709
which is flawed just like
Male instincts.
@@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.
Just the way he talks even at first is off just his voice is off putting.
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.
Norlan North is literal in everything. I think he’s also voiced Magni from God of War.
@@domthe5260Modi. It’s Troy Baker who voices Magni
Nolan has one of the most recognizable voices on the planet, the list of characters he voices is huge. @domthe5260
Guy is so talented
Nolan north, the guy who is every other guy in almost every other game
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.
Interesting
Ive never thought about that
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.
I'm sorry you had to go through that life is hard enough most of the time without those types of encounters!
@@michaeloneill1360 thank you
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 😊
Did he die horrifically?
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.
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.
Very well put!
But why is he doing that & what does
He have to gain from it??
@@elongatedmanforever1252Food.
@@elongatedmanforever1252 Because he wants *her*
@@Bioskye
Why though?? is it because
Of her abilities of immunity
Or just because??
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.
She was alone and desperate.
I don't blame her at all.
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
when she refers to "women and children", she's talking about herself sarcastically. Because she's female and a child
She is very smart, yet quite naive and inexperienced.
It also tells them that she needs Medicine ASAP
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.
I noticed it the moment he shot the infected with his pistol after he lied to Ellie about not having a weapon.
You can find some children’s clothes as Joel, and the goon refers to her as “newest”. He’s done this before.
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
You think he was a teacher before the outbreak?
@@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
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
"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
People like him are who make the laws
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
@@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.
....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🤡🤡
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.
They’re monsters by birth.
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.
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.
@@ronaldolson6553 TREACHEROUZ ASS
[NOT YELLiNG, JUZT LiKE TYPiNG iN CAPZ]
@@ronaldolson6553 Its something we'd want Ellie or Joel to do in a similar situation
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.
But why was he like that & why
did david want to menipulate
Ellie??
“Turned into ribbons” 💀
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.
@@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??
@@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.
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.
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.
Ive seen worse, davids not that
Threatening.
@@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
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
Fucking hell I’m going to tell a trusted adult about this
@@cocob0l0 wtf 😂
@@cocob0l0😂😂
Yeah, the game really did handle that segment way better than the show.
Perfectly leads in to the second game too
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.
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.
@@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.
@@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.
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
Anyone actually paying attention to the scenes could come to that conclusion, it’s not gender specific
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
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
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
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.
"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???
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.
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 😊👍🏽
@@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.
@@David.77 incredible response from you, thank you for understanding! 🥰👍🏽
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.
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.
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
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 😎😎😎
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.
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 ❤
This may sound silly but I appreciate people who stop by channels like this. Reading (some of) y'all's comments is fun.
❤
Some aim to please, good day.
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.
Where did you see the women and girls and other members of his group were scared to even look at him??
@@alexischavez3238Just look closely at everyone's faces.
@@alexischavez3238he is takling about in the TV show
Yes people can be like that
But have more nuances &
Can be men & women.
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".
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.
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
JFC seriously??? *That* is messed up 😰😰😰
Troy is a good actor but has little media literacy and is led around by his agents.
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
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
He kinda acts like a youth pastor in his friendly demeanor
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
@@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.
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.
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.
“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😢.
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
Question is how did he become
Who he is?? every villain has a
Backstory even pure evil ones.
@@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.
@@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.
@@elongatedmanforever1252 i personally don’t think that’s the case at all
@@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.
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.
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.
@@connerthewubbzler1062 sometimes some villains do NOT need to be humanized.
@@NoCluYT
Yeah but they are human they
arent some carroon villain
& they are complex & have
More reasons then
"i am bad".
@@connerthewubbzler1062
Well having him be pure evil
Could of worked if his character
Had a goal then just being a
simp for ellie.
@@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.)
the way the david plays in the show is even more intense .
Did they portray him well fr??
@@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
@@zackwalker1789 thank you so much! Yeah I'll definitely check the show out then :)
David is a monster! I thought Odin was manipulative.
But I ask, would Odin eat Midgard and Asgard citizens? Have Pedo vibes?
@@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.
David’s not that bad
@@Ch3CKP0INT.so you relate to David? 🧐
@@Ishbikes NO,it’s just not as bad as people make him out to be
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
If it's ok to ask how'd your abuser meet his demise?
@@Cacowninja he got hit by a car while leaving drunk from work
@@greekoutcast Wow wonder who hit him.
@@Cacowninjait was a random woman. She was destraught
@@greekoutcast Distraught for hitting the guy?
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
He's an underrated yet incredibly written character its ACTUALLY insane.
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.
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.
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
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.
@@David.77
The question is what is davids
Character he just likes ellie
& thats it??
@@elongatedmanforever1252 You'll understand when you're older
@@eva1585
that already happened
You're point Is??
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.
You should totally analyse the WLF and the seraphites from the second game.
💯this!!
David has cult leader vibes from jump
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).
@@snakesnoteyes bruh cult leader vibes said it well enough
@@SpuddyWesker thanks, mate. It’s the internet so you can never know
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
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.
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
10:03 This whole sequence he sounds exactly like someone trying to lure a stray cat close enough to grab.
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 :)
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
Did you work on TLoU?
@@jackpotter3887Yep for 4 years. Dream project
@@jackpotter3887 Yes! For about 3 years. Dream project
I did not expect to see this so soon!!! You’re the best at what you do Brett!!!!
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.
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.
Its most likely cause hes so
Underdeveloped.
I never even thought about David having THAT kind of interest in Ellie.
i thought he just wanted her
To join him & be like him
it could be both.
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.
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!
I love ur style of breaking things down and explaining it to us, very entertaining and you certainly made me think more deeply !
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.
Characters like this really make me wonder "what did they do before the apocalypse"
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! 👌
To me when I played TLO I thought David was trying to be a nice Joel which is why I thought He was a fucking creep
But why was he doing it??
Why did he want ellie??
@@elongatedmanforever1252 He wanted Ellie for his fantasies
@@theodorvalentinghita1779
Fantasies of what Ellie??
is that his whole purpose??
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.
I haven't even played the last of us yet but its fatbrett so I must watch
It’s easier to appreciate it if you’ve played the game
@@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?
You got to finish it man it’s a masterpiece and so is the second one
@@b.hstudios6322 im definitely going to now I have it downloading as I type this
@@b.hstudios6322 I'm definitely going to im downloading it as I type this
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
I always enjoy your video essays, you do a great job
I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.
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
I love these deep dives keep it up!
THIS WAS BRILLIANT!! THANK YOU!
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!!!!
Ellie tries bluffing david by adopting/using joels dismissive/uncaring emotions. Ellie was too young too fool a weirdo like david
What an amazing breakdown. Well worth the 35+ min watch. Subbed.
Your content is incredible. Thank you 🙏
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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
I LOVE your tlou videos
When you talked about the theme of fate, I thought about part two. When Dina gives Ellie the iconic bracelet, they have the following exchange:
"I don't believe in luck."
"I do."
Ellie saying she doesn't believe in luck here to me signifies her growth. She tells Dina she doesn't believe in luck, and committing this to word shows that she's voicing the struggle she's had with fate. She wants to claim she doesn't believe in luck because luck, fate, however you want to put it, has let her down. She thought she had a purpose, she thought there was something greater, but on the way to that purpose she's been extremely unlucky. She's lost nearly everyone she cares about along the way. So when Dina, someone she loves, says she believes in luck, it's like she's trying to restore Ellie's faith that one day something will go her way, that she might be fortunate for once. Ellie has given up on hope, on the notion that she could make a difference, that she was fated to, but Dina hasn't. So when Ellie loses every bit of hope and belief in fate, when she decides to take things into her own hands, to ditch the bigger picture fate narrative for her own self serving narrow revenge path, it comes at the cost of Dina.
excellent analysis of the character. always look forward to your videos
Great video essay, enjoyed it thoroughly
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.
Hell yeah, right as the video cones out
This game changed my perspective of life etc, love the video keep it up 👍🏽
Amazing analysis man i poured over this game and missed a lot of subtle details you just pointed out
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"
dude another tlou vid legends
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
Thank you for this video, very interesting.
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.
Watched a bit further and I see Brett mentions this also lol.
The Giraffe scene was absolutely beautiful. Gave the game that one extra thing that makes a perfect game.
In an endless sea of video essay analysis, FatBrett is the best. I always click on your videos instantly. Thank you for what you do!
Great video man!
oh yeah i would want a full on essay about the similiarities between kratos and ellie that sounds fun
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.
I love your videos make u look at these games with way more depth
Btw
The Hunters are canibals too
In a section of the game we excape through a garage that is full of dead people, their arms legs cut of