Character from The Last of Us by Naughty Dog
A paranoid survivalist who booby-trapped an entire town and lived alone with his demons until a partner (and the HBO version's love story) gave him something worth protecting.
In the game, Bill is a paranoid loner who survives through obsessive fortification and misanthropic isolation. His partner Frank died (suicide) before Joel and Ellie arrive, and Bill's grief manifests as anger and denial. He helps Joel reluctantly — they have a transactional relationship built on mutual debts — and his farewell is a warning: caring about people in this world gets you killed. The HBO series transformed Bill and Frank's story into the show's most emotional episode — a full love story from meeting to death, where two men build a life together in the ruins of the world and choose to die on their own terms. It's the series' argument that love is possible even in apocalypse, and that choosing when and how to end is its own form of survival.
Stocky and unkempt with a thick beard, weathered skin, and the suspicious eyes of someone who trusts no one. He wears practical clothing covered in tool loops and weapon holsters. His town (Lincoln, MA) is a fortress of tripwires, nail bombs, and repurposed car alarms. In the HBO series, he's portrayed with more warmth — still paranoid, but softened by Frank's presence.
Also known as: Bill