Just like Ellie from ‘The Last of Us,’ these 8 video game characters are fueled by teen angst

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The Last of Us is having a moment. Fueled largely by the success of the live-action HBO series of the same name, the 2013 game (and its 2020 sequel) are a cultural phenomenon for good reason; both the game and the show tell a compelling story filled with a little action and a lot of emotion. For a show about surviving a post- apocalyptic America, The Last of Us shines when it focuses on the complexity of its very human characters rather than its infected. Episode arcs exploring cult-favorite characters from the games have been celebrated and the two lead actors have been praised for their portrayal of the main characters and the deepening relationship between the battle-scarred Joel and the sarcastic, jaded Ellie.

In both parts of the game, Ellie is, understandably, fed up with the post-apocalyptic world she lives in. She is also a teenager, coming to terms with growing up and trying to find her place in an all-too-terrifying reality. Many of our favorite video games have focused on telling the story of a teenage protagonist as they come into their own and, no matter what stage of life we find ourselves in, we find ourselves relating to their journeys. Maybe because most of us will be or have been a teenager at some point, or maybe because there’s always a little angst in all of us, many classic games seem to be about teenagers.

Whether you’re a brooding adolescent, or just want to play one, here’s eight of our favorite video games about angsty teens.

In either the original or the remake, Final Fantasy VII‘s main protagonist is one of our fave angsty teens. Cloud Strife starts out as a former member of SOLDIER, a group of elite superhuman warriors employed by the Shinra Electric Power Company, but becomes a mercenary for