Ellie Moth Tattoo Meaning in The Last of Us Season 2

Nivedita Dubey
May 19, 2025

Summary:

The Last of Us Season 2 explains Ellie’s moth tattoo as a symbol of death and obsession.
The tattoo reflects Ellie’s traumatic past and her transformation into an agent of vengeance.
The moth design also ties back to Joel, serving as a reminder of their bond.

What Is the Meaning Behind Ellie’s Moth Tattoo in The Last of Us Season 2?

Ellie in THE LAST OF US SEASON 2 EPISODE 1

In The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 6, Ellie’s moth tattoo is directly addressed, unlike in The Last of Us Part II game where its meaning is left open to interpretation. After a five-year time jump, the show introduces a 19-year-old Ellie in Jackson with a large forearm tattoo. The design—a moth perched on a fern—hides the burn Ellie inflicted on herself to cover the bite mark that made her immune.

The HBO series reveals Ellie became fixated on moths around her 15th birthday. In a flashback, Joel gifts her a guitar with a moth carving on the neck, inspired by Ellie’s sketches. By age 17, Ellie begins tattooing the moth on her arm. Joel questions the design’s meaning, to which Ellie vaguely replies it’s “symbolic” and tied to what she read in a book.

Later, Joel asks a therapist in Jackson, Gail, about moths in dream theory. She explains that, unlike butterflies which symbolize growth, moths symbolize death. This detail adds new weight to Ellie’s choice of design—not just a symbol of change, but a constant companion of death in her life.

Why Does the Moth Tattoo Reflect Ellie’s Character Arc?

The moth tattoo mirrors Ellie’s emotional journey. It’s not just decorative—it encapsulates her self-perception and the trauma she’s endured. Bitten at 14 and marked for death, Ellie’s immunity was the catalyst for the events of Season 1. Her survival came at the cost of many lives, including that of the Firefly surgeons, after Joel chose to save her instead of allowing them to create a cure.

This burden weighs heavily on Ellie. By choosing a moth—an emblem tied to death and darkness—she externalizes her inner torment. The deaths of Riley, Tess, Sam and Henry, and later Joel, deepen her sense of loss and guilt. In Season 2, Ellie transitions from passive survivor to active agent of death, driven by vengeance, echoing the moth’s symbolism of inevitable darkness and fatal attraction.

Moreover, the tattoo signifies her connection to Joel. The moth Joel carved into her guitar represents their bond. After Joel’s death, the tattoo becomes a permanent reminder of their relationship and the choices that defined it. It’s a visual representation of Ellie’s pain, legacy, and transformation.

How Does the Tattoo Link to Joel and the Firefly Symbolism?

Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us Season 2

Neil Druckmann, creator of The Last of Us, previously explained that the moth is visually and thematically linked to fireflies, the central symbol of the original series. Fireflies produce light; moths are drawn to it—sometimes fatally. This symbolism reinforces Ellie’s obsessive pursuit of justice and meaning, especially following Joel’s death.

Joel’s carving of the moth on the guitar, a deeply personal gift, ties him to the tattoo design. It reinforces the idea that the tattoo is more than a symbol of death—it’s a tribute to her complex relationship with Joel, filled with love, betrayal, and grief. The moth also reflects her fascination with light and the consequences of chasing it, similar to how the Fireflies pursued a cure, regardless of cost.

This duality—light and darkness, life and death—makes the moth tattoo a powerful symbol of Ellie’s identity in the series.