why did they kill off joel

Joel was killed off because it follows the storyline of the original video game "The Last of Us," where Joel's death is a pivotal and inevitable event. In the show's second season, Joel is brutally beaten and killed by Abby, the daughter of a Firefly doctor Joel had killed in season 1. Abby's act is motivated by revenge for her father's death, and Joel's killing serves as the inciting incident for the season's story. The showrunners decided to stay true to the game and to use Joel's death as a major dramatic and emotional turning point, particularly impacting Ellie, who witnessed his death and whose journey of vengeance unfolds as a consequence. Joel's death symbolizes loss and the harsh consequences of the characters' past actions in the post-apocalyptic world.