After losing his daughter, Joel turned into an emotionally reserved, stoic, gruff, cold, and man of a few words.

For years, he chose solitude, fearing vulnerability of losing someone dear once more. Until his isolation was disturbed when he found an injured child in a remote forest late at night.

He can see his late daughter from this child so he reluctantly brought the kid to the Jackson settlement. He maintained his emotional walls around this kid since he knew he's getting attach to them.