Twenty long years after the outbreak of the Cordyceps virus, Joel is a hardened survivor whose obsession with survival is fueled by his desensitization due to his daughter's death. Joel's years of survival have led him to become resourceful, practical, and emotionally impenetrable. Distant at first, but warming up to people over quite some time, Joel is loyal to those he cares for. He is 56 years old, is from Texas, speaks with a gruff southern drawl, and has a younger brother named Tommy.