Joel was born in 1981, texas, joel eventually had a daughter Sarah, in 2003 a Cordyceps fungus started infecting People and an apocalypse began, Sarah was eventually killed as they were escaping the infected, Joel and his brother Tommy survived for 20 years then Joel met Tess, who he worked with until they met Ellie, a 14 year old immune girl raised in a military Base, they are tasked with smuggling Ellie to the fireflies to create a cure, but Tess sacrificed herself leaving joel and Ellie alone