Even with little officially known thus far, there’s much to be excited about regardingIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. It’s a hefty title that will hopefully be supported by a ton of weighty lore as any worthwhile science-fiction story is, andIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetbeing Naughty Dog’s first new IP in over a decaderaises questions about how the studio may push the envelope or explore gameplay in ways it might not have been able to withUnchartedorThe Last of Us.
The cinematic reveal trailer forIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophetat least revealed that melee combat with an unmistakably unique blade will be featured. Otherwise, this reveal sold precisely how cinematics-oriented the game will be with stunning photorealism and A-list acting talents such as Tati Gabrielle and Kumail Nanjiani. The teaser is littered with environmental storytelling that probably won’t be parsed or comprehensible until the game is released, but ifIntergalactic’s protagonist, Jordan A. Mun, has taken any inspiration fromThe Last of Us’ Ellie then it could be worth imagining what the symbology or importance of her tattoos may be.
Ellie’s Tattoo in The Last of Us is a Rich Tapestry
Adorned along the length of Ellie’s forearm is a fern and a moth. Ellie is seen with this tattoo inThe Last of Us’ sequel, having had it donebetweenThe Last of Us’Part 1andPart 2by Cat. With the story told to the people of Jackson that it merely covers a chemical burn, Ellie conceals her most precious lie.
Ellie’s immunity is precisely what has saved her life in multiple scenarios and it’s also what has flung her into such immense tragedy since she was 14 years old. Joel demanding that she keep her immunity secret had always been logical advice, even if he’d like it to be kept hidden so that there are no risks to her life like there was with the Fireflies inPart 1, and Ellie had swallowed that with uneasy acceptance.
The tattoo itself is more than a mere lie, though—according to Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann, it represents Ellie and Joel’s relationshipwith the moth being a play on the firefly.
This is also influenced byThe Last of Us’ worldbuilding with the Fireflies and their mantra of ‘looking to the light.’ If nothing else, the moth symbol Ellie has tattooed is the same one depicted on the stem of Joel’s guitar and that significance alone would be sufficient reasoning to have it permanently etched onto her person. As such, there are layers of subtext and significance players can dissect fromEllie’s tattoo inThe Last of Us Part 2.
Jordan’s Tattoos in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet are All Question Marks
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s Jordanhas far more than just a forearm tattoo and, given how crucial Ellie’s tattoo was in developing her character further between games, it’s not unconscionable to predict or infer that each of Jordan’s will have at least some symbolism or substance in either the overall story’s lore or her backstory. Ellie’s forearm tattoo was born out of the need to mask her infected bite, for example, and Jordan’s recently shaved head could be an attempt at a disguise, just as any one of her tattoos could bear a similarly tragic and meaningful tale.
Having Jordan wear a tank top in her leisure draws attention to her exposed arm and chest tattoos—a wardrobe choice anyone proud of their tattoos would make, sure, but it’s also a conscious effort on Naughty Dog’s part and the studio would have to know that whatever it inks onto her body will nevertheless be pored over for any meaning or relation to the narrative. Either way, a huge octopus tattoo with tentacles along the length of her forearm and the back of her hand is highly reminiscent of Ellie’s tattoo imagery at a glance.
While it’s possible that her tattoos could simply be arbitrary or based on whims rather than having profound importance, Jordan’s tattoos are likely incredibly specific and all represent parts of her life that won’t be clear until more is learned about her as it’s unclear what most of her tattoos even are. Of course, there’s a possibility that none of her tattoos ever receive an explanation or line of dialogue dedicated to them and that Naughty Dog came up with Jordan’s tattoos as a part of her character’s visual design alone without any hidden subtext assigned to them.
