In the Last of Us, the theme is simple and played very sparsely. It is in E minor.
By the end of the game, the change has cemented to B minor, a fifth upwards. It is changed when the relationship between Joel and Ellie has been cemented. Joel is comfortable bringing up Sarah, his deceased daughter.
B♭ is touched upon a few times
The new change in B minor starts for sure as Joel is driving them away from the Fireflies Lab.
The first time the key hovers around B minor is in Jackson, Wyoming in Fall. It’s the first time the question of Joel and Ellie’s relationship has been really explored.
Start
The leitmotif in E minor is played very distinctly in these parts:
- The intro
- The Capitol Building
- The Suburbs, before the ending cutscenes
Middle
It first changes in the chapter of Tommy’s Dam