In The Last of Us Joel is the villain.
Well, he is A villain. That we see the best of him, that he is sentimental, that he has been hurt. that he is capable, that he can protect people, that he has lost more than most humans and been driven to the very edge of sanity with loss - these are just the reasons for his behavior. He is not intentionally viscous or hateful. He does try to spare people.
That doesn't stop him from doing something absolutely unforgivable. Even Ellie, who loves and trust him more than anyone had to struggle to forgive him. This is real human villainy.
Then there is the dramatic Vaudevillian silliness of Irenicus. Great voice acting but really - so dramatic and over the top all the time. It is fun though, but Irenics - when he meets his end - is like scratching a self-righteous itch. No tears for Jon Irenicus.
Nobody feels that way when Joel dies.
