Bill (TLOU) Art Pack (Patreon)

Once upon a time, I had somebody that I cared about. It was a partner. Somebody I had to look after. And in this world, that sort of shit's good for one thing: gettin' you killed.

Bill is an extremely paranoid and somewhat quirky man. He leaves notes around town for himself and sometimes carries on conversations or plays chess with himself. He was a fan of chess, knowing about Bobby Fischer, a world-famous American chess world champion and grandmaster. His paranoia keeps him alive, but renders him mistrusting of others, even those he knows, such as when he doesn't believe Joel when he says he's not infected at first. Bill was likely skeptical and mistrusting of others prior to the pandemic, but living in isolation for so long following Frank's disappearance, surrounded by infected, has clearly taken a toll on him.

When talking to other people he is extremely sarcastic. He is extremely vigilant with strangers, always inspecting them to ensure they are not infected. Ironically, he is quite hasty in making decisions, adding to his uptight personality. His base is heavily protected with booby traps and mines that he crafts and arms himself and lives in a self-sufficient manner, preferring isolation to the risks of living with people.

There are some instances that imply Bill is gay. He refers to Frank as his "partner" and says that, although he once cared about Frank, he decided it would be best to go it alone, fearing for his life. When Joel does arrive, he wishes him gone straight away, expressing a desire to live on his own despite the isolation. Bill is clearly saddened when they later find Frank's body but represses his emotions, instead putting up a grim and dismissive front, brushing Frank's death off with a "Fuck him" though the man was once his lover. Ellie steals a pornographic magazine with a male model from Bill's safe house, jokingly asking Joel, "Why are the pages all stuck together?", further enforcing Bill's sexual orientation, and also explaining why he was very angered at Ellie touching his pile.

Bill's weight is often the subject of insults from Ellie. She repeatedly tells him that he could afford to lose some of his food. The banter and witty remarks between Bill and Ellie escalate when, immediately before setting out into the streets of Lincoln to scavenge auto parts, he implores Joel and Ellie to "Stay right on my ass". Ellie replies "Can't miss it." Ellie's sharp tongue reveals how easy Bill is to anger, and he often threatens Ellie for her remarks. However, he is an honorable man, willing to pay off debts and assist certain allies, as seen in his eventual agreement to repair a vehicle for Joel if they can source the parts.

Skills and abilities

Bill is a skilled mechanic who knows how to repair cars and craft things with just scraps and spare parts. He carries most of his equipment in his backpack. Perhaps the most impressive display of his crafting skills is his invention of the nail bomb. He uses these to set several traps around his town to kill infected and ward off intruders.

According to Joel, Bill is also skilled with a bow, using it to kill infected from a distance and in high areas. Despite this, he prefers to use a shotgun and his kukri knife for close-quarter combat. With Joel assisting, Bill uses his shotgun to kill a bloater, the strongest type of infected. He also uses a 9mm pistol, notably when threatening Joel, though only uses it when his shotgun isn't on hand.

Bill is also incredibly strong, able to force a clicker off of him, something Joel, a strong and capable combatant, and several other survivors are unable to do. In close combat, Bill uses a unique type of machete known as a kukri to fight the infected.