You probably hate him. Honestly, most people who played The Last of Us Part II for the first time came away wanting to put a bullet in Manny Alvarez's head. It’s understandable. He’s the guy who spat on Joel’s corpse. In a game built on the foundation of our love for Joel and Ellie, that’s basically an unforgivable sin. But if you look past the initial "spit heard 'round the world," Manny Last of Us is actually one of the most complex, humanized, and—dare I say it—likable characters in the Washington Liberation Front (WLF).
He isn't just some grunt.
Manny is the emotional glue for Abby’s crew. While Abby is descending into a pit of single-minded obsession and trauma, Manny is the one making sure everyone is fed, joked with, and protected. He’s a fiercely loyal friend, a womanizer with a surprisingly soft heart for his father, and a hardened soldier who has seen way too much shit in the Seattle QZ. To understand Manny is to understand why the WLF exists in the first place. They aren't "the bad guys." They're people who found a different tribe.
📖 Related: How to Play Twilight Princess in 2026: From Original Hardware to Modern Emulation
The Manny Last of Us Problem: Why the Hate is So Intense
Let’s talk about the scene. You know the one. Baldwin Mansion. Joel is on the floor, bleeding out, and Abby delivers the final blow. Before they leave, Manny leans over and spits on Joel.
It was a visceral moment. For players, it felt like a personal insult from Naughty Dog. Why would they make us play as these people?
But context matters. To Manny, Joel Miller wasn't a surrogate father trying to save a girl. Joel was a monster who slaughtered an entire hospital full of Fireflies. Joel was the man who killed Jerry Anderson, Abby’s father, and effectively doomed the hope for a vaccine. Manny didn't see a hero; he saw a terrorist who destroyed his world. When you realize that Manny was a high-ranking Firefly before the collapse of the Salt Lake City chapter, his anger starts to make a lot more sense. He’s loyal to a fault. That loyalty translates to a deep, burning hatred for anyone who hurts his "family."
A Life Built on Salt Lake and Seattle
Manny didn't just spawn into existence in Seattle. He’s part of the "Salt Lake Crew," the group of former Fireflies who traveled from the St. Mary’s Hospital ruins to Seattle to join Isaac’s WLF. This is a crucial bit of lore. These people have a shared history of failure and loss.
In the WLF, Manny rose quickly. He became a Lieutenant. He’s a crack shot. He’s also the guy who manages the logistics of the "Forward Base." If you pay attention to the environmental storytelling in Abby’s half of the game, you see Manny’s influence everywhere. He’s respected. He’s the guy who gets things done.
The Relationship with His Father
One of the most humanizing aspects of his character is his relationship with his father, who lives in the WLF stadium. In a world where everyone is dying of infections or bullet wounds, Manny takes the time to visit his dad, who is clearly struggling with his health and perhaps a bit of dementia or general aging.
It’s a quiet moment. It’s not flashy. It shows a side of Manny that Ellie never gets to see. To Ellie, he’s just a target. To his father, he’s a son who brings him extra rations and checks on him between patrols. This duality is what makes The Last of Us so haunting. No one is just one thing.
The Sniper Confrontation: A Masterclass in Tension
If you’ve played through the "Winter Visit" or the trek toward the Marina, you know that Manny’s story ends abruptly. This is one of the most intense sequences in gaming history. You’re being hunted by a world-class sniper. You don't know who it is at first. You just know they are picking off WLF soldiers with terrifying precision.
Manny and Abby are pinned down. The chemistry here is peak. They move in sync. They trust each other implicitly.
When the reveal happens—that the sniper is Tommy—it’s a shock. But for Manny, there is no "character reveal." There is just a bullet. Tommy catches him off guard, and just like that, Manny is gone. No grand monologue. No final words. Just the brutal, sudden reality of a revenge cycle that doesn't care about your backstory.
His death is a turning point for Abby. It’s the moment she realizes that her quest for vengeance didn't just kill Joel; it’s killing everyone she ever cared about. Manny was her protector. Without him, she’s truly alone in the WLF.
Why Naughty Dog Made Manny So "Grateful"
There’s a running joke/meme in the community about Manny’s dialogue, specifically his use of Spanish and his general "macho" energy. Some fans found it stereotypical. Others found it authentic to a guy who grew up in a bilingual environment and used bravado as a shield.
Voice actor Alejandro Edda (who played El Chapo in Narcos: Mexico) brought a ton of weight to the role. He didn't play Manny as a villain. He played him as a survivor. In the world of Manny Last of Us, you either have your people’s back or you’re dead. There is no middle ground.
He loves anime. He likes girls. He drinks. He fights. He’s a "normal" guy thrust into an abnormal world. By making him "likable" in Abby’s chapters, Naughty Dog forces the player to confront their own biases. If you liked Manny during the Marina sequence, how do you feel about your desire to kill him in the first half of the game? That’s the core question of the entire franchise.
The Tactical Role of Manny in Gameplay
From a pure gameplay perspective, Manny is one of the best companions. Unlike some AI companions who just hide behind crates, Manny is aggressive. He uses a semi-auto rifle and is actually quite helpful during the encounter with the "Seraphites" (Scars) in the forest.
- He calls out enemy positions effectively.
- He provides suppressive fire that allows you to flank.
- His presence makes the "hard" difficulty feel slightly more manageable.
He’s a soldier's soldier. When you’re playing as Abby, he feels like a safety net. When he’s removed from the equation, the game becomes significantly scarier.
What Most People Get Wrong About Manny
The biggest misconception is that Manny is just a "henchman." He’s not. He’s a leader. He’s one of the few people who can actually talk back to Isaac, the WLF’s ruthless leader, and get away with it.
People also assume he’s "evil" because of the Joel incident. But think about the Seraphites. The WLF is in a brutal, genocidal war with a cult that hangs people and disembowels them. In that context, spitting on a man who killed your friends is actually one of the "tamer" things happening in Seattle. It doesn't make it right, but it provides the necessary perspective.
The Legacy of the Salt Lake Crew
Manny’s death marked the beginning of the end for the WLF’s elite squad. Mel, Owen, Nora, Nick, Jordan... they all fell. Manny was the one Abby expected to survive. He was the "lucky" one.
🔗 Read more: Prime Meridian Risk of Rain 2: How to Reach the Final Boss of Seekers of the Storm
His death at the hands of Tommy is a poetic irony. Tommy, the man who lost his brother to Abby's group, takes away Abby's "brother" in arms. It’s a clean, surgical strike that leaves no room for closure.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Players
If you’re revisiting The Last of Us Part II or playing it for the first time, here is how to get the most out of Manny’s character arc:
Pay attention to the notes. Read the letters found in the WLF stadium. There are mentions of Manny’s reputation and his interactions with other soldiers. It fleshes out his life beyond Abby’s shadow.
Listen to the optional dialogue. During the walk through the stadium, don't rush. Listen to Manny talk to the other NPCs. You’ll hear him joking about his "conquests" and checking in on people’s families. It’s key to his "glue" personality.
Observe his combat style. Watch how he moves compared to characters like Dina or Jesse. Manny is trained. He moves with a military posture that reflects his years in the WLF and the Fireflies.
Reflect on the "Spit" scene after finishing Abby’s story. Go back and watch that opening scene again after you’ve seen Manny with his father and Manny protecting Abby from the sniper. It hits differently. It’s supposed to.
Manny Alvarez is a reminder that in a world without heroes, loyalty is the only currency that matters. He wasn't a "good" man in the traditional sense, but he was a "good" friend. In the apocalypse, maybe that's the best anyone can hope for. He died protecting his sister-in-arms, and in the brutal world of The Last of Us, that’s a more honorable end than most get.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore, check out the character bios in the "Extras" menu of the game. They provide specific details on Manny's rank and his history within the Fireflies that aren't always explicitly stated in the cutscenes. Understanding the timeline of his move from Santa Barbara to Salt Lake and finally to Seattle helps bridge the gap between the two games.