HBO TLOU Fanart shows Storm Reid and Bella Ramsey in emotional snapshot

Artist Lwandile Maphongwane shows off the sweet relationship between Ellie and Riley in their stunning fan art on HBO TLOU.

After a few days of speculation, HBO recently confirmed that Happiness Actress Storm Reid will actually play the role of Riley Abel in Our Last One. While any official trailer has yet to be released, fans are excited to see more of the upcoming live-action series.

Looks like HBO will include the original Our Last One the game and its prequels, Leave behind. We have seen pictures of abandoned people mall, and with Reid playing the role of Riley, there’s sure to be more of their story in the show. Riley plays a pretty important role in Ellie’s story, but HBO had to reveal their plans for the character.

To celebrate Reid’s casting, artist Lwandile Maphongwane recreated this sweet snapshot of Riley and Ellie; Leave behindadvertisement’s.

ELLIE AND RILEY IN HBO’S LWANDILE MAPHONGWANE TLOU FANART

Riley Abel was originally a character from Our Last Oneprequel of, Leave behind. A sixteen-year-old survivor living in Boston, Riley met and bonded with a young Ellie, and the two quickly became close. In a heartbreaking moment, Riley and Ellie are both bitten by the Infected – but only Ellie survives. It was Riley’s tragic death that led Ellie to discover her immunity to the infection, setting the stage for the rest of the series. Our Last One.

Maphongwane used a beautiful painterly style to paint Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Storm Reid (Riley) smiling at each other. The moss on the photo hints at an abandoned scene, and makes an otherwise cute photo feel much more heartbreaking.

What makes Maphongwane’s work particularly beautiful is their use of light. Shining an almost golden light on the faces in the photo, there’s a real sense of nostalgia and warmth. Their soft expressions were adorable, and the backdrop of darkness and moss seemed to foreshadow their soon ending. Maphongwane’s work harks back to a happier time for the two girls, a place where they weren’t so burdened by tragedy and loss.

The story of Riley and Ellie also plays an important role in Ellie’s personal character arc. The kiss that the two share is one”breakthrough moment” for both Our Last One and for video games as a whole. Their kiss was sweet, intentional, and meaningful. In essence, it’s the representation that LGBTQ+ gamers have been desperately wanting for a while.