Last updated: June 4, 2026·🔄 Guide reviewed and refreshed ahead of Halloween 2026.· By Seckin Peker

Halloween Costume Guide

Joel Miller From The Last of Us Halloween Costume Guide

Built for survival. Not for trust. Made one exception and burned the world for it.
Pedro Pascal TV Series Dystopia Gun HBO Apocalypse Survivor Watch
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Quick Answer: The Joel Miller Halloween costume comes in three versions. Pick the one that matches how you know the character.
  • HBO: Long-Sleeve Flannel and Toy Revolver (essential)
  • HBO: Joel’s Watch Replica, Dark Jeans, Work Boots, Backpack
  • Part II: Dickies Jacket over Blue Flannel, Scar Makeup, Loose Jeans
  • Part I: Plaid Lumberjack Shirt, Gas Mask, Zombie Dirt Makeup

Joel Miller is a smuggler, a father figure, and the most morally complicated protagonist in modern gaming. The flannel shirt and revolver combination is the single most recognizable element across all three versions of the character, and the watch on the right wrist is the detail fans notice first at close range. Pedro Pascal plays Joel in the HBO series, which premiered in 2023 and ran for two seasons (Wikipedia). Recognition at any general Halloween party in 2026 is high across all three builds, with the HBO version carrying the widest general audience.

HBO Items6 Items
Part II Items9 Items
Part I Items9 Items
DifficultyEasy

Joel Miller Halloween Costume Items

Joel Miller HBO series Halloween costume infographic showing long-sleeve flannel shirt, dark jeans, toy revolver, watch replica, heavy-duty backpack, and work boots for the Pedro Pascal look

Joel Miller: HBO Look

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Joel Miller HBO Pedro Pascal The Last of Us
  • 1 Long-Sleeve Flannel Shirt (essential)This is the build’s primary identifier. Joel’s flannel in the HBO series is a muted, earthy tone, worn untucked with the sleeves rolled to the forearm. It needs to look like something a person has been wearing for weeks, not something pressed for an occasion. If it reads as styled, the whole look shifts away from survivor and toward something else. Check your existing wardrobe first before ordering.
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  • 2 Straight Fit Tapered Leg JeanDark wash, straight or slightly tapered. Nothing fashion-forward. Joel’s jeans in the show are functional and nondescript. Check your closet first.
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  • 3 Toy Revolver (essential)Joel’s signature weapon across the HBO series and both games. It needs to be visible on your person, not stored in the backpack. A holster at the hip or carried in hand. Without it, the costume lacks its most specific character marker, and the flannel-and-jeans combination becomes a generic survivor look rather than Joel specifically.
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  • 4 Joel’s Watch ReplicaWorn on the right wrist. Joel wears the watch Sarah repaired for his birthday throughout both the game and the HBO series, even after it breaks. Tommy notices it still on Joel’s wrist when he cleans his body after Abby kills him. It is the smallest item in this build and the one that gets the most reaction from fans who know the character well.
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  • 5 Dark Brown Heavy-Duty BackpackJoel carries a canvas backpack throughout the HBO series. Fill it so it keeps its shape. An empty backpack collapses and swings awkwardly. A full one sits naturally and reads as something actually carried by a survivor.
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  • 6 Skechers Men’s Verdict BootHeavy work boots in brown or tan. Scuff the toes before wearing. Joel’s boots throughout the HBO series are worn-in and functional. New-looking boots undercut the survivor read.
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Joel Miller The Last of Us Part II Halloween costume infographic showing Dickies jacket, blue flannel shirt, loose jeans, scar makeup, toy pistol, flashlight, canvas backpack, SEIKO watch, and brown zipper boots

Joel Miller: The Last of Us Part II Look

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Joel Miller Part II Jackson The Last of Us
  • 1 Dickies Eisenhower Front-Zip JacketThe outer layer. A practical work jacket in dark olive or brown, worn over the flannel. Joel in Part II is older, living in Jackson, and dresses like someone who spends their days on construction sites and patrol routes. The jacket is functional, not tactical.
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  • 2 Blue and Teal Flannel ShirtWorn under the jacket. The blue-teal plaid is specific to Joel’s Part II appearance and distinguishes this build from the HBO and Part I versions. Keep it visible at the collar and cuffs when the jacket is on.
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  • 3 Nautica Loose Fit JeansLoose fit, dark wash. Joel’s Part II jeans have more volume than a modern slim cut. Check your closet before ordering.
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  • 4 Halloween Scar SetJoel has a scar on his right temple from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after Sarah’s death, and a scar on his right abdomen from where Ellie stitched him up at the university. The scar set covers the most prominent facial detail. Apply before putting on the jacket and let it set fully before going out.
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  • 5 Toy PistolJoel carries a revolver as his signature weapon but also uses pistols throughout Part II. Either prop works for this build. Keep it holstered or visible.
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  • 6 Army Style Angle-Head FlashlightJoel uses a flashlight on patrol throughout Part II. Clip it to the backpack strap or carry it. It is a practical detail that reads as a working survivor rather than someone dressed up.
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  • 7 Canvas Vintage BackpackWorn and utilitarian. Fill it. Same rule applies here as the HBO build: an empty backpack reads as a prop.
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  • 8 SEIKO 5 Automatic WatchWorn on the right wrist. The watch Sarah gave him in the game version has a green military strap. The SEIKO approximates that read. Right wrist only — that is how Joel wears it in both games.
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  • 9 Brown Zipper BootsDark brown ankle boots. Scuff before wearing. Check your closet first.
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Joel Miller The Last of Us Part I Halloween costume infographic showing plaid lumberjack shirt, canvas backpack, SEIKO watch, flashlight, straight jeans, zombie dirt makeup, gas mask, air pistol, and steel toe work shoes

Joel Miller: The Last of Us Part I Look

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Joel Miller Part I Boston QZ The Last of Us
  • 1 Plaid Lumberjack Shirt (essential)A green or olive plaid flannel, worn rolled to the forearms. This is Joel’s most referenced outfit from the original game and appears across most of the marketing materials and promotional images. Distress it slightly before wearing.
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  • 2 Canvas BackpackJoel’s worn canvas pack with a gas mask and flashlight attached to the strap is the most iconic accessory in the game. Fill it and attach the flashlight and mask to the outside straps for accuracy.
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  • 3 SEIKO 5 Automatic WatchRight wrist. Green military strap. The watch Sarah gifted Joel in the game appears throughout the original and Part II. This is the one detail that ties all three builds together.
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  • 4 C-Cell Angle-Head FlashlightClip to the backpack strap on the left shoulder, which is where Joel carries it in the game. Leave it on so it works at the party. A non-functional flashlight clipped to a backpack reads as a prop. A working one reads as a tool.
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  • 5 Levi’s Straight JeansDark blue or grey, straight fit. Check your closet first.
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  • 6 Zombie Dirt MakeupJoel spends most of Part I covered in a layer of grime, blood, and general post-apocalyptic wear. Apply dirt makeup to exposed skin areas: hands, forearms, neck, and face. It shifts the whole costume from survivor-adjacent to survivor-specific.
    See on Amazon
  • 7 Realistic Look Biohazard Gas MaskThe gas mask attached to Joel’s backpack is the most immediately distinctive element of the Part I build. It separates this version clearly from the HBO and Part II looks. Attach it to the backpack strap rather than wearing it on your face for most of the evening. Wearing a gas mask for hours at a party is uncomfortable and makes conversations harder.
    See on Amazon
  • 8 Glock 17 Air PistolJoel’s revolver is his primary weapon but he uses a variety of pistols throughout Part I. An air pistol in this build serves as the prop firearm. Keep it holstered or on the belt, visible but not in hand all night.
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  • 9 Waterproof Steel Toe Work ShoeHeavy-duty work shoes or boots in brown or dark tan. Joel’s footwear in Part I is functional and worn-in. Scuff the toes before wearing.
    See on Amazon
Joel Miller from The Last of Us game in his green plaid flannel with canvas backpack and flashlight strap, the main reference look for the Part I Halloween costume build

How to Style the Joel Miller Halloween Costume

Whichever build you choose, the watch goes on the right wrist and the revolver or pistol stays visible. Without both, the costume loses its two most character-specific details and becomes a man in a flannel shirt, which describes a lot of people at any Halloween party. The HBO flannel needs to look worn rather than fresh; if it reads as recently purchased, the survivor read collapses. For the Part I build, the gas mask attached to the backpack strap does the heavy recognition work from across a room. For Part II, the scar makeup is the close-range detail that distinguishes that build from the others.

In the HBO series, Joel sits on a museum rooftop in Salt Lake City and tells Ellie about a time he tried to end his own life after Sarah died. He explains that when he pulled the trigger, he flinched, and to this day he does not know why. He is not telling her this to be comforted. He is telling her because she just told him something painful and he wants her to know he understands what it means to have nothing left to fight for, and then find something anyway. That is the character at the party: someone who has been through the worst of it and is still here, which is not the same as being okay.

The gas mask at a party: where to put it

The Part I gas mask is the most visually striking item in any of the three builds and the one that will attract the most attention at a convention or outdoor event. At an indoor party with crowds, it becomes a social problem: wearing it makes conversation difficult, and holding it means carrying something bulky all night. The practical solution is to attach it to the backpack strap as Joel wears it in the game, and put it on only for photos. This keeps the prop visible and in character without making the evening harder than it needs to be.

Playing Joel across any version

Joel does not perform approachability. He scans a room before he enters it. He notices where the exits are. He lets silences sit longer than is comfortable and waits to see if the other person fills them. At a party, that reads as either intimidating or interesting, depending on who you are talking to. The watch on the right wrist gives you something to do with your hands: look at it the way someone checks a thing that is broken but still carries, not the way someone checks the time.

Joel Miller Group Halloween Costume Ideas

Couples Idea

Joel Miller & Tess (The Last of Us)

Excellent couples concept for anyone going to a Last of Us fan event or a party where the crowd knows the show. Joel and Tess are partners in the Boston quarantine zone for years before Ellie enters the picture, and their relationship is the thing Joel builds his survival around after losing Sarah. Visually, the two costumes are distinct enough to read separately and connected enough that fans of either version will understand the pairing immediately.

Joel Miller Tess

Duo Idea

Joel Miller & Ellie Williams (The Last of Us)

Excellent duo with the strongest narrative weight in the franchise. Joel and Ellie’s relationship runs the full length of both games and the HBO series and is the reason most people care about the story at all. The visual contrast between a worn, grey-haired survivor in a flannel and a teenage girl in layered casual clothes does the character work without any explanation. At any event in 2026, this pairing is one of the most recognized in pop culture.

Joel Miller Ellie Williams

Group Idea: The Last of Us Cast

Joel Miller, Tess, Ellie Williams, Sarah Miller, Riley Abel

Strong group for a Last of Us fan gathering. The five characters span the full emotional arc of the first game and its DLC, with Sarah and Riley as the tragic early losses that shape what Joel and Ellie are each running from. Joel is the most widely recognized anchor at a general event. All five builds have dedicated pages linked here, so no one needs to build from scratch.

Joel Miller Tess Ellie Williams Sarah Miller Riley Abel

Group Idea: Post-Apocalyptic Survivor Men

Joel Miller, Daryl Dixon, Andre Layton, Rick Grimes, Negan

Strong group for a crowd that watches prestige TV drama. Daryl Dixon and Negan from The Walking Dead are widely recognized. Rick Grimes has no dedicated page here and requires a scratch build, but his look is simple enough that a committed group member can do it from reference images alone. Andre Layton from Snowpiercer is the niche pick. Joel carries the most current cultural recognition in this group following the HBO series.

Joel Miller Daryl Dixon Andre Layton Rick Grimes Negan

Group Idea: Pedro Pascal Characters

Joel Miller, Din Djarin, Oberyn Martell

Might work, but this group asks a lot of the crowd. Din Djarin from The Mandalorian is one of the most recognized characters in recent Star Wars content. Oberyn Martell from Game of Thrones is well-known to that show’s fanbase. Joel is the most recent and currently the most recognized entry. The concept works at a convention where actor-based group concepts land. At a general party, the connection requires explaining, and the three visual aesthetics are so different that the group does not read as thematically linked without context.

Joel Miller Din Djarin Oberyn Martell
Joel Miller from The Last of Us game in the Boston quarantine zone, showing his survivor build with flannel shirt and worn equipment used as a group Halloween costume reference

Joel Miller Halloween Costume DIY Tips

Building Any of the Three Looks

All three builds share two items: the watch on the right wrist and a visible firearm prop. Everything else differs by version. The flannel shirt is the item most likely to already be in your wardrobe for all three builds. The gas mask is the only item specific to Part I that cannot be sourced cheaply at a thrift store.

  • Flannel shirt: check your wardrobe first. A worn flannel you already own looks better than a new one ordered specifically for this.
  • Watch: right wrist, not left. Both games show this consistently and it is the detail fans check first.
  • Revolver or pistol: keep it visible. A prop gun stored in the backpack does nothing for the costume.
  • Backpack: fill it before going out. An empty backpack collapses. A full one looks like something a survivor actually carries.
  • Part I gas mask: attach to the backpack strap rather than wearing it. Wearing it for a full evening is uncomfortable and makes conversation difficult.
  • Part II scar makeup: apply before the jacket goes on. Let it set fully before leaving. The temple scar is the most visible detail in that build at close range.
  • Dirt makeup: for Part I only. Apply to hands, forearms, and neck. Joel in Part I looks like he has been outside for weeks. Clean skin undercuts the whole read.

Playing Joel at a Party

Joel is not a cheerful person. He is a person who found something worth protecting after a long time of having nothing, and that has made him both more capable and more dangerous. The two things are not separate.

  • When someone asks who you are: name the character, name the game or show, and let the revolver do the explaining. Most people will get it faster than you expect.
  • The watch quote is the best party line from either version. “If you love someone, you can always see their face.” Say it, look at the watch on your right wrist, and move on. Do not explain it.
  • Joel does not make small talk. He answers questions directly and lets silences sit. That is easier to maintain than it sounds and unsettling faster than you expect.
  • If someone asks you to say something in character: the second watch line also works. “If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment, I would do it all over again.” No elaboration needed.
  • For photos with an Ellie: stand slightly in front, slightly turned. Joel is always positioning himself between Ellie and whatever is in the room. That is the relationship in a pose.

Joel Miller Halloween Costume: FAQ

Three builds are available depending on which version of Joel you want. For the HBO look: long-sleeve flannel shirt, straight-fit jeans, toy revolver, watch replica, heavy-duty backpack, and work boots. For the Part II look: Dickies jacket over a blue flannel, loose jeans, scar makeup, toy pistol, flashlight, canvas backpack, SEIKO watch, and brown zipper boots. For the Part I look: plaid lumberjack shirt, canvas backpack, watch, flashlight, straight jeans, zombie dirt makeup, gas mask, air pistol, and steel toe work shoes.

Joel Miller is one of the most recognized characters in gaming and television right now. The HBO series brought him to a mainstream audience that goes well beyond the game’s fanbase, and Pedro Pascal’s version of the character is immediately recognizable. At any general Halloween party in 2026, the flannel shirt and revolver combination reads clearly. Recognition is higher than almost any other game-to-TV adaptation character available.

Two quotes define him. The first, said to Eugene shortly before killing him, is the most quietly devastating: “If you love someone, you can always see their face.” The second appears in both the game and the HBO series when Joel is asked about his choice at the hospital: “If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment, I would do it all over again.” Both land harder once you know the full context.

Joel Miller is played by Pedro Pascal, a Chilean-American actor. Pascal had previously played Din Djarin in The Mandalorian and Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones before taking the role. He based Joel’s voice on his own experiences growing up in San Antonio, Texas, pulling back from the stronger Southern accent used in the games.

The watch was a birthday gift from his daughter Sarah, who had it repaired for him on the morning of the Cordyceps outbreak. Joel continues wearing it throughout both the game and the HBO series even after it breaks, as a reminder of Sarah. Tommy notices Joel still wearing it when he cleans Joel’s body after his death. It is the most emotionally loaded prop in either build.

The HBO build is the most recognizable in 2026: a long-sleeve flannel, dark jeans, heavy boots, and a revolver. Pedro Pascal’s version of Joel is slimmer and more unkempt than the game model. The Part II build adds a Dickies jacket, scar makeup, and a more worn overall look, reflecting Joel’s age and five years in Jackson. The Part I build is the most tactical, with a gas mask, zombie dirt makeup, and the full survivor kit that defines the original game’s aesthetic.

The HBO build. Pedro Pascal’s version of the character has a wider general audience than either game build. The flannel shirt and revolver combination paired with the watch replica is what most people will recognize from the television series. The Part I gas mask build is the most visually dramatic but requires more explanation to people who have not played the game.