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Heist-Ready

Heist-Ready: Dina (‘The Last of Us’)

Always prepared. Keenly observant. Confident without being cocky.

Dina from Last of Us in 8x10 glossy, polaroids, and an iphone, on top of blueprints, with wires, karabiner, sharpie, and cash
Photos: HBO | Art: Brett White

Every heist's a machine in constant motion. Best it doesn't rattle. Putting together the right crew is the difference between bullion and the boneyard. In Heist-Ready we evaluate the players, note their specialties, their assets and liabilities, and determine whether they deserve a place in your little black book. 

The Player: Dina

Dina, Last of Us
Photo: HBO

Home Turf: Jackson, Wyoming
Last Known Address: Seattle, Washington
Runs with: Ellie, Jesse, Joel Miller, Tommy Miller, Jackson Patrol
Specialties: Stealth, stabby-stabby, knifey-knifey, firearms, wilderness survival, planning ops, triangulation (with or without protractor), first aid, baking, puns

The Lowdown

Dina was born into the post-apocalypse, raised just outside Sante Fe. She was 8-years-old when a lone raider murdered her mother and sister in their remote cabin. Having just returned from playing outdoors, Dina surprised the man, shooting and killing him instantly. 

She eventually found herself in the walled community of Jackson, Wyoming.  

At just 19, Dina is new to mounted patrol outside the city gates, but she's already got a keen ear for counting clickers outside visual range. Her preparedness and situational awareness make her an ideal partner for the more impulsive Ellie. Together, they've successfully subdued infected (and uninfected) enemies in small numbers and escaped a large horde, though they were quickly overwhelmed by a pack of stalkers. Competent with firearms and knives, her optimal strategy is really stealth and evasion, capitalizing on her agility and small size. 

Dina is extremely charismatic, making her a valuable negotiator. She is direct, though thoughtful. When she realized where Joel's killers were likely headed, she withheld the information from Ellie until she was out of the hospital and knew to bring cookies as a peace offering. 

Though not as reckless as Ellie, Dina displays fierce tenacity and drive, eager to help friends and found family in even the most dire circumstances. She joins Ellie on her unauthorized mission of revenge to Seattle, partly to protect her from foolhardy misadventure, but also to deliver justice for Joel. Neither woman experienced the comforts that existed before the outbreak, but both are willing to abandon the protection of Jackson for a perilous mission into hostile territory. Dina plots the journey, negotiates, and secures rations and a horse from a previously unfriendly bigot, 

Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced
Photo: HBO

We also have at least one example of Dina's knack for predicting and adjusting for inclement weather in a world where Al Roker is likely belching spores from his fixed position in Studio 1A. 

Once in Seattle, Dina proves a canny tactician, mapping the safest course through the fortified city and triangulating WLF patrols, even without a protractor. She also determines that the newly encountered Seraphites are a luddite community due to the WLF's willingness to divulge sensitive information over radio. 

Partnered with a stout enforcer, Dina would make for a decent field operative in certain situations — provided stealth is on the menu — but she's invaluable in the war room or as the guy-in-the-chair. Always prepared. Keenly observant. Confident without being cocky. She's  a master strategist who's unafraid of getting her hands dirty. 

Listen: Joel called her "kiddo" and that's only reserved for the best of the best. 

Which player from The Last of Us would you want in on your heist? Let us know on Bluesky.

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