Ellis

"Folks call me Ellis. I run an auto shop with a couple of my buddies. We're also in a band. I play bass."

- Ellis

"Kill all sons of bitches, that's my official instructions."

- Ellis

Ellis is one of the four playable Survivors in Left 4 Dead 2. He is the youngest and most socially immature.

A junior mechanic by trade, he presents himself as a goofy, beer-loving country guy with an artless and naive world view.

According to Chet of Valve, he is "extremely excited" about everything, like managing to visit a concert and being able to kill a lot of zombies.

Personality-wise Ellis is open, friendly, inclusive and highly (even unrealistically) optimistic. In common with most young men, he is a risk taker and believes himself to be indestructible.

He is also easily distracted, often breaking into rants about things that have nothing to do with the current situation, far-fetched stories about his friend Keith and indulging in a flight of fantasy about marrying Zoey and taking her off on a cross-country road trip: all at the most inconvenient of times.

Ellis' facial features are portrayed by Jesy McKinney and he is voiced by Eric Ladin.

Relationships with other Survivors
Ellis's irrepressible optimism leads to some mixed relationships with the other team members, who can't figure out if Ellis is genuinely oblivious to the danger they face or if he's just that resilient. Ellis seems to actually think this Zombie Apocalypse is a fun-filled thrill ride, and forms affectionate attachments to his team quickly. Ellis is quick to claim everyone as his friends, as he'll sometimes say "what are friends for?" when using a med-kit, or will tell a fallen teammate "I ain't leavin' you!" and mourns the most when any member of the group dies. Ellis can be viewed as the group's "little brother". Although his seeming obliviousness to the severity of the situation implies that he's rather naive, he is not stupid, as he's usually the one who comes up with the plan of using Jimmy Gibbs Junior's car to escape the mall. He loves to tell his friends about the adventures he and his buddy Keith have had.


 * Coach: Coach and Ellis, both being natives of Georgia, tend to understand the culture much better than Nick and Rochelle do, and are mutual fans of Jimmy Gibbs Junior, the Midnight Riders, and Whispering Oaks Amusement Park. However, Coach will also treat Ellis like an immature child on many occasions. Although he seems to care about the kid, he can make remarks that Ellis "isn't right in the head" for being so positive during a zombie apocalypse. He also states in The Passing that they can leave Ellis behind to make room for the old survivors, hinting he could be annoyed or dislikes Ellis, but he is most likely joking.
 * Nick: Nick insults Ellis and makes fun of him on several occasions, but this seems to be more of a "joke" between the two of them. Ellis even seems to look up to Nick a bit, starting conversations with him such as having the same suit or sometimes being excited at Nick shooting the helicopter pilot. Nick, for his part, will compliment Ellis's shooting or ask him if the Midnight Riders are any good, which may be an attempt to bond with him . Though it may seem that Nick is less caring towards the younger man, he has a soft side too; if a Survivor dies, he will sometimes apologize for his behavior. Ellis is always sad to see Nick die. However, Ellis is also angered by Nick when talking about horses, in the sense that Nick has a like of horse meat, and Ellis states that "horses are for riding" and not meant to be eaten. He also may sometimes call the Spitter "Nick's mom!" Ellis does still see Nick as a very good friend, as in The Passing, he may suggest that he and Nick get a tattoo with 'Bros' on it, and will respond to Nick's exclamation of "I hate you Ellis," with "Well I still like you, Nick." Ellis's charm does break through Nick's exterior eventually.
 * Rochelle: Rochelle is more lenient towards Ellis, referring to him as "sweetie" whenever Ellis trails off into one of his long-winded stories. Although Rochelle seems to have a more realistic grasp of the situation and often sides with Nick, she is neither aggressive nor insulting toward Ellis and has patience with him. Ellis is polite toward Rochelle, referring to her as "Miss" throughout the first Dead Center scenario. Despite being almost the same age as each other, Rochelle treats Ellis with the patience and kindness one would show to an energetic child. Ellis is also the only one who is able to make Rochelle laugh. She stands up to Nick when he picks on Ellis' crush on Zoey, and tells Ellis that in order to win Zoey's heart, "you just be your sweet self."
 * Francis: Ellis seems to like Francis. He refers to him as a cool guy a number of times and believes he is trustworthy. He takes Rochelle's joke about having a crush on him lightheartedly. He and Francis will even talk about cars and motorcycles until they are stopped by Zoey. Both of them also believe that if there are zombies, there must also be vampires and mummies. Their only conflict comes over Jimmy Gibbs Junior, who Francis either believes to be a guy or dog who sold tacos. If Nick or Coach mention that Francis will probably steal Jimmy Gibbs Junior's car, Ellis repeats "I will kill him," and tells the other Survivors that their mission to New Orleans has changed and that Francis is now their target.
 * Zoey: Ellis has a huge crush on Zoey. He considers it love at first sight. Coach and Nick tease Ellis about liking Zoey, but Rochelle defends him. Ellis states that he's a nervous wreck when thinking about Zoey and will even tell the others he wants to marry her. In the beginning of The Passing when Ellis tries to talk to Zoey, he will sometimes stutter and ask someone else to talk to her because he's so nervous. . When leaving, Ellis will show sadness at having to leave Zoey and wishes to see her again.
 * Louis: Ellis and Louis get along quite well. Sharing their enthusiasm and optimistic attitude, they are quick to wish each other the best. Louis finds Ellis funny when Francis and Nick begin to argue. Louis also feels Ellis will "definitely make it to New Orleans," praising him as he leaves.

Quotes and Captions
"See: Ellis/Quotes"