Data miners have uncovered early script drafts where Henry’s group in the Pittsburgh quarantine zone included a female medic named Ilsa. In these unused storyboards, Ilsa and Henry shared a subtle, unspoken rapport. She would check Sam’s wounds with unusual care, and Henry would share his rations with her first.
The storyline: Henry and Ilsa were not a committed couple, but they were "something"—survivors who found comfort in each other’s arms during the dark nights of the QZ. The romance was one of practicality and pity, not passion. When the revolution against FEDRA failed, Henry was forced to flee. Ilsa stayed behind to cover their escape, sacrificing herself off-screen. In the final game, Ilsa is gone, but her lingering presence explains why Henry is so hesitant to trust outsiders like Joel—he already lost one person he loved in Pittsburgh.
This is the most debated and emotionally complex storyline in the fandom. Pairing a fanon Henry Tsukamoto with the canonical Joel Miller creates a powder keg of psychological depth.
The premises: Both men lost daughters (Sarah for Joel, a surrogate daughter or younger sister for Henry). Both men are killers. Both men have built walls so high that only brute force can break them down.
Their relationship, when written well, is not soft. It is territorial, angry, and transactional at first. They meet as enemies—perhaps Henry is a former FEDRA agent who smuggled Joel out of a quarantine zone for a price. Their romance is a slow burn built on shared glances during firefights and a gruff, “You’re an idiot,” after one saves the other’s life.
The narrative tragedy: For Henry to love Joel, he must accept that Joel doomed humanity at the end of the first game. For Joel to love Henry, he must admit he craves companionship beyond brotherhood. This storyline rarely ends happily. In most versions, Henry is the one who discovers Joel’s secret about the Firefly hospital, leading to a devastating rift—or a grim, silent acceptance that they are both monsters who deserve each other.
For fans who prefer a less angsty, more pastoral romance, Tommy Miller is the ideal partner. Set in the Jackson years (c. 2036-2038), this storyline focuses on domesticity.
Tommy, the idealistic builder, and Henry, the pragmatic survivor, make for a compelling odd couple. Tommy talks too much; Henry listens. Tommy wants to expand the town’s farms; Henry worries about the structural weakness of the north wall. Their romance is one of slow, quiet admiration.
The key romantic beat in these stories is often mundane: Tommy fixing Henry’s front porch. Henry cooking a traditional Japanese breakfast for Tommy after a long night patrol (rice and pickled vegetables—a luxury in the apocalypse). There is no dramatic confession. Instead, Tommy simply starts sleeping on Henry’s couch, then at the foot of his bed, and eventually, Henry moves his spare pistol to Tommy’s nightstand.
This storyline addresses Henry’s Japanese heritage directly. In several stories, Henry teaches Tommy Ikebana (flower arranging) as a form of meditative peace, or they celebrate a makeshift Obon (a Japanese Buddhist holiday to honor ancestors) on the banks of the Snake River. It is soft, hopeful, and utterly at odds with the violent world—which is precisely why fans love it.
While canon avoids romance, fanfiction archives (AO3, FanFiction.net) present a vibrant counter-reality. The most popular "pairings" reveal a great deal about how the audience wishes to heal Henry’s tragic arc.