What does Bill owe to Joel? (The Last of Us)

it is unlikely that anyone except the Great Danes owns accurate information, most likely it is connected with the work of Joel.

We'll find out in the prequel.

Quote: "Drukman: You know, this is one of those moments that should be left behind the scenes. For example, Bill's debt to Joel. Explain these moments to the characters, they would not be natural. It would feel like it was said only for the player. As a screenwriter, I was supposed to help the player understand how close Ellie and Riley were so that the viewer also better understood their quarrel

.

we didn't know, we won't know, but that's the way it should be)

Not known. :(
Maybe Joel somehow helped Bill. Or maybe he helped him out of a serious trouble. Or helped with some serious problem. Or even saved his life.
One can only guess about it.

But apparently, the help was significant Because it is unlikely that Bill would have agreed to risk his skin like that (whoever played, he understands what I mean) for the sake of some small debt.

Scar.
Not everything is clear with Bill's orientation (in any case, the farewell letter from his former partner and the general impression indicate that Bill is gay), so I can assume that Joel somehow helped Bill out of a very difficult situation, quite possibly related with how people treat gays. Bill was able to move on from settling in a remote town, where Joel and Ellie find him.
By the way, Joel said that he himself was in this city for the first time - therefore, he helped Bill somewhere outside this city.

I have a theory that Bill is the ex-soldier who shot Sarah and nearly killed Joel. Joel does not tell Ella exactly what Bill owes, because this is a sore subject for him.

Vitaly16
If you would have played, you would have seen that that soldier was killed by Tom's brother Joel!

Kartonkratos
Yes, I completely forgot about it. It's just that this theory could be, the soldier would have survived. And yes, I played, but the theory seemed so suitable to me that I forgot this fact

Kartonkratos
Although the soldier was wearing a helmet, it is possible that the bullet did not go deep and damaged the brain, depriving him of consciousness. And it's possible that brain damage was the cause of mental illness. I would like to believe, but hardly.

Vitaly16
maybe he gave the order to that soldier, and later, the rest was behind the scenes.