It’s been *checks calendar* six years since the release of The Last of Us Part II. In that time, we’ve had two seasons of the HBO adaptation, and we know season 3 will focus much more on Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). For those who don’t know, Abby is essentially the villain in the first half of the video game—until it suddenly shifts and we begin playing as her for the second half.
At the time, fans were outraged by this. How dare the developers kill off Joel and then force us to play as the villain? How could they ever do that? Well, I’m here to tell you that this is honestly the best thing they could have done for this game. Here are my reasons why.
1. It gives us a different angle of fatherhood and sacrifice
Yes, we all love Ellie and Joel and the father-daughter relationship they form. It’s a beautiful thing. But at the beginning of The Last of Us Part II, we only see that through flashbacks. We know Ellie is going through a phase, and later we find out it’s because she discovered Joel lied to her about the Fireflies and what happened in Salt Lake City.
But they never make up before Joel is killed, and that’s what leads Ellie into her revenge era. That part of her story, the one with Joel specifically, gets pushed aside as she seeks revenge for him.
With Abby, we at least see this bond with her father, which offers a different perspective on parenthood and that father-daughter connection. We see that they’ve grown together, that she would support him in killing her if she was the cure, and how they work now as adults. It also shows that Joel isn’t as innocent as everyone wants him to be because Abby also loses her father—who, in reality, is doing the job he is assigned.
2. It shows that a shift in perspective can change who we see as the villain
The key takeaway from Abby is that we now really get to see this shift in who we see as the villain.
For the first half of the game, Abby and her group of friends are the villains, and we play as Ellie, who wants to travel to Seattle to take them all out, including Abby. She essentially turns into Joel in her quest for revenge, and in doing so, causes not only the deaths of others, but also creates distance from those she loves.
Then, we shift to Abby, who doesn’t see Ellie as the enemy, not at first, but the man who took away her own father. Then she tries to protect Lev and Yara from the Seraphites, and only at the end does she see Ellie as the enemy when her friends are killed. It’s the perfect juxtaposition to show that things aren't so black and white, and that every person has a little bit of gray area when it comes to their morals.
3. We also get to experience much more villainy
Once again, Ellie is really locked in on Abby. She wants to kill her so badly that she doesn’t care who she goes through to do so. In doing that, we don’t really get the lore behind the people who took over the city of Seattle.
With Abby, we see a lot more of that. In fact, we see so much more that it’s almost overwhelming. We see how the WLFs work and how devious they can be. We see the religious zealots of the Seraphites and the horrors they cause to those who go against what they believe. We even see way more walker variants than ever before — that Rat King, for example — which only ups the ante. That kind of stuff makes her story that much more exciting.
4. It’s not the typical cookie-cutter villain storyline
Is the second season of The Last of Us complex? Yes, but season 3 will take that and turn it on its head by diving into even more complexity with Abby.
The thing is, she’s not really a villain, and she never was. She is similar to Ellie, only a little older. She loses her father and seeks revenge. Now, Ellie is doing the same. Abby takes on Joel's role, trying to get a kid to safety. Even at the very end, Ellie sees that and spares Abby on the beach.
Abby may kill Joel, but at least she still has Lev. Ellie has nothing. Joel is gone. Dina leaves her because of her quest for revenge. Tommy is distant. She is alone. And that’s the sad part. It’s a harrowing tale illustrating that Ellie’s choices, all along, become the antagonist of her own story. And that’s just deep, and dark, and beautiful, in a way.
We never would have gotten that if we didn’t get Abby’s side of the story. For that, I am eternally grateful, and I can’t wait to see how HBO brings it to life in season 3.
You can watch both seasons of The Last of Us on HBO Max.
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