Highlights

  • Abby's character in The Last of Us 2 faced initial criticism but her complexity and moral challenges added depth to the game's morally gray world.
  • The next main game, The Last of Us 3, should continue the dual perspectives of Ellie and Abby to explore forgiveness and healing in a post-apocalyptic landscape.
  • Exploring Abby's story in a side story or DLC would not do her justice, as she is now just as important to the game's narrative as Ellie. A third game could tell a powerful story of hope and redemption by embracing both characters' paths to healing.

The Last of Us 2 presented players with one of the most brutal and heart-wrenching stories in gaming, and the introduction of Abby was first met with much controversy due to her role in the story. However, as the game moved forward and Abby's backstory was further shown, she was revealed to be an incredibly complex character that allowed The Last of Us 2 to illustrate the game's morally gray world in an eye-opening way.

Although the character was first met with a lot of criticism from many players when the game first released, the passage of time has brought many fans to understand what an interesting character Abby truly is. It was no secret before The Last of Us 2 that the world Joel and Ellie lived in was a brutal landscape, but Abby highlighted the moral challenges that come with surviving in a post-apocalyptic nightmare that seemingly has no hope. If Abby's story is continued in a new chapter of the story, it would be better served as one of the main narratives in The Last of Us 3 instead of a side story.

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Abby's Story is Important to the Fabric of The Last of Us' Future

The Last of Us 2 forced players to walk in the shoes of two opposing characters, Ellie and Abby, and The Last of Us 3 should continue this back-and-forth. While the second game was a story about the emptiness of revenge, the next main game would best be suited as a story of forgiveness and accepting the chaos of the world Abby and Ellie inhabit. The tragedy that happened to both Ellie and Abby is magnified by their helplessness in both situations, and a third game would send a powerful message by allowing both characters to heal from the pain both parties have caused to one another.

After Abby and Ellie's fight during the game's finale, Abby seemed more open to forgiveness, inviting Ellie to tag along with her and Lev to Catalina Island. However, Ellie clearly had more healing to do before that was a possibility, leaving the two characters to part ways. A third game should still continue to follow both Abby and Ellie on their quests to heal, because the events of The Last of Us 2 made Abby just as important to the story as Ellie now.

Exploring Abby in a side story or a DLC wouldn't do the character justice. The ending of The Last of Us 2 held a great anti-violence message that beautifully illustrated the hollowness of vengeance, and Abby was just as much of an important part to that narrative as Ellie. None of the hard work and killing would bring their loved ones back, and this sets up The Last of Us3 for a much more uplifting story than the second chapter. A third game could finally be presented as a story of hope, showing that these two characters who were once filled with hatred and rage can become whole again, but the opportunity would be wasted if the story only focused on Ellie.

Showing the different paths both Abby and Ellie take on their road to healing would be an incredibly compelling story, serving as an uplifting and cathartic mirror to the bleak brutality of The Last of Us 2. This can only be a truly healing story if both characters are involved and showcased evenly. Abby may still be a controversial character to some fans of The Last of Us, but she is now as much a part of the fabric of the game's world as Ellie, and a third game would be able to tell a powerful story by embracing that.