The Last of Us Part II seems to have divided fans – with Abby getting the most hate. But she should be key to The Last of Us 3 and the upcoming Season 2 of the TV series.
The Game Everyone Loves To Hate
There’s no doubt that The Last of Us Part II has become one of the most hotly debated video game releases of all time. There have been many heated discussions around character design, storytelling and the game’s controversial plot. However, one element of the game seems to have divided most fans, often getting the most resentment from fans: Abby.
We’ve seen the outrage online. Gamers on Twitter are spitting venom and calling for a boycott. “This game is garbage.” “How can they do this to the fans?” “Why did Joel have to die?” They even went as far as to threaten the life of Abby voice actor, Laura Bailey.
All of the hate stems from the fact that the game’s new character, Abby, kills off one of the more popular characters, Joel. At the heart of the story, Ellie ventures off to get revenge for her father figure, killing everything and everyone in her way. At the other end of the line, gamers are forced to play as Abby and experience all the events through her eyes, including ending Ellie’s rampage.
While we initially only know her as Joel’s murderer, The Last of Us Part II shows us Abby’s motifs and backstory.
Unlike others, when I played through the game, I found myself drawn more to Abby (the antihero) than the game’s main protagonist, Ellie.
Why I Don’t Hate The Last of Us’ Abby
![Am I Supposed To Hate Abby in The Last of Us Part II? Because I Don't](https://www.fortressofsolitude.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Am-I-Supposed-To-Hate-Abby-in-The-Last-of-Us-Part-II-Because-I-Dont-1-770x496.jpg)
When we first meet Abby, we are completely unaware of her intentions to kill Joel. This allows us to explore the world freely without apprehension. When she eventually confronts her father’s killer, things become hectic pretty quickly.
While there is some initial strong hate towards the character, playing her side of the story does reflect the old saying: there are two sides to every story.
Joel killed Abby’s father while rescuing Ellie from the Fireflies. Once you’ve completed the game and you sit back and look at the story as a whole, you realise that Ellie and Abby’s journeys are actually very similar.
Both experience a lot of the same heartaches. They both have failed relationships with lovers. They have both lost their fathers in horrible circumstances. And they’re both forced to become ruthless, revenge-hungry people fighting their way for their own justice.
The great thing about playing with Abby in The Last of Us Part II is that she realises her flaws before Ellie ever does. She becomes a better person before our eyes when she rescues the Seraphite siblings. We journey with her as she turns against the very people she fought for and decides to make her own path. She starts off as a cold-hearted soldier but evolves into a human. We see her move from anger to tears and laughter.
For Ellie, that journey is much longer. It’s only when she is holding Abby in her hands at the very end that she finally understands that revenge is not the way.
Personally, I found Abby’s journey far more rewarding. In fact, Ellie’s tale is so dark and twisted that you begin to lose hope for her throughout the game. She abandons her friends and becomes something of a monster herself.
Lessons We Learn From Abby & The Last of Us Part 2
Those who are angry about The Last of Us Part II‘s Abby or Naughty Dog’s decision to include the character and make the character playable have missed the entire point of the game completely:
1. Revenge isn’t worth it.
2. There are two sides to every story.
3. Your enemies might not be as evil as you might believe.
4. There is hope if you set aside your own hurt.
5. There is always light. Even in the darkness.
Will Audiences Hate Abby on The Last of Us TV Show?
Personally, I can’t wait to see Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in season 2 of The Last of Us. Described as “a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved,” she’s about to change the franchise forever. Considering that the show proved to be a massive hit with both critics and audiences, it will be interesting to see if the live-action TV series version of Abby will receive as much hate as The Last of Us video game character.
We can only hope that audiences see the true reasoning behind why the writers chose to tell Abby’s backstory.
What are your feelings about The Last of Us Part II‘s Abby?
“For Ellie, that journey is much longer.” Not really. Abby had around FOUR YEARS to put her life in balance, accept the love of Owen and keep living. Killing Joel was not out of an angered and rushed decision like Ellie did. She killed the guy after years of hunting… Read more »
The game wants you to like Abby more considering they throw everything including the kitchen sink at the player to ensure that. Everything you do as Ellie is a borderline direct (good) mirror to eventually playing as Abby. The biggest sin The Last Of Us Part 2 has is that… Read more »
The Problem with Abby First let me state clearly that the gameplay of TLOU2 was stupendous, a tour de force. But the story itself was awful. This was Druckman and Gross’s attempt to paint a morally gray LGBTQ themed world akin the Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto. The… Read more »
Exactly. Spot on assessment. Initially very difficult to play Abby, but by the end, I felt so conflicted, and felt more for Abby, who showed to have more of a heart. The fighting scenes between the two however were dreadful, as I literally didn’t know what I was supposed to… Read more »
Thanks for writing this. I feel the same way, and the most disheartening thing about the game to me has been the clueless reactions of the “fans”
You’re definitely supposed to like Abby more. I suspect that’s why so many in the male gaming community hated the game so much. She’s the only reason the story worked for me. Felt like that was Druckmanns’ intent. Her story is more compelling, felt longer, more challenging, more involved. In… Read more »
To the little freaks directing faux rage & hate at actors portraying fictional characters, get a life and maybe sell your consoles. You’re clearly that group of unhinged maniacs who’ve blurred reality with fiction. I loved it. Abby is a mirror for Ellie. I hope part 3 shows them maybe… Read more »
I agree Abbys story was better and her revenge for her father was justified.
I agree with u, i loved Abby story line and her vengence was more than justified. I hope they make a part 3
I have to disagree. I’m already aware that there are two sides to every story. I had gone over this back in the first game, thinking about David and his group, and even the guys that accost Joel and Ellie after Bill’s town. What led them to engage in cannibalism?… Read more »
Glad to see someone else got it. These girls were so similar. Not good, not bad. Just broken and hurt. Best game and story I played this generation.
I 100% agree. Abby let Ellie go twice, she was broken but she moved on. I just wish the game had 70% less Ellie. I stopped playing the game early into Ellie’s part because she was acting out of character; i even deleted the game. Then i found out you… Read more »