

This doesn't justify her killing of Joel, but given that her motivations for this were the same as Ellie's motivations for pursuing Abby, it's understandable why she made that choice. As players learn by going through her story, Abby is not some ultimate evil or shadowy figure who needs to be taken down for the betterment of society she's a normal person with a complicated past who has lost just as much as Ellie. Joel would still be dead, and the cycle of violence would have continued. Killing Abby may have provided Ellie with momentary satisfaction at justice being served, but it wouldn't have changed anything. While this moment is easily one of the most controversial in the game, it does make sense for Ellie's character and the story as a whole.
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At different points in development, the team considered different options for Yara and Lev's fates, with "permutations with each of them dying or surviving." However, once it was decided that Lev would live, Druckmann decided that Ellie should spare Abby. However, when the WLF attacks the Seraphites, Yara sacrifices her own life to allow Abby and Lev to escape. The two Seraphite-born siblings rescue Abby from their former cult, and she later saves them from her own organization, the Washington Liberation Front. The team also attributed this change to their decision regarding Lev and Yara's fates. Gross explained that this was done "to that some little part of the old Ellie, the Ellie with humanity, the Ellie that is impacted by Joel, still exists within this character who has been so overtaken by her quest for revenge." While Druckmann says it initially felt wrong to let Abby live, it felt more true to Ellie's character to have her let Abby go. While much of the game's final act stayed the same, the team decided to change that final beat about halfway through production. Related: The Last of Us Part II: Tips & Tricks for Winning on Survivor Difficultyĭruckmann and Gross told Game Informer that, originally, the game ended with Ellie killing Abby.

However, a recent interview with the game's creative director Neil Druckmann and narrative lead Halley Gross revealed that the ending could have been much darker. Ultimately, Ellie chooses to break the cycle of violence with forgiveness rather than continue it with another senseless death. However, in the end, Ellie chooses to spare Abby's life, remembering her final conversation with Joel. Throughout the game, Ellie becomes ruthless in her pursuit of Abby, even leaving behind a peaceful life with Dina and her baby upon learning new information on Abby's whereabouts. This goal takes away much of her humanity, as she loses herself to her understandable but twisted ends. Ellie's quest for revenge following the murder of her father figure, Joel, takes her on a dark journey to kill his killer, Abby. The Last of Us Part II is easily one of the most brutal video games ever made. WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II.
