Get ready for a brutal emotional rollercoaster – The Last of Us Season 2 isn’t pulling any punches. With Ellie and Abby’s paths colliding in a blaze of vengeance and regret, the show dives headfirst into one of gaming’s most explosive storylines.
So, what really goes down between these two fierce, complicated characters?
Why Does Ellie Hunt Abby in the First Place?
Everything changes the moment Joel is gone. In a gut-wrenching twist that redefines the show’s direction, Joel – Ellie’s protector, her father figure, her tether to humanity – is killed by none other than Abby.
But this isn’t just some random act of violence. Joel had unknowingly killed Abby’s father back in Salt Lake City. So, when Abby lures Joel into her trap and brutally murders him, it’s payback. But for Ellie, it’s personal.
Joel’s death ignites a fire in her, and that rage sends her storming toward Seattle with Dina by her side, vengeance burning in every step.
Who Does Ellie Become in Her Quest for Revenge?
In Seattle, she tears through Abby’s friends, one by one. But this isn’t some clean-cut revenge mission. These people aren’t faceless villains. They’re fully realized characters, shown in flashbacks and Abby’s storyline as human, complex, even loving. Yet to Ellie, they’re just targets.
And as we can clearly see, this isn’t the Ellie we met in Season 1. This is an Ellie transformed – obsessed, consumed, and willing to destroy anything in her way.
One by one, she executes them, blurring the line between justice and obsession. It’s thrilling, it’s devastating, and it forces viewers to ask – how far is too far?
How Does Abby Respond to Ellie’s Rampage?
Abby isn’t just sitting back while her world burns. She’s evolving, too. After meeting Yara and Lev – two children from the mysterious and terrifying Seraphite cult – Abby starts changing. Her cold, brutal exterior begins to crack.
Yara and Lev become her reason to fight for something more than revenge. So when she storms the abandoned theater and comes face to face with Ellie and Dina, she makes a choice no one saw coming.
After killing Jesse and shooting Tommy, she spares Ellie and Dina once she learns Dina is pregnant. In that blood-soaked moment, Abby does what Ellie couldn’t – walk away.
Why Does Ellie Go After Abby Again?
Time passes. Life settles down. Ellie and Dina start fresh, raising a child on a quiet farm. But peace? It’s temporary. Ellie’s demons won’t stay buried. Joel’s death still haunts her. The pain festers. And eventually, it boils over.
Ignoring Dina’s pleas, Ellie leaves her makeshift family behind to chase down Abby one more time. This time, the hunt leads her to California.
But Abby’s not the fighter she once was. She and Lev are prisoners of the Rattlers, a savage group far worse than any WLF soldier. Ellie rescues her enemy from certain death – but not without forcing her into a brutal, final showdown.
Does Ellie Finally Get Her Revenge?
Here’s where it gets messy – in the best way possible. The fight is vicious. Blood. Water. Screaming. Fingers lost. Ellie gains the upper hand, but then – she stops. In Abby’s bond with Lev, Ellie sees a mirror.
Her memories of Joel flood back, not the violent ones, but the tender ones. And for the first time in this entire warpath, Ellie makes a choice. She lets Abby live. It’s a moment of heartbreak and growth. Redemption doesn’t come easy, and it doesn’t come clean. But it comes.
Where Do Ellie & Abby End Up?
They part ways, not as friends, not as enemies – just as survivors. Abby and Lev sail away to Catalina Island, chasing rumors of the Fireflies. Their future? Unknown, but hopeful.
Ellie returns to the empty farmhouse, only to find Dina gone. Her decision to pursue Abby cost her everything. She tries to play Joel’s guitar, but with two fingers missing, she can’t.
It’s a quiet, devastating moment – the ultimate reminder that revenge took more than it gave. No final victory. No neat endings. Just silence.
Final Thoughts
Ellie and Abby’s story in The Last of Us isn’t a simple tale of good versus evil – it’s raw, emotional warfare painted in shades of gray.
Through pain, trauma, and the rarest glimpses of mercy, their rivalry becomes a tragic masterpiece. And if Season 2 continues this path, we’re not just watching a show – we’re witnessing a legacy unravel.
About The Last of Us 2
The second season of The Last of Us, premiering on HBO on April 13, 2025, continues the post-apocalyptic story based on Naughty Dog’s video game franchise.
Set five years after the first season, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) now live in Jackson, Wyoming, alongside Tommy (Gabriel Luna), Dina (Isabela Merced), and Jesse (Young Mazino).
Renewed shortly after its January 2023 debut, the season adapts The Last of Us Part II, with co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann joined by writers Halley Gross and Bo Shim. Filmed in British Columbia (February–August 2024), the seven-episode season features directing by Druckmann, Mazin, Peter Hoar, Kate Herron, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Mark Mylod, and Stephen Williams. Gustavo Santaolalla returns as composer.
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