The Last of Us Part II: Abby or Joel/Ellie?

Part 2 Discussion

Hey everyone,
I might be taking a controversial stance here, but I think Abby is a much healthier and more honorable character than Joel (or even Ellie).
To be fair, Ellie is still somewhat okay, but Joel has killed an untold number of people in the most atrocious ways possible. On top of that, wiping out the Fireflies wasn't exactly his finest moment. To me, Joel is a relatively selfish killer who prioritizes his own well-being over everyone else's (saving Ellie was purely selfish). Killing Abby's father and the nurses along the way was completely unnecessary. The guy was holding a tiny scalpel while Joel was armed to the teeth; a simple threat or a shot to the leg would have been enough, but he has always had a taste for killing everyone. That’s why, in my eyes, Joel is just a murderer who only ever served his own desires and needs.
As for Abby, the writing behind her is outstanding, and damn, does it feel good to smash zombies with those huge arms of hers. I love you, Ellie, but Abby is incredible. That being said, Abby (and her father) embodies kindness and goodness. Not to mention that her dad probably spent most of his life saving people—and animals too—and had a great relationship with Abby (from the little we see). Abby is so kind to most of the people around her throughout the game; simply put, they all love her and think she's great, which says a lot about who she is. Beyond that, I think she has a huge heart, especially regarding Owen's relationship with Mel. She isn't bitter or mean toward Mel when she could easily be toxic (if my best friend stole my guy like Mel did, I'd be way more resentful than that). Plus, the way she went back to save Yara and Lev, and how she looked after Lev throughout her entire journey, is just beautiful.
I genuinely believe Abby is fundamentally a good person. Sure, she beat people to a pulp just like Ellie and Joel did, but from what I can see, it was always more or less justified—at least far more justified than most of Joel's kills. Forgive me, Ellie, but you don't show much more compassion than Joel, whether it’s Jesse taking a bullet to the face (which secretly suited you more than anything) or the visceral hatred you hold against Joel for saving your life.
I hated Abby for killing Joel, but once I played as her, listened to her conversations, and saw her interactions with others, I realized she was a better person than both Joel and Ellie. Even during the final fight, after Ellie had wiped out all her friends and the love of her life, all Abby wanted was to leave with Lev.
I think if we had played as Abby and her father first, following their quest to find a vaccine, only for some crude brute to suddenly murder him, we would all have been on Abby's side.
What do you guys think?

Posted Aug 27, 2026, 1:01 PM UTC

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