The Last of Us has never been a story about clear heroes and villains. It’s a brutal tale of survival, grief, and the choices people make for love. After Joel’s shocking death in Season 2, Ellie is set on a path of revenge. And that journey leads to the question fans can’t stop asking: Does Ellie kill Abby in the end?
In season 2, episode 2, “Through the Valley,” Ellie has to witness the brutal murder of Joel, a man who was the closest thing she had to a father. She arrives just moments too late, restrained and screaming as Abby delivers the final blow to Joel with a golf club. It is a moment that breaks Ellie’s entire world and sets the tone for everything that may follow. But with the show stopping short of revealing what Ellie does next, fans are left guessing: What will Ellie’s revenge look like?
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for The Last of Us season 2.
Joel’s Death Changes Everything
Until now, Ellie always had Joel to fall back on. Their bond was complicated, scarred by secrets and lies, but it was still the most important relationship in her life. He wasn’t just her protector, he was family. And in one violent moment, that anchor is ripped away. Joel’s death isn’t clean or noble. It’s brutal, senseless, and personal. Abby and her crew don’t kill him in a fight; they beat him down, leave him broken, and walk away while Ellie watches, bloodied and restrained, unable to do anything.
This is where everything changes. Ellie isn’t a survivor anymore. She’s not fighting for a future or even for peace. Joel’s death shifts her entire worldview. The people who killed him are out there, alive, and that’s something she can’t accept. His murder doesn’t just hurt, it demands a response. Abby becomes more than a killer in Ellie’s eyes. She becomes the embodiment of everything Ellie has lost. And that grief transforms into obsession.
From the second Joel’s body hits the floor, Ellie’s new path is clear. No one can talk her down. No one can reason with her. The world took Joel from her, and she’s going to burn everything in her way until she finds and destroys the ones responsible. This is no longer about survival. It’s only about revenge.
What’s Next for Ellie?
We’ve seen what loss does in The Last of Us. It changes people. And for Ellie, Joel’s death isn’t just another heartbreak, it’s her breaking point. She’s not just going to mourn quietly. She’s furious. And that fury is going to shape everything she does from here on out.
This is no longer the Ellie we saw in season 1. That version of her was gone the moment she saw Joel lying on the floor, lifeless and battered, while she was powerless to stop it. She couldn’t save him, couldn’t even get to him. Now, all that remains in Ellie is rage and the overwhelming urge to kill Abby.
The show hasn’t revealed what Ellie will do next. But if there’s one thing the series has taught us, it’s that revenge always has a price. Ellie will have to sacrifice everything if she wants to even have a shot at getting revenge, forsaking any hope of a normal life. That would be the cross she’d have to bear if she wants to avenge Joel’s death.
What Happens between Ellie and Abby in the Game?
In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie does eventually track down Abby, but she doesn’t kill her. After a relentless and bloody journey across Seattle, Ellie confronts Abby for one last showdown. The fight is brutal, raw, and filled with years of pain. Yet, when it’s over, Ellie makes a choice. She spares Abby’s life.
This moment is one of the most debated choices in the game. For Ellie, killing Abby wouldn’t bring Joel back. It wouldn’t undo the pain, only perpetuate the cycle of violence. By letting Abby live, Ellie momentarily tries to break free from the endless cycle of revenge that has consumed her for so long, causing so much death and destruction.
Whether the show will follow this same path remains uncertain. But with the weight of Joel’s death on her shoulders, the stage has been set for Ellie to begin her journey of revenge. It will be one from which she might never return and one that’ll destroy everything that Joel wanted Ellie to have. Such is the nature of revenge.
