The Beauty Of Abby’s Found Family In The Last Of Us Part 2

Abby and Lev’s relationship in The Last of Us Part 2 is a sign of comfort at the end of the world.

*TLOU 2 Spoilers Ahead*

Abby loses everything in The Last of Us Part 2. The most heartbreaking part is that, before we even step into her shoes, we know almost all that she’s about to go through. Ellie has left a path of bloodshed in her wake as we take control of Abby, realising within moments that we must relive these harrowing events through the eyes of whom they mattered to most.

It’s a masterclass in humanisation, painting the original antagonist as a heroine of greater measure than Ellie ever was, surpassing her as the she succumbs to her own vices in a bitter and bloody tale of revenge. The violence isn’t what stands out the most to me though, it’s the more human happenings that bleed through onto the parchment. Abby finds a new family after losing everything, and becomes a better person for it.

When Abby first encounters Lev and Yara, she eyes them with obvious suspicion. These are members of a cult who have tried to kill her for years, so why would she ever trust a couple of stragglers who might just be using her as a means of escape. We share in her trepidation, but also in her insistence to help when Yara is left beaten within an inch of her life with no means of survival.

Abby offers to help, throwing herself into harm’s way to save a stranger’s life. She’s silent regarding her reasoning, offering Lev little more than a series of blunt remarks and ignorant huffs as they navigate their way towards the hospital. It’s only when Abby is forced to confront one of her greatest fears – heights – that she slowly emerges from her confrontational shell.

The skybridges that linger amidst the skyline are far more than passages into the corpses of skyscrapers – they are a metaphoric glimpse into the psyche of our central characters. Lev navigates the vertiginous path with ease, darting across precarious obstacles without a care in the world. He’s come to terms with his demons, ready to face them head-on without the slightest hint of hesitation. Abby is a different story, clinging desperately onto decaying metal as it grows more and more insecure beneath her feet. She could sink into the foggy oblivion at any moment, a fate we aren’t willing to resign her to.

With a mindset like this, it’s no wonder she falls, plummeting into the rotting waters of a swimming pool below and bringing Lev down with her. She hasn’t accepted her own situation yet despite her good intentions, willing to help a couple of strangers but still keeping them at arm’s length in fear of betrayal. Once all of her friends are killed at the hands of Ellie, Abby learns to accept Lev as one of her own, and her character changes forever.

Family isn’t really a thing once the world has met its end. Relationships become harder to maintain, and familial ties are immediately split apart as the realities of survival result in separation or even death. Both games in this series focus on slowly warming to people we’d otherwise distrust. Joel warms to Ellie much like Abby warms to Lev, learning to believe in those you’d otherwise never even associate with.

Once they have reached Colorado, Abby and Lev feel like a cohesive unit. They joke, converse, and operate like a pair of siblings, and it’s genuinely heartwarming to see. When Lev is pulled away from her at the hands of degenerate bandits, her violent side speaks out, threatening to tear them to pieces if they dare touch a hair on his head. It shows how far these two characters have come, even if the circumstances are anything but jovial.

It’s doubly ironic that once Abby and Lev are left to die on the beach during the game’s climax, Ellie waltzes along to do all the saving. Her found family is lost, torn apart by Abby’s initial act of revenge. She fails to understand the reasoning behind Abby’s actions, or is fully aware of them and just blatantly ignorant of the truth. The final confrontation is abhorrent, an exercise in brutality I didn’t want a part in. I even stopped fighting once, letting myself be killed just so it would all end.

Yet I had to keep fighting to pursue any semblance of survival when all seemed lost. In the end, it is Lev who causes Ellie to see the error of her ways. She sees herself in the young boy, and she can see Joel in Abby. A guardian watching over a young soul who would be powerless without her, and her without him. The cycle refuses to be broken as Ellie throws her knife away, letting the found family find salvation as she wallows in the destruction of her own.

The eventual fate of Abby and Lev is left ambiguous, and rightfully so. If Naughty Dog ever decides to pick up the mantle again and make a third game, I want it to focus on this duo. I want it to be a story of growth, hope, and finding purpose in a world that has put us through hell for two entire games. This is a found family that deserves happiness, even if it means fighting through another battle to find it.

As Joel once said, “no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.” Ellie took that lesson the wrong way, while Abby carved it into something she will hold dear forever.

The Last Of Us: 15 Most Memorable Quotes

The Last of Us might be one of the best-written video games ever made, and these memorable quotes prove it.

The Last Of Us was one of those rare gems that showed just how powerful good storytelling and character development could be in a video game. The entire plot is full of emotional moments, inspiring growth, bravery, tragedy, and darkness.

It’s also known for having some great lines and quotes from the characters. Seemingly every character has something deep or meaningful to say that make for truly memorable quotes. Long after the credits rolled and players moved on to other games all those years ago, these quotes have stuck around. We’ve added a few more to this list for a total of 15!

15. “I Will Not Turn Into One Of Those Things. Come On, Make This Easy For Me.”

This poignant scene features Tess revealing a bite mark on her neck to Joel and Ellie, which has effectively sealed her doom. Knowing the end is nigh, she pushes both of them to leave her so that she can do the deed herself.

Tess also succeeds in comparing the bite on Ellie’s arm to her own neck wound, to help Joel understand that there’s something truly special about Ellie’s biology. This would have serious ramifications for the remainder of humanity, in the final act of the game.

14. “Let’s See, Scorpions Are Pretty Creepy. Ummm, Being By Myself. I’m Scared Of Ending Up Alone. What About You?”

Well into the game, Ellie meets a new friend named Sam, and the two get to talking about the state of the world, and what it’s like to survive. Eventually, the conversation shifts to greatest fears and Ellie reveals hers.

At first, it’s typically benign, but Ellie soon spills the beans and reveals what really frightens her in a world gone mad, full of lunatics, deadly zombies, and cruel humans.

13. “I Lost Most Of My Crew Trying To Get Here, I Pretty Much Lost Everything. And Then You Show Up And Somehow We Find You Just In Time To Save Her. Maybe It Was Meant To Be.”

After waking up in a hospital bed, Joel comes face to face with Marlene, just as she’s prepping Ellie for surgery to find a possible cure for the cordyceps epidemic. At first, Joel remarks that Ellie “fought like hell” to reach the Fireflies.

Marlene quips that she herself had endured the same kind of torment, only to see Joel stand by Ellie’s side as she fought to reach them. While both believe that fate might have played a factor, neither of them see eye-to-eye on the reasons why, or what came next.

12. “Once Upon A Time, I Had Somebody That I Cared About. It Was A Partner. Somebody I Had To Look After. And In This World, That Sort Of S**T’s Good For One Thing: Gettin’ Ya Killed.”

Bill exposes his own nihilism when he utters this quote about caring for people in the aftermath of a destroyed world. It’s an important message about the dangers of losing one’s own humanity when things become dire.

In truth, many humans would probably fall victim to the same viewpoint as they continued to lose hope. Soon, caring for others would become a liability, which begs the question – what’s the point of living, at all? It’s a cautionary message for everyone to remember the importance of helping others, especially when things are at their worst.

11. “What Did The Green Grape Say To The Purple Grape? Breathe, You Idiot!”

One of the more lighthearted portions of The Last Of Us includes a series of truly awful puns, courtesy of a book in Ellie’s possession called No Pun Intended.

Among most of the eye-rolling, groan-inducing puns is a standout – this particular joke about a green grape talking to a purple grape. It’s one for the ages.

10. “There Are A Million Ways We Should’ve Died Before Today, And A Million Ways We Can Die Before Tomorrow.”

“But we fight, for every second we get to spend with each other. Whether it’s two minutes or two days, we don’t give that up. I don’t want to give that up.” – Riley in Left Behind DLC

Having just been bitten and their fates seemingly sealed, both Riley and Ellie were struggling with what to do now that their days were numbered. Although the thought of ending it all came up, Riley delivered this powerful line that shows why it’s important to keep fighting even though it all seems pointless.

9. “You Know, As Bad As Those Things Are, At Least They’re Predictable. It’s The Normal People That Scare Me.”

The Last Of Us does a good job at making zombies terrifying, but it does an even better job of making regular people out to be the worst monsters. Zombies kill a person because they’re driven by biological urges to spread the infection, humans do it because they can.

Ultimately Bill points out that free will and human greed make people much scarier. A zombie you know what you’re dealing with, but that kind man who helped you bag a deer and save your life could also very well be a cannibal.

8. “After Years Of Wandering In Circles, We’re About To Come Home, Make A Difference, And Bring The Human Race Back Into Control Of Its Own Destiny.”

“All of our sacrifices and the hundreds of men and women who’ve bled for this cause, or worse… will not be in vain.” – Anonymous Surgeon

This recording gives an insight into how desperate the medical professionals with the Fireflies were to find a cure and give mankind hope for rebuilding. After years of watching everyone around them die and no hope in sight, they’re finally on the brink of a cure that could change everything.

7. “I Struggled For A Long Time With Surviving. And No Matter What, You Keep Finding Something To Fight For.”

Joel is a man who knows about loss, after losing his wife, his daughter, his brother (he assumed he was dead), and Tess, he had to find a reason to keep going and keep surviving.

Recognizing that Ellie was going through a similar crisis of faith after failing to deliver the cure to the fireflies he wanted to ensure she found her own reason for surviving.

6. “After All We’ve Been Through. Everything That I’ve Done. It Can’t Be For Nothing.”

After Joel proposes going back to Tommy’s settlement and living a normal life Ellie quickly shuts it down saying all the hardship, heartbreak, and what she considers vile acts on her part (killing David) can’t be in vain.

All of those things are okay if they manage to get a cure out of this, which makes Joel’s statement that she needs to find another reason to survive so important in the previous entry.

5. “Hello? Anyone? Cure For Mankind Here!”

This amusing line perfectly conveys the frustration and hope Ellie has at trying to find the Fireflies. After being told for so long they were at the university they arrive to find the Fireflies are gone, having moved on even further across the country.

Despite knowing the importance of her immunity, Ellie can’t help but be a kid and feel frustrated that things just keep going wrong. Turns out being the savior of mankind can be a little frustrating if the story doesn’t play out like the fairy tale it should be.

4. “Just One Peaceful Night; A Clean Conscience…All Gone…”

“Lyin’ on the couch watchin’ Sunday football. That… greasy smell of a downtown hot dog. 4^th of July, family barbecues. The sound of a plane flying overhead. Just one peaceful night; a clean conscience…all gone…” – Joel

In the midst of the apocalypse, Joel has become aware of how much he took for granted from the early days. The food, the company, the boring activities, and just the simple peace of not watching over your shoulder every minute of every day or worried what might happen in your sleep. But perhaps what he misses most of all is a life where he never made bad decisions or did horrible things to survive.

3. “Tell Them Ellie’s The Name Of The Little Girl… That BROKE YOUR F***ING FINGER!”

Being a child of the apocalypse it’s understandable she’d have a mouth on her and her rebellious and feisty personality makes her a bit of a quandary for the cannibal David. While he tries to manipulate what he thinks is a strong, but innocent little girl, Ellie keeps proving she’s sharper around the edges than he anticipates.

She becomes such a threat that David himself goes toe to toe with her in the bar and loses, proving that although she’s a little girl and filled with raw emotion at times, she also has a fire in her.

2. “Everyone I Have Cared For Has Either Died Or Left Me. Everyone… F***Ing Except For You.”

“So don’t tell me that I would be safer with someone else because the truth is I would just be more scared.” – Ellie

This is a particularly vulnerable moment for Ellie as she has developed feelings for Joel and is presented with the fact that he might not share those same feelings back.

Despite his gruff demeanor and repeated attempts to shut her out, Ellie is aware that he’s willing to do anything to protect her and Joel is scared of getting too attached as a result.

1. “You’d Just Come After Her.”

This short and brutal line is one of the most haunting moments in the game. The story descended from a black and white story of redemption for Joel by finding a cure to the gray abyss of a tortured man making a choice no one should ever have to make. Joel must decide whether to willingly lose the last person he cares about to save humanity or protect her and doom everyone else.

After making this horrible choice he’s put to a final test to spare the life of the Fireflies’ leader, but after realizing that Marlene is willing to go to any lengths to obtain a cure Joel determines she’d pose a continual threat to Ellie and ends her life and any hope for a cure.

The Last Of Us 2: 10 Saddest QuoteS Ranked

The Last of Us 2 is a heart-wrenching game and these are its saddest quotes. Get your tissues ready.

Since the release of The Last of Us 2, it’s been extremely hard to forget about. Surpassing The Witcher 3 to become the most awarded game in history, this PlayStation Exclusive has been the hot topic of conversation.

The series is known to deliver some heart-wrenchingly raw moments as characters get candid in the post-apocalyptic world. With spoilers laying ahead, be prepared to be moved and grab some tissues, as these saddest quotes are sure to get you itching to play the game all over again.

10. “I Didn’t Want To Be A Burden-“ – “Well, You’re A Burden Now, Aren’t You?”

After Dina reveals to Ellie that she’s pregnant, Ellie didn’t hold back on how she truly felt. Although was this completely her fault?

This part of the game is particularly stinging and it’s a small sign of the start of Ellie’s deterioration as her mind is overwhelming her, which leads to her inevitable decline. Her personality is changing without her even realizing, due to grief and anger. Ultimately, Ellie is saying things that she wouldn’t normally say to the ones that she loves.

9. “If I Were To Lose You, I’d Surely Lose Myself.”

Despite Joel’s lack of dialogue, this early scene is an extremely memorable moment in the game. Singing to Ellie a cover of “Future Days“ by Pearl Jam, it is nothing but completely truthful for their relationship that initially blossomed from something so unexpectedly small.

Later on into the game and sadly after Joel’s death, Ellie sings this song alone in the cinema, repeating the line, “If I were to lose you, I’d truly lose myself,” as she reminisces about Joel.

8. “I Don’t Want To Lose You.”

At the start of her decline, Ellie gets candid with Dina, confessing how she made Nora talk. The scene where Ellie kills Nora is a pivotal moment in the game that shows how overwhelmed Ellie is with thinking she’s right to pursue Abby and how she seeks revenge for the loss of Joel.

Confessing to Dina her true feelings shows that Ellie is conflicted about her choices; whether this is to pursue killing Abby or to stay with Dina. This conflicting decision ultimately is the reason why Dina leaves Ellie with her choices at the end of The Last of Us 2.

7. “We Have A Family. She Doesn’t Get To Be More Important Than That.”

Dina pleads for Ellie to stay after Joel’s brother, Tommy, convinces her to finally kill Abby once and for all, after a long-awaited sighting of her. Ellie seemed content with living in the farmhouse with Dina and her baby until a saddening moment showed the mental trauma that she still faced from Joel’s death and how it still affects her.

Dina wants Ellie to stay and worries that she might get killed. Ellie’s mind is conflicted on the choice but ultimately ventures with the intention to kill Abby for what she thinks will be the final time. Ellie chooses revenge on Abby over her and Dina’s relationship.

6. “Making A Vaccine… Would Have Killed You. So I Stopped Them.” – “I’ll Go Back. But We’re Done.”

“If you lie to me one more time, I’m gone. You will never see me again. But if you tell me the truth, I’ll go back to Jackson. No matter what it is.” – Ellie

This is one of the longest awaited moments of the series as Joel confesses the truth to Ellie about her immunity. Her reaction is not one of thanks. Yet, you can’t blame Ellie for being angry and you can’t blame Joel for lying.

Despite keeping her promise to go back to Jackson, Ellie has a grudge against Joel as he lied to her. With the fate of Joel’s character, this quote is especially saddening, as it’s an accumulation of sore moments that makes you believe that Ellie and Joel had unresolved problems before he was killed, which wasn’t the case.

5. “You Killed My Friends. We Let You Live And You Wasted It!

Despite what your opinions might be of her, Abby is no stranger to loss. The game centers around Ellie’s goal of getting revenge for the death of Joel by hunting down Abby and killing those around her along the way.

After Joel killed Abby’s dad to save Ellie’s life in The Last Of Us and Ellie killing her friends in The Last Of Us 2, Abby is left completely alone. If this wasn’t enough, Ellie proceeds with the hope to kill Abby in the final parts of the video game. You can feel Abby’s raw emotion of loss in this dramatic scene of the game.

4. “He Had No Right-” – “And You Do? I Don’t Need Your F***Ing Help, Joel.”

With what was originally thought of as one of the last encounters between Ellie and Joel, this quote comes with a heavy burden as players dare to continue thinking that the last conversation between these extremely loveable characters was one of anger.

Joel was instantly at Ellie’s defence as she was labelled a “Dyke” after she and Dina shared a kiss in the public space. Despite Joel having only good intentions, Ellie was quick to respond to Joel’s comment regarding the lack of help that she needs to defend herself. With onlookers watching and knowing the situation escalated quickly and unintentionally, it made this scene extremely difficult to watch. An embarrassed Joel quickly exits the situation and leaves Ellie contemplating her harsh comments.

3. “Joel, Get Up. Joel, F***Ing Get Up. Please Stop!”

In undoubtedly the saddest and most heart-wrenching cutscene of the entire game, Ellie pleads for Joel’s life. Joel lays struggling for his life as Abby stands above him in the most unforgettable scene of the game.

Joel, arguably the best character of the series, is much loved and his loss had a huge impact on The Last of Us series, which ultimately brought up the controversial decisions of people’s thoughts on the game. Having always protected others around him, there finally came a time where he was unable to protect himself.

2. “Go. Just Take Him.”

Here, Ellie is simply left ill in defeat. The long hours of gameplay led up to this moment to which Ellie thought she was doing this for the better of herself and to revenge Joel.

Ellie shows evident signs of PTSD which became overwhelming at some points. She breaks down in this almost final scene in which she breathlessly tells Abby to leave with Lev, after saving them from starvation and dehydration as they were hung and left to die. Despite the fact that Ellie was close to getting what she thought she always wanted, which was to kill Abby, she let her go free as she sat defeated with emotion.

1. “If Somehow The Lord Gave Me A Second Chance At That Moment… I Would Do It All Over Again.”

“I was supposed to die in that hospital. My life would’ve f***ing mattered. But you took that from me.” – Ellie

This heart-wrenching final scene had us crying our eyes out. With heartbreaking moments leading up to this point, players were left thinking that Joel and Ellie’s last conversation was one of the underlying issues and hatred, so this was the perfect final conversation that we could have hoped for.

As Ellie says to Joel that she would like to try and forgive him, it’s obvious to both Joel and Ellie how much their relationship means to each other in this father-daughter-like relationship.