Let's talk about the golf club. Everyone remembers the golf club.
When Abby Last of Us 2 first hit our screens back in 2020, the internet didn't just explode; it scorched the earth. I remember sitting there, controller shaking, feeling that sick pit in my stomach as the screen faded to black. You probably felt it too. It was a level of narrative violence that felt personal, like Naughty Dog had reached through the TV and slapped us.
But here we are in 2026, and the conversation has shifted. If you’re still thinking of Abby Anderson as just "the villain who killed Joel," you’re honestly missing the entire point of the game. It’s been years since the release, and through the Remastered version on PS5 and the PC port, we’ve had more time to sit with her than almost any other "antagonist" in gaming history.
She’s a mess. A total, muscular, traumatized mess.
Why the Perspective Shift in Abby Last of Us 2 Still Works
Naughty Dog took a massive gamble. Halfway through the game, they force you to stop playing as Ellie—the girl we’ve protected since she was fourteen—and step into the boots of her worst nightmare.
It’s jarring. It’s meant to be.
One thing people often forget is that Abby’s gameplay is fundamentally different. While Ellie is a switchblade—fast, stealthy, and fragile—Abby is a tank. She doesn’t just sneak; she barrels through. Her "No Return" roguelike mode in the Remastered edition highlights this even more. You feel the weight of her training. She spent four years turning her body into a weapon specifically to kill one man.
The Dad Factor
We focus on Joel because we love him. But to Abby, Joel was just the monster who murdered her father, Jerry Anderson, in a hospital hallway. Jerry wasn't just some NPC; he was the guy saving zebras and trying to find a cure for a fungus-riddled world.
When you play through Abby’s three days in Seattle, you aren't just seeing her "side." You're seeing her realize that revenge didn't actually fix her. The nightmares didn't stop. Killing Joel didn't bring her dad back; it just left her feeling hollow and alienated from her friends like Owen and Mel.
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The Physicality Controversy: Let's Get Real
Can we talk about the muscles? It’s 2026, and people still argue about whether a woman could look like that in the apocalypse.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a silly argument when you look at the WLF (Washington Liberation Front) stadium. They have a massive gym. They have a cafeteria with a surplus of burritos and meat. They have a literal training regimen. Abby didn't get "buff" for aesthetics; she got buff so she could survive a world that wanted her dead.
Neil Druckmann, the creator, has been pretty vocal about this. In the developer commentary for The Last of Us Part II Remastered, he mentions that her physique was a narrative choice to show her obsession. She let everything else in her life—romance, hobbies, peace—atrophy so her muscles could grow. It was her armor.
What Most People Miss About Lev and Yara
The real turning point for Abby Last of Us 2 isn't her fight with Ellie. It’s her relationship with two Seraphite kids, Lev and Yara.
This is where the "Joel parallels" become undeniable. Abby finds herself in the "protector" role, mirroring the very man she hated. When she tells Lev, "You're my people," she’s finally breaking the cycle of tribalism that kept the WLF and the Seraphites at each other's throats.
It's messy. It's hypocritical.
She betrays her own militia to save a kid from a rival cult. Is she a good person? Probably not. But in the world of The Last of Us, nobody is. That’s the beauty of it.
The Ending That Almost Happened
Did you know that in the original draft of the game, Ellie was supposed to kill Abby?
In the Remastered director’s commentary, the writers revealed that for a long time during development, the plan was for Ellie to actually drown Abby in that final, grueling fight at Santa Barbara. They changed it because it felt like Ellie would be "losing her soul" entirely.
By letting Abby go, Ellie finally moves past her grief. And Abby, emaciated and broken after months of torture by the Rattlers, gets to take Lev to find the Fireflies. It’s a bittersweet ending that feels earned only because of how much we suffered through those 25+ hours.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough:
- Listen to the NPCs: When playing as Abby, listen to the WLF soldiers. They talk about their families and fears. It makes the moments when Ellie eventually kills them much harder to swallow.
- Check the Notes: Read the letters in the Aquarium. They flesh out Abby’s relationship with Owen in ways the cutscenes sometimes gloss over.
- Try "No Return": If you have the Remastered version, play as Abby in the roguelike mode. Her melee-focused upgrades show just how much of a powerhouse she is compared to characters like Mel or Manny.
- Watch the HBO Series (Season 2): Kaitlyn Dever is taking on the role of Abby. Keep an eye on how the show handles the "perspective flip"—it’s likely to be even more controversial on TV than it was in the game.
Abby Anderson remains one of the most complex characters in gaming because she refuses to be "likable." She demands that you acknowledge her humanity, even when you'd rather just hate her. Whether you've forgiven her or you still can't stand the sight of a 9-iron, there's no denying she changed the way we think about protagonists forever.
If you're jumping back into Seattle, pay close attention to the dream sequences. They are the only way to truly see when Abby’s psyche finally starts to heal.