Honestly, it’s been years, and we’re still fighting about her. Mention Abby Last of Us Part 2 in any gaming forum today, and you’re basically throwing a flashbang into a crowded room. People either see her as a misunderstood victim of a cycle of violence or the person who "ruined" their favorite franchise. There is no middle ground.
But why?
It isn't just because she’s a muscular woman or because she likes golf. It’s because Naughty Dog pulled off one of the most daring, albeit frustrating, narrative flips in the history of the medium. They forced you to play as the "villain" for ten hours. Not just any villain, but the person who killed Joel Miller.
The Abby Problem: Why First Impressions Stuck
The introduction of Abby Anderson wasn't subtle. It was a sledgehammer to the face of the fandom. Within the first two hours of The Last of Us Part 2, players watched through tears as Abby brutally murdered Joel. It felt like a betrayal. For years, we’d lived as Joel. We’d protected Ellie as him. Then, this stranger shows up and ends his story in a cold, snowy basement in Jackson.
Naughty Dog knew what they were doing. They wanted you to hate her. They needed you to hate her. If you didn't feel that visceral rage, the rest of the game's message about empathy wouldn't work. The problem is that for many players, that wall of hatred was too high to climb over.
When the perspective shifts halfway through the game, many people just checked out. "I don't want to play as her," was the common refrain. Yet, if you stuck with it, you started to see the cracks in her armor. Abby wasn't just a monster; she was a mirror of Ellie. Both were driven by a singular, self-destructive need for revenge. Both lost their fathers to the violence of this world.
Understanding the WLF and the Salt Lake Crew
Abby’s journey starts long before that day in Jackson. She was the daughter of Jerry Anderson, the surgeon Ellie was supposed to die for in the first game. When Joel chose Ellie over the world, he didn't just kill a doctor; he killed a girl’s entire future.
Abby joined the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), or "Wolves," alongside her friends—Owen, Mel, Nora, and Manny. These weren't just random NPCs. They were a tight-knit group of former Fireflies who were trying to build something out of the ashes.
Seeing the WLF base at CenturyLink Field (the Stadium) is a shock. It’s a functioning society. They have schools, laundry facilities, a gym, and even a massive cafeteria. It makes Jackson look like a small outpost. This context matters because it shows that Abby Last of Us Part 2 isn't just about a lone killer. It’s about a soldier within a complex, warring faction. She’s "Isaac’s top scar-killer," a title that carries a lot of weight and even more trauma.
The Physicality of the Character
Let’s talk about the character design. It caused a ridiculous amount of controversy online, which, looking back, feels pretty silly. Abby is built like an elite athlete. Given that she lives in a stadium with a world-class gym and a steady supply of protein, her physique makes total sense. She spent years training her body into a weapon specifically so she could kill the man who took her father.
Her playstyle reflects this. While Ellie is a "glass cannon" who relies on stealth, switchblades, and dodging, Abby is a powerhouse. Playing as her feels heavy. You can punch your way out of situations that would kill Ellie. Her "Momentum" mechanic allows her to chain together brutal melee kills. It’s satisfying, and that’s part of the discomfort. The game makes you enjoy being the person you’re supposed to loathe.
The Lev and Yara Arc: Abby’s Redemption or Just a Pivot?
The turning point for most players is Abby's relationship with Lev and Yara. These are two Seraphites (Scars) who have been exiled from their cult.
When Abby decides to go back for them, it isn't out of the goodness of her heart. She’s plagued by nightmares. She killed Joel, she got her revenge, and guess what? It didn't help. She still sees her father’s dead body every time she closes her eyes. Saving Lev and Yara is an attempt to balance the scales. It’s a desperate grab at some form of humanity she thought she’d traded away.
The descent into the "Ground Zero" of the Seattle hospital is perhaps the most intense sequence in the entire game. Facing the Rat King—a terrifying multi-staged boss—isn't just a horror set piece. It symbolizes Abby facing the literal and figurative rot at the heart of her world. By the time she reaches the end of that day, she’s no longer a loyal WLF soldier. She’s a traitor to her own people, all for the sake of two kids she was taught to hate.
Parallel Lives: Ellie vs. Abby
The game is a diptych. Two sides of the same coin.
- Ellie's Path: A descent into darkness. She starts in the light of Jackson and ends up losing everything—her fingers, her ability to play guitar, and her family—because she can't let go.
- Abby's Path: An ascent. She starts at her lowest point (the murder of Joel) and slowly tries to claw her way back toward being a person who can care for others.
By the time they meet in the theater, the roles have reversed. We, the players, have seen Abby's humanity. We've seen her lose Owen and Mel. When she stands over Ellie, she has every reason to kill her. But Lev stops her. That "Okay" she says to Lev is the most important line in her story. It’s the moment the cycle actually breaks, at least for her.
The Ending: Santa Barbara and Beyond
The final confrontation in Santa Barbara is almost unbearable to watch. By this point, Abby has been captured by the Rattlers. She’s been tortured, starved, and left to rot on a pillar by the ocean. She’s a shadow of the person we saw in Seattle.
When Ellie forces her to fight, there is no glory in it. It’s just two broken women splashing around in the surf. When Ellie finally lets her go, it isn't a victory for Abby—it’s a moment of shared exhaustion.
The last we see of Abby, she’s rowing away with Lev toward Catalina Island. The change in the title screen after you beat the game—showing a boat beached near a large building (the Firefly base)—suggests they actually made it.
Technical Mastery and Performance
We have to give credit to Laura Bailey. The performance capture for Abby Last of Us Part 2 is staggering. Bailey had to endure immense real-world harassment because of this role, which is a dark stain on the gaming community. Despite that, her performance is nuanced. You can hear the tremor in her voice when she talks to Owen, and the sheer exhaustion in her breath during the final act.
The animation tech used for Abby’s face captures micro-expressions that tell you more than the dialogue ever could. Whether it’s the way her eyes shift when she sees the "Firefly" mural or the subtle flinch when she’s confronted with her own hypocrisy, the detail is incredible.
Misconceptions You Should Probably Drop
People love to say Abby is a "sociopath." If she were a sociopath, she wouldn't have nightmares. She wouldn't risk her life for Lev. She wouldn't have spent years pining after Owen while he moved on with Mel.
Another big one: "The game wants you to think Abby is better than Ellie."
No, it doesn't. The game wants you to realize that from a certain perspective, you are the villain in someone else's story. Joel was a hero to us, but to Abby, he was the monster who slaughtered a hospital full of people and ended the hope for a vaccine. Both things are true at the same time.
How to Approach a Second Playthrough
If you hated Abby the first time, I genuinely suggest a second run. Now that the shock of Joel's death has worn off, look at her sections differently.
- Watch her interactions with Owen: He’s her moral compass. Notice how much she struggles to live up to the person he wants her to be.
- Pay attention to the background chatter in the WLF base: You’ll hear about the "monsters" they are fighting (the Scars) and realize they are just as brainwashed as any other faction.
- Focus on the verticality of her levels: Abby is afraid of heights. The game uses this "vertigo" mechanic several times. It’s a small, humanizing touch that makes her feel vulnerable despite her strength.
The Real Impact of Abby
Abby Anderson changed the way we talk about protagonists. She challenged the "hero" narrative in a way few characters ever have. Love her or hate her, you can't deny that she made you feel something.
The game asks a very difficult question: Can you forgive someone who took everything from you? Ellie eventually answers that question in the water at Santa Barbara. As players, we’re still working on our own answer.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Players:
- Check the Firefly Lab Details: On your next playthrough, look at the recorders in the St. Mary’s Hospital during the flashback. It adds layers to why Abby felt her father's death was so uniquely catastrophic for the world.
- Explore the "Optional" Dialogue: Abby has a ton of missable conversations with Lev that explain the lore of the Seraphites and her own waning faith in the WLF.
- Analyze the "Coin" Collectibles: Each coin Abby finds represents a different US state. It’s a subtle nod to her father’s hobby and her attempt to hold onto a world that no longer exists.
- Compare Melee Builds: If you're playing on Grounded mode, prioritize Abby's "Health on Kill" and "Momentum" upgrades. They are essential for surviving the close-quarters combat sequences that define her half of the game.
- Watch the Documentary: "Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II" provides incredible insight into how the writers developed Abby's character and the toll it took on the developers and actors to tell such a divisive story.