He’s the guy everyone loves to hate, or at least, the guy everyone loves to blame. When people talk about Owen The Last of Us fans usually focus on the boat scene or his messy love triangle with Abby and Mel. It's easy to write him off as a flake. A guy who couldn't commit. But if you look closer at the actual writing in Naughty Dog’s polarizing sequel, Owen Moore is arguably the most important moral anchor in the entire story. Without him, Abby never finds her humanity. Without him, the cycle of violence just keeps spinning until everyone is dead.
Owen is a complicated mess.
He’s a former Firefly who actually believed in the cause, unlike some of his peers who just wanted an excuse to shoot things. While the rest of the Salt Lake Crew became hardened, cynical soldiers for the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), Owen stayed a dreamer. It’s what makes him so frustrating to Abby and so tragic to the player. He's a man stuck between two worlds: the brutal reality of a post-apocalyptic war in Seattle and the idealistic memory of a world that could have been saved.
The Problem With Being a Good Person in a Bad World
Most characters in this universe are defined by their kills. Joel, Ellie, Tommy—they all have body counts that would make a slasher movie villain blush. Owen The Last of Us is different because his defining moments are the times he chooses not to kill. Think back to the beginning of the game in Jackson. When the group finally corners Joel, Owen is the one trying to keep the peace. He’s the one who stops Manny and the others from killing Ellie and Tommy.
"We're done!" he yells.
He knew that killing Joel was a debt that had to be paid, but he wasn't interested in a massacre. He saw the line. He tried to hold it. This wasn't because he was weak; it was because he was the only one in that room who understood that every life taken creates a new set of enemies. He was right, of course. His mercy is exactly what allowed Ellie to track them down later, but that’s the paradox of Owen. He’s a moral man in a world that eats moral men alive.
His refusal to participate in the senseless violence of the WLF is what eventually leads to his downfall. There’s that specific flashback where he talks about the "old man" he was supposed to kill—a Seraphite who didn't even fight back. Owen couldn't do it. He looked at this "enemy" and saw a human being. In the WLF's eyes, that’s desertion. In the player’s eyes, it should be the first sign that Owen is the only one actually trying to be a "person" again.
Why the Abby and Owen Dynamic is So Frustratingly Real
The relationship between Abby and Owen is the heartbeat of the game’s second half, and honestly, it’s uncomfortable to watch. It’s not a polished Hollywood romance. It’s a jagged, codependent, grief-stricken disaster. Owen was Abby’s first love, the person she was with before her father was murdered. For Abby, Owen represents the life she lost. For Owen, Abby represents a version of himself he’s trying to move past.
He gets Mel pregnant. That’s the big elephant in the room.
People call him a "trash" character for how he treats Mel, and honestly, it’s hard to defend. He’s clearly not in love with her, but he’s trying to do "the right thing" by staying. It’s a classic human failure. He’s trying to force a life that doesn't fit because he thinks he owes it to the group. But his heart is always with Abby, or rather, the idea of who Abby used to be. When they finally reconnect on that boat, it’s not just about physical tension. It’s a desperate attempt to feel something other than the crushing weight of the war they’re fighting.
The aquarium is his sanctuary. It’s a physical manifestation of his refusal to live in a concrete bunker. He decorates it. He brings a Christmas tree. He tries to make a home in a place meant for wonder, not for war. While Isaac is planning tactical strikes and Abby is lifting weights to become a human weapon, Owen is looking at a painting of a boat and dreaming of Santa Barbara. He’s the only character who consistently looks forward instead of backward.
The Santa Barbara Dream: Escaping the Cycle
The Fireflies weren't just a militia to Owen; they were a symbol of hope. When he hears the rumors about them regrouping in Santa Barbara, it’s the first time we see him truly energized. He wants to leave the WLF. He wants to leave the mud and the rain and the "Scars" behind.
- He sees the futility of the war in Seattle.
- He recognizes that the WLF and the Seraphites are just two sides of the same bloody coin.
- He realizes that staying in Seattle means dying for nothing.
This is where the tragedy of Owen The Last of Us really hits home. He convinces Abby that there is more to life than revenge. He is the catalyst for her redemption arc. Without Owen pushing her to see the humanity in Lev and Yara, Abby would have just remained Isaac’s "top scar killer." Owen’s restlessness is infectious. He makes Abby realize that she’s been holding her breath for four years, and it’s time to exhale.
But Owen can’t escape his own mistakes. His inability to be honest with Mel and his lingering ties to Abby create the friction that Ellie eventually exploits. When Ellie shows up at the aquarium, Owen’s first instinct is still protection. He tries to disarm her, not because he’s a killer, but because he’s trying to save his pregnant girlfriend and his future.
He dies for a cause he was already trying to leave.
The Impact of Owen's Death on the Series
When Owen dies, the last bit of light in Abby’s world goes out. It’s the ultimate "too late" moment. They were this close to leaving. The boat was ready. The map was marked. His death is the final proof that in this world, you don't get a clean break. Your past follows you, and usually, it brings a gun.
From a narrative standpoint, Owen serves as a mirror. He shows us what a "normal" person looks like when they are forced into a paramilitary cult. He’s the guy who cracks. He’s the guy who gets tired of the blood. If Joel is the symbol of survival at any cost, Owen is the symbol of the cost itself. He reminds us that even if you survive, you might lose the part of yourself that makes survival worth it.
Fans often debate whether Owen was a "good" guy. It’s the wrong question. In the world of The Last of Us Part II, no one is good. Everyone is a shade of gray. Owen is just a lighter shade than most. He was a man who wanted to see the ocean, who wanted to believe in a cure, and who wanted to love a woman who was too busy being a soldier to love him back.
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How to Understand Owen’s Role in Your Next Playthrough
If you’re going back into the game, pay attention to Owen’s dialogue when he’s not the center of attention. Listen to how he talks to the other WLF members. He’s always the one asking "Why?" while everyone else is asking "How many?"
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts:
- Study the Aquarium Environment: Look at the items Owen collected. They are all artifacts of a civilized world—books, art, holiday decorations. This isn't just set dressing; it's characterization of a man refusing to let the world turn him into a monster.
- Analyze the Parallels with Lev: Owen and Lev are the two characters who pull Abby toward the light. Owen does it through their shared past; Lev does it through a shared future.
- Re-evaluate the Mel Situation: Don't just see it as a "cheating" subplot. See it as Owen’s desperate attempt to find a sense of duty and normalcy in a world where those things have no meaning. He failed Mel, but his failure was rooted in a very human kind of cowardice, not malice.
- Contrast Owen with Isaac: Isaac represents the logical extreme of the WLF—total war, no emotion. Owen is his direct opposite. Their conflict is the core conflict of the Seattle chapters: Is it better to survive as a beast or die as a man?
Owen Moore didn't get to see Santa Barbara. He didn't get to see the Fireflies return. But his influence is the only reason Abby and Lev made it there. He was the bridge between the old world and whatever comes next. He was messy, he was flawed, and he was deeply unfaithful, but he was also the only one who never stopped looking for the light.
Next time you see that "Look for the Light" graffiti, don't think of the soldiers. Think of the guy in the aquarium with the drawing of a boat. That was Owen. That was the point.