Let’s be real. It’s been years since The Last of Us Part II dropped, and people are still losing their minds over Abby Anderson. You’ve seen the threads. You’ve seen the "Team Joel" versus "Team Abby" wars that basically burned down the internet back in 2020. But if we’re looking at The Last of Us Abby through a 2026 lens, especially with the HBO show bringing her story to a massive new audience, the conversation has shifted. It’s less about "How could she?" and more about "How did we not see this coming?"
Abby isn't a villain. She isn't a hero, either. She’s a mirror.
The WLF Soldier Who Shattered the Fandom
When Naughty Dog introduced Abby, they didn't just give us a new character; they gave us a physical manifestation of consequence. We spent an entire game as Joel, slaughtering our way through a hospital to save Ellie. We felt justified. We felt like the "good guys." Then, Abby walks in. She’s muscular, disciplined, and driven by a singular, burning desire for justice—or what she perceives as justice.
She's a member of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), a paramilitary group in Seattle that basically runs the city like a fortress. Her life is weights, rations, and patrols. But that’s all just a mask for the trauma of losing her father, Jerry Anderson, the surgeon Joel killed at the end of the first game.
It’s a brutal cycle.
Honestly, the sheer hatred directed at Abby at launch was unprecedented. Voice actress Laura Bailey even faced death threats. It was wild. People couldn't handle the perspective shift. They didn't want to play as the person who took Joel away. But that's exactly why her character works. She forces you to sit with the discomfort of realizing that your "hero" is someone else’s "monster."
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Why Abby’s Physicality Mattered So Much
One of the weirdest controversies surrounding The Last of Us Abby was her physique. People claimed a woman couldn't look like that in the apocalypse. It was nonsense. If you actually look at the environment Naughty Dog built for the WLF, they have a massive gym. They have a stadium full of livestock and crops. Abby didn't get those arms by accident; she got them because she spent four years turning her body into a weapon specifically to kill Joel Miller.
Her design was based on real-life CrossFit athlete Colleen Fotsch. It wasn't about "woke" politics or whatever the trolls were screaming about back then. It was about visual storytelling. Every muscle on Abby's body represents her obsession. While Ellie was trying to build a life in Jackson, Abby was training for a war that only she was fighting.
The Seattle Three-Day Split
The game structure is genius because it’s symmetrical. You spend three days in Seattle as Ellie, then you rewind and spend those same three days as Abby.
- Day 1: Abby is trying to find Owen, her ex-boyfriend who’s gone AWOL. You see the WLF base. You see that these aren't just "faceless enemies"—they're people with dogs, burritos, and bad jokes.
- Day 2: This is where the gameplay peaks. The descent through the hospital to find medical supplies for Yara is pure horror. You face the Rat King. It’s arguably the most intense boss fight in the franchise.
- Day 3: The confrontation at the aquarium. The tragic irony is that by the time Abby gets back, Ellie has already killed almost everyone Abby loves.
The Relationship With Lev: A Mirror of Joel and Ellie
If you think Abby is irredeemable, you probably missed the point of her journey with Lev and Yara. These are Seraphites (Scars), the sworn enemies of the WLF. Abby should have killed them on sight. Instead, she saves them.
Why?
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Because her "justice" didn't bring her peace. Killing Joel didn't stop the nightmares. It actually made them worse. Protecting Lev becomes her path to actual redemption. It’s a beat-for-beat echo of Joel’s journey with Ellie in the first game. A hardened survivor finds their humanity by protecting a child from a rival faction.
It’s messy. It’s hypocritical. It’s human.
Halley Gross, the co-writer of the game, has talked extensively about how Abby is a "mirror image" of Ellie. Both are consumed by grief. Both lose their support systems. The difference is that Abby gets her revenge at the start of her story and has to live with the emptiness, while Ellie chases it until the very end.
Common Misconceptions About Abby's Motivation
Let's clear some things up because the "Abby is a psychopath" narrative is just factually incorrect based on the game's script.
- She didn't know Joel was a "good" person. To her, he was just the man who murdered her father and robbed the world of a cure. She didn't have the context of the 20 hours we spent with him.
- She actually tries to move on. After the theater fight, she lets Ellie and Dina go. She chooses to break the cycle. It’s Ellie who restarts it by going to Santa Barbara.
- The "Torture" Aspect. Yes, she tortured Joel. It was horrific. But remember, the WLF are soldiers. They are desensitized to violence in a way the Jackson survivors aren't. It’s not an excuse, but it’s the reality of her environment.
The Future of Abby in Part III and the HBO Series
With The Last of Us Part III rumors swirling and the HBO show casting Kaitlyn Dever as Abby for Season 2, the character is about to hit a new level of cultural relevance.
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In the show, we’re likely going to see more of her life before the hospital incident. Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have hinted at expanding the perspectives. This is crucial. If the audience spends more time with Jerry and Abby before the tragedy, that golf club scene is going to hit even harder—and maybe, just maybe, people will understand her perspective a little faster this time around.
Where does she go from here? At the end of Part II, Abby and Lev finally find the Fireflies. She’s a different person. She’s emaciated, traumatized, and finally free of the burden of revenge. A third game would almost certainly have to deal with her trying to actually rebuild society, rather than just tearing it down.
How to Approach Abby on a Second Playthrough
If you hated Abby the first time, I get it. The game is designed to make you hate her initially. It’s a narrative trap. But if you go back and play it again, try to look for these specific details:
- The Fear of Heights: Abby has vertigo. It’s a subtle touch that humanizes her. Every time she’s on a high ledge, the camera shakes and the FOV shifts. It shows she’s vulnerable despite her strength.
- The Dreams: Pay attention to the hospital hallway dreams. They change as she helps Yara and Lev. The lighting gets warmer. The gore disappears. It’s a visual representation of her soul healing.
- The Small Talk: Listen to the NPCs in the WLF base. They talk about her like she’s a legend, but also like she’s a friend. She has a life outside of her mission.
Actions to Take for Fans and Critics Alike
To truly understand the impact of Abby's character, don't just take the internet's word for it. Engage with the material directly.
- Watch the "Grounding II" Documentary: This behind-the-scenes look at the making of the game provides incredible context on why the writers chose this path for Abby.
- Compare the Combat Styles: Notice how Abby plays versus Ellie. Ellie is stealthy, uses switchblades, and survives by the skin of her teeth. Abby is a tank. She uses momentum. She punches people. Her gameplay reflects her mindset: direct and overwhelming.
- Look at the Firefly Logo: The very last shot of the game (the boat on the beach) signifies that Abby reached Catalina Island. She found her people.
Abby Anderson changed how we talk about protagonists in gaming. She challenged the idea that we have to "like" a character to understand them. She’s a reminder that everyone is the hero of their own story, and the villain in someone else’s. Whether you love her or hate her, you can't ignore her. She is the heart of the "cycle of violence" theme that defines the series.
Next time you see a post bashing her, just remember: you're seeing one half of a very long, very bloody story. The real depth is in the middle.