You’ve seen the fungus. You’ve heard the clicking. Maybe you even cried when that one character died—you know the one. But honestly, even after a decade of games, a massive HBO hit, and more "remasters" than we probably needed, people are still fundamentally confused about The Last of Us.
It’s not a zombie story. It’s a story about how love can absolutely ruin the world.
Twenty years after the Cordyceps fungus turned the United States into a landscape of moss-covered ruins and screeching monsters, the real threat isn't the guy with mushrooms growing out of his eye sockets. It’s the guy who loves his surrogate daughter so much he’d burn down humanity’s last hope just to see her wake up the next morning. That’s Joel Miller. And depending on who you ask in 2026, he’s either a hero or a monster.
Most people think the series is just about survival. It’s not. It’s about the cost of that survival.
The Joel and Ellie Dilemma
Let’s look at the facts. In the first game (and Season 1 of the show), Joel is tasked with escorting Ellie across a ravaged America. She’s immune. The Fireflies, a rebel group, think they can cut her brain open and make a vaccine. Joel finds out this will kill her. He kills everyone in the hospital instead.
He lies to her about it. For years.
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This lie is the literal foundation of the entire franchise. When people talk about The Last of Us, they often debate whether Joel "did the right thing." In reality, there is no right thing. If he lets her die, he loses his soul. If he saves her, he dooms millions. Naughty Dog—the developers—didn’t want you to feel good about the ending. They wanted you to feel conflicted.
By the time we hit the events of Part II, that conflict explodes. Ellie finds out the truth. Her relationship with Joel shatters. And then, a girl named Abby Anderson shows up.
Why Abby Changed Everything
Abby is the most divisive character in gaming history. Period. She walks into the story and kills Joel with a golf club in the first hour of the second game. People hated it. They broke their discs. They sent death threats to actress Laura Bailey.
But here’s what’s actually happening: Abby is the "Joel" of her own story. Her father was the surgeon Joel killed at the end of the first game. She spent four years training, bulking up, and obsessing over revenge. When she finally gets it, it doesn't fix anything. It just makes her a target for Ellie.
The game forces you to play as her for ten hours. It’s a bold, kinda annoying, but ultimately brilliant move. It forces you to realize that the "enemies" you’ve been shooting are just people with their own Joels and their own Ellies.
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The HBO Effect and Season 3 News
The show changed the game. Literally. When Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey took over these roles, the audience grew from gamers to... well, everyone's parents.
Season 2, which aired in 2025, covered the first half of the second game. It was brutal. Viewership actually beat Season 1 by about 10%, which is wild for a show that’s basically a weekly depression session. As of early 2026, we know that Season 3 is officially in the works. Bella Ramsey has confirmed they’ve seen scripts, and filming is slated to start in March.
But there’s a massive shakeup behind the scenes. Neil Druckmann, the guy who created the whole thing, stepped away from the show in July 2025 to focus on Naughty Dog’s next big game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Now, Craig Mazin is flying solo as showrunner.
Is There a Part 3?
This is the big question everyone is asking. Will we get a The Last of Us Part III?
Honestly? It’s complicated.
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Druckmann has been teasing a "concept" for a third game for a while now. Rumors from late 2025 suggest Naughty Dog has been casting for a new group of scavengers living in a Victorian house on the outskirts of a city. Whether this is for a third game or a spin-off is anyone’s guess.
Here is the reality of the franchise's health:
- Total Sales: Over 37 million copies sold across the series.
- Part II Success: Despite the controversy, it has sold over 20 million copies by now.
- The "Complete" Edition: Sony released a PS5-enhanced "Complete" collection recently to capitalize on the show's success.
The franchise isn't going anywhere. But Naughty Dog is slow. They’re currently crunching on their new sci-fi IP, which means if Part III exists, we probably won't see it until 2028 or 2029 at the earliest.
What You Should Do Now
If you're late to the party or just want to see what the fuss is about, don't just watch the show. Play the games. Or at least watch a "movie cut" on YouTube. The show is great, but it can’t replicate the feeling of actually being responsible for the violence.
For those waiting on Season 3, prepare for a shift. The story is moving away from the Jackson settlement and deep into the war between the WLF (Washington Liberation Front) and the Seraphites—a terrifying cult that uses whistles to communicate. It’s going to be much more "war movie" than "road trip."
Actionable Steps for Fans:
- Check the Remastered Extras: If you own Part II Remastered, play the "Lost Levels." They give a lot of insight into Ellie’s mental state that didn't make the final cut.
- Track the Production: Keep an eye on Vancouver filming news starting in March 2026. That’s where the Seattle scenes are being shot.
- Explore the Lore: Read the American Dreams comic book. It explains Ellie and Riley’s backstory much better than the Left Behind DLC.
The world of The Last of Us is bleak, but it's one of the few pieces of media that actually respects its audience enough to be messy. It doesn't give you easy answers. It just gives you a mirror.