She isn't the same kid who liked puns and space shuttles. Honestly, if you go back and play the first game right before jumping into the sequel, the shift is jarring. It’s supposed to be. In The Last of Us Part 2 Ellie undergoes a transformation that most AAA games are too scared to even attempt. Naughty Dog didn’t just give her a gun and a revenge plot; they fundamentally deconstructed why we like "hero" characters in the first place.
It's been years since the 2020 release, and people are still screaming at each other on Reddit about whether she was "right." That's the hallmark of a character that actually landed.
The story kicks off with a brutal act of violence that flips Ellie’s world upside down. We all know the scene. Joel is gone. But what people often miss is that Ellie’s rage isn't just about losing a father figure. It’s about the theft of her choice. Joel lied to her at the end of the first game, and just as she was starting to process that lie, he was taken away. She never got her closure. So, she went to Seattle to find it in the bloodiest way possible.
The Seattle Descent and the Cost of Obsession
Seattle is a mess. It’s a three-day slog through rain, spores, and two warring factions—the WLF and the Seraphites—that Ellie basically ignores unless they get in her way.
Playing as Ellie in Seattle feels different than playing as Joel. She’s faster. Scrappier. She uses a switchblade instead of a shiv because she’s been surviving on her own terms for years. But as the days progress, the gameplay starts to feel heavy. You’re not just clearing rooms; you’re executing people who have names. If you kill a WLF soldier, their friend might scream "Omar!" or "No, not Nora!" It’s a deliberate choice by the developers to make you feel like a trespasser in someone else's story.
Ellie’s journal is the real MVP of the narrative here. If you don't stop to read it, you're missing half the character development. Her sketches of Dina and her poems about Joel show a girl who is terrified of being alone, even as she pushes everyone away. She’s losing herself. By the time she hits the hospital and encounters Nora, the Ellie we knew from the back of that yellow pickup truck is essentially dead. The interrogation scene is a turning point. The red lighting, the rhythmic tapping of the pipe—it’s uncomfortable. It’s meant to be.
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Why the Ending of The Last of Us Part 2 Ellie Matters
The Santa Barbara chapter is where things get truly controversial. Many players felt that after the farm scene with Dina and the baby, the game should have ended. Ellie had a life. She had a family. But PTSD doesn’t just go away because you have a nice view and some sheep.
She couldn’t eat. She couldn’t sleep. She saw Joel’s face every time she closed her eyes, but it wasn't the Joel she loved—it was the Joel from the floor of the basement in Jackson.
So she leaves.
Her final confrontation with Abby on the beach is pathetic. Not "bad" pathetic, but miserable. They are two husks of human beings fighting in the surf. When Ellie finally has Abby under the water, she sees a flash of Joel playing the guitar. Not the bloody Joel. The real one.
She lets go.
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People hate this. They wanted the "satisfaction" of the kill. But the point is that killing Abby wouldn't have brought Joel back, and it wouldn't have fixed her brain. In fact, by the time she gets back to the farm, she’s lost even more. She lost two fingers, meaning she can’t even play the song Joel taught her. That’s the ultimate price. She traded her connection to Joel for a revenge mission that she didn't even finish. It’s a tragedy in the purest sense of the word.
Breaking Down the "Immunity" Factor
Let’s talk about the cure. There’s a common misconception that Ellie’s immunity is the most important thing about her. By the second game, it’s almost an afterthought to her. She’s more concerned with the fact that her life didn't mean anything because the fireflies failed.
- She feels like her purpose was stolen.
- She views her survival as a burden rather than a gift.
- Her resentment toward Joel stems from him choosing her life over the "greater good."
Halley Gross, the lead co-writer, has mentioned in various interviews that Ellie is driven by a profound sense of ego and guilt. She wanted her death to matter. Living with the fact that it didn't is her greatest challenge.
Combat Mechanics: Playing as a Shadow
In The Last of Us Part 2 Ellie is a glass cannon. On Grounded difficulty, this becomes painfully obvious. You cannot take a hit. You have to use the environment. The jump button—a new addition for the sequel—actually changes the verticality of encounters significantly. You can hide under trucks, crawl through tall grass, and use "explosive arrows" to thin out groups.
The AI is smart. They flank. They communicate. If you're playing as Ellie, your best friend is the "Stun Bomb." It’s the only way to manage crowds when things go sideways. Also, don't sleep on the "silenced submachine gun" you get late in the game. It’s a game-changer for the Rattler camp in Santa Barbara, which is arguably the hardest section of the entire experience.
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Common Misconceptions About Ellie’s Arc
There is a loud contingent of fans who claim Ellie was "out of character" in this game. They say she was too mean or too dark.
I'd argue she was exactly who she was always going to become. Think about the first game. She killed David with a machete in a blind rage. She grew up in a world where violence is the only currency. Expecting her to be a well-adjusted adult after the trauma of the first game is unrealistic. The sequel just takes the mask off. It shows what happens when a child soldier grows up without any outlet for their grief.
How to Master Ellie’s Playstyle
If you're hopping back in for a Permadeath run or just checking out the Remastered "No Return" mode, you need to internalize a few things.
- Dodge is everything. The L1 button is your lifeline. In the first game, you just took the hit. Now, you have to time your weaves.
- Crafting on the fly. Don't wait until a fight starts. Always keep a molotov and a health kit ready. If you find yourself in the middle of a scrap with zero resources, you’re already dead.
- Use the dogs. It sounds mean, but you have to deal with the dogs first. Throw a brick to distract them or use a trap mine. If a dog catches your scent, your stealth run is over.
- The Bow is the best weapon. It’s silent, and you can recover arrows. In a game where ammo is scarce, the bow is king.
The legacy of The Last of Us Part 2 Ellie is one of discomfort. It’s a game that asks you to empathize with someone who is making terrible decisions. It’s not a power fantasy. It’s a simulation of a downward spiral. Whether you love her or hate her by the time the credits roll, you can’t deny that she is one of the most deeply realized characters in medium history.
To really get the most out of her story, go back and look at the optional conversations in Jackson. Look at the way she interacts with the kids. It makes the later violence hit so much harder when you remember she’s just a person who wanted to watch movies and eat bigot sandwiches in peace.
For those looking to dive deeper, the best next step is to play the "No Return" roguelike mode. It strips away the narrative and forces you to master Ellie’s mechanics in a vacuum. It’ll make you realize just how lethal she actually is when the plot isn’t holding her back. Afterward, re-watch the final flashback scene with Joel on the porch. It changes everything you think you know about her motivation in Seattle.
The game doesn't give you a happy ending, but it gives you a real one. Ellie walks away from the farmhouse into the woods. She’s alone, but for the first time in years, she’s not carrying the weight of Joel’s death as a weapon. She’s just Ellie. Whatever comes next is finally up to her.