People are still fighting about it. Years after Joel stepped into that darkened room in Salt Lake City and years after Abby picked up a golf club, the internet remains a scorched-earth battlefield over whether The Last of Us went "woke." It’s a term that gets thrown around so much it’s basically lost all meaning, but for Naughty Dog’s flagship series, it became a cultural flashpoint that redefined how we talk about triple-A games.
If you spent any time on Reddit or Twitter (now X) around 2020, you know the vibe. It was chaotic. Leaks dropped early, showing plot points that felt like a betrayal to some and a bold evolution to others. But honestly? The "woke" conversation started way before the sequel ever hit shelves.
Where the Last of Us Woke Narrative Actually Began
Most people point to Part II as the catalyst, but the seeds were planted in 2014 with the Left Behind DLC. That was the moment we saw Ellie, the heart of the franchise, kiss her best friend Riley. For a lot of players, it was a beautiful, tragic bit of character development that explained Ellie's "survivor's guilt." For others, it was the first sign that Naughty Dog was shifting its focus toward social commentary.
Then came the 2018 E3 trailer. You remember the one. The lighting in the church was incredible, the music was soft, and Ellie shared a dance and a kiss with Dina. The "woke" accusations went nuclear. It wasn't just about a kiss anymore; it was about the perceived "agendafication" of a gritty survival story. Neil Druckmann, the game's director, didn't exactly shy away from the heat either. He leaned into it.
The Abby Factor and the Body Type Discourse
When The Last of Us Part II finally leaked, the vitriol focused on one character: Abby Anderson. Because Abby is physically imposing—stacked with muscle and capable of overpowering almost anyone—a vocal segment of the internet claimed she was "unrealistic" or a "forced" inclusion. They argued that in a post-apocalyptic world, a woman couldn't maintain that kind of muscle mass.
It was a weird argument. We’re talking about a game with mushroom-headed zombies and teenagers who can take a bullet to the chest and keep running after wrapping a bandage around their arm. But the "Last of Us woke" label stuck because Abby represented a break from traditional female character designs in gaming. She wasn't there to be eye candy; she was there to be a tank.
Naughty Dog actually based Abby’s physique on Colleen Fotsch, a real-world CrossFit athlete. The developers wanted a character who looked like she had spent years training for a single purpose: revenge. Whether you liked playing as her or not, the decision was grounded in a specific narrative goal, even if it became the primary weapon for those calling the game "woke propaganda."
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Representation vs. Narrative Necessity
Is it woke to have a diverse cast? Or is it just a reflection of reality? That’s the core of the disagreement. The Last of Us features a lesbian protagonist, a Jewish secondary lead, and a trans teenager (Lev). To some, this felt like checking boxes. To others, it felt like the most realistic depiction of a collapsing America ever put to screen.
Think about it. If the world ends, the survivors aren't going to be a monolithic group of people. Everyone is just trying to breathe.
Lev’s story, in particular, was a major sticking point. His arc involves fleeing a religious cult (the Seraphites) because they refused to accept his identity. It’s a heavy, brutal storyline. Critics argued it was "trauma porn" designed to lecture the audience. Fans argued it was a poignant look at how dogmatic belief systems survive even after the government falls.
The brilliance—or the problem, depending on who you ask—is that Naughty Dog didn't make these identities the entire story. Ellie's sexuality isn't why she's a compelling character. She's compelling because she's a traumatized kid who can't let go of her rage. Dina isn't just "the Jewish girl"; she's the emotional anchor who realizes that revenge is a suckers' game.
The HBO Series and the Bill and Frank Explosion
If the game started the fire, the HBO show poured a tanker's worth of gasoline on it. Episode 3, "Long, Long Time," departed from the game's action to show a decades-long romance between two middle-aged men, Bill and Frank.
In the original game, Bill is a crotchety survivalist whose partner, Frank, dies by suicide after growing to hate him. It’s a bleak ending. The show turned it into a story of love and dignity.
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Ratings-wise, it was a smash. Critically, it was hailed as one of the best episodes of television in years. But on sites like IMDb and Metacritic, it was "review bombed" by thousands of users. The "Last of Us woke" sentiment resurfaced with a vengeance. People felt the show was "wasting time" on a gay romance instead of focusing on Joel and Ellie punching infected.
But here’s the thing: that episode did more for the show's themes than any action sequence could. It showed Joel (and the audience) exactly what was at stake. It showed that "surviving" isn't the same as "living." It used a "woke" narrative choice to deepen the emotional stakes for the main characters.
The Commercial Reality vs. The Online Noise
If you only looked at Twitter, you’d think The Last of Us Part II was a commercial disaster that ruined Naughty Dog. The reality? It’s one of the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusives of all time. It won more Game of the Year awards than almost any title in history until Elden Ring came along.
The "Go Woke, Go Broke" mantra didn't apply here.
People bought it. They played it. They cried over it. Even the Remastered version on PS5 sold like crazy. This suggests a massive gap between the loud, online "anti-woke" contingent and the general gaming public. Most players just want a game that makes them feel something. And The Last of Us makes you feel everything, even if those feelings are uncomfortable or devastating.
Understanding the Backlash
It's easy to dismiss all criticism as "bigotry," but that's not quite fair or accurate. There are legitimate narrative critiques that get lumped into the "woke" debate. Some players genuinely hated the pacing. Others felt the switch to Abby's perspective halfway through was a slap in the face after what she did to Joel.
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When you kill off a beloved father figure like Joel Miller in the first hour, you're going to have an angry fanbase. For many, that anger manifested as a rejection of everything the "new" version of the game represented. If you're already mad that your favorite character is gone, you're going to look for things to blame. The "woke" elements became an easy target for that grief.
How Naughty Dog Changed the Industry Standard
Whether you love or hate the direction they took, you can't deny the impact. The Last of Us forced other developers to step up their game regarding accessibility and character depth.
- Accessibility as a Standard: The game included over 60 accessibility settings, allowing blind and motor-impaired players to finish the story. This is technically "inclusive" (or woke, by some definitions), and it changed the industry forever.
- Complex Antagonists: Abby isn't a villain in the traditional sense. She's the protagonist of her own tragedy. This kind of moral grayness is now expected in high-budget narrative games.
- Facial Animation: The emotional resonance of the "woke" scenes—the kisses, the arguments, the tears—depended on tech that could capture every micro-expression.
The Path Forward: What to Expect in Part III
With a third game likely on the horizon and Season 2 of the HBO show in production, the "Last of Us woke" conversation isn't going anywhere. Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, has already been vocal about their own non-binary identity, which has fueled further online "discourse."
If you're a fan—or a hater—the best way to navigate this is to look at the work itself. Does the story hold up? Are the characters consistent? Naughty Dog has shown they are willing to lose a segment of their audience to tell the story they want to tell.
Actionable Takeaways for Navigating the Discourse
If you find yourself caught in the middle of these online debates, keep these points in mind:
- Look at the sales data: Online noise rarely reflects the actual success or failure of a product. The Last of Us remains a juggernaut because it appeals to a massive, silent majority that values high-production drama.
- Separate gameplay from politics: You can dislike the story's direction while still appreciating the world-class stealth mechanics and level design. It's okay to have a complicated relationship with media.
- Context matters: Understand that many "woke" decisions in the game are rooted in the original 2013 game's themes of tribalism and "us vs. them."
- Ignore the bait: A lot of the content surrounding this topic is designed to generate rage-clicks. Seek out nuanced critiques from critics like Gene Park or Kat Bailey who look at the game as a whole.
The "woke" label will eventually fade or be replaced by a new buzzword. What will remain is a series of games and a TV show that pushed the boundaries of what "mainstream" entertainment is allowed to be. Love it or hate it, The Last of Us changed the rules of the game. It didn't play it safe, and in an industry full of sequels that feel like carbon copies, that might be its most impressive feat.
Don't let the loud voices on either side dictate your experience. Play the games, watch the show, and decide for yourself if the story of Ellie and Joel is a masterpiece or a misstep. Just don't expect it to be quiet. This franchise was never meant to be background noise.