Tommy Miller deserved better. Honestly, if you’ve played through the grueling, soul-crushing journey that is The Last of Us Part II, you probably felt a specific kind of sting watching Tommy’s transformation. He starts the game as the moral anchor of Jackson—a guy who has finally found peace, a wife he loves, and a community he helped build from the dirt up. By the time the credits roll? He’s a shell. A literal shadow of the man who once offered a towel to a stranger in a blizzard.
The story of Tommy the Last of Us 2 is arguably more tragic than Ellie’s because he loses everything without ever getting the "release" of the final beach confrontation. He doesn't get to choose to let go. He’s just broken.
The Sniper of Seattle: A Different Kind of Monster
Most people forget just how terrifying Tommy is during the Seattle section of the game. We spend so much time as Ellie or Abby that Tommy becomes this legendary, invisible force of nature moving through the city.
He didn't just go for a stroll. He left a trail of bodies that would make Joel blush.
When you finally switch to Abby’s perspective and reach the Marina, the game flips the script. You aren't the hunter anymore. You’re the prey. That sniper pinning you down? That’s Tommy. He isn't some generic NPC with a programmed aim-bot; he’s a grieving brother using twenty years of survivalist skills to systematically dismantle the WLF. He kills Manny—Abby’s closest friend—with a single, clinical shot to the head. No monologue. No hesitation. Just the brutal efficiency of a man who has nothing left to lose but his aim.
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That Day in the Theater
The confrontation at the theater is where everything fundamentally changes for Tommy Miller. Up until this point, he was the "capable" one. He was the one who went to Seattle first to keep Ellie safe, trying to bear the burden of revenge so she wouldn't have to.
But then Abby finds them.
It’s chaotic. It’s fast. In the scuffle, Lev shoots Tommy in the leg with an arrow, and Abby follows up with a handgun round to the face. For a few terrifying minutes back in 2020, players actually thought he was dead. The screen goes black, and the game shifts.
He survived, obviously. But "survival" is a generous word for what came next. The bullet entered near his eye and exited through the back of his skull. It’s a miracle he lived, but the cost was his mobility, his vision in one eye, and his marriage.
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Why did Maria leave him?
The game doesn't give you a massive cutscene explaining the divorce, but the subtext is screaming. Tommy became obsessed. When he shows up at the farmhouse to see Ellie and Dina later in the game, he’s bitter. He’s limping. He’s mean.
He tries to guilt-trip Ellie into going after Abby in Santa Barbara because he literally can’t do it himself anymore. His body is broken. Maria likely watched the man she loved turn into a vengeful, spiteful ghost who couldn't enjoy the peace of Jackson anymore. It’s heavily implied they are "on a break," but looking at Tommy’s state, it feels much more permanent.
What Most People Get Wrong About Tommy’s "Mistake"
There is a segment of the fanbase that blames Tommy for Joel's death. They point to the scene in the lodge where Tommy introduces himself and Joel to Abby’s group. "Joel would never be that soft," they say.
Here’s the thing: Tommy spent years building Jackson into a place that welcomes people. He’s a recruiter. He’s a leader. In that moment, they had just survived a literal mountain of infected together. In Tommy’s mind, you don't survive that kind of hell with someone and then assume they’re a secret assassin group from Salt Lake City. He wasn't being "soft." He was being the man Jackson forced him to be—a civilized human.
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That’s the real tragedy of Tommy the Last of Us 2. His humanity is what got his brother killed, and his subsequent loss of humanity is what cost him his life in Jackson.
The Future: Is There a Way Back?
If Naughty Dog ever makes a Part III, Tommy is the biggest wildcard. He’s one of the few legacy characters left.
- He’s a mentor figure? Unlikely. He’s too angry.
- He’s the antagonist? That would be a bold, dark turn, but the series loves those.
- He finds peace? This seems the most "Last of Us" ending—finding a way to live with the limp and the one eye without the hate.
Honestly, Tommy represents the "old world" more than Ellie does. He remembers the before-times. He was a soldier. He was a Firefly. Now, he’s just a man in a house in Wyoming who can’t stop thinking about a pier in Seattle.
Practical Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to understand Tommy's headspace better, go back and read the optional notes in the Seattle Day 3 sections as Ellie. You’ll find mentions of a "lone sniper" that flesh out his journey before he met up with the girls. Also, pay close attention to his dialogue in the farmhouse scene at the end; it’s the only time we see the "real" Tommy post-injury, and it’s a masterclass in uncomfortable, realistic character writing.
Keep an eye on the HBO series too. Gabriel Luna has already hinted that Season 2 will expand on Tommy’s time in Seattle, potentially showing us the scenes the game only let us see through a scope.