Controversial Choices in The Last of Us Part II

You want debate? The Last of Us Part II has delivered some of the fiercest fandom arguments this decade, and nothing sparks hotter takes than the game’s character choices.

Number five: Abby’s physical design and casting. When Laura Bailey was revealed as the voice and performance-capture actor for Abby, and players saw Abby’s muscular build, the online conversation exploded. Abby’s design was based on athlete Colleen Fotsch for her physique and Jocelyn Mettler for her face. Neil Druckmann specifically wanted Abby to appear “capable, utilitarian, and strong,” reflecting years of training with the Washington Liberation Front. Some players argued that Abby’s physique was unrealistic for the world’s context, while others saw the criticism as rooted in a lack of body diversity in games or even sexism. Laura Bailey’s performance earned her accolades, but she also received online death threats, a sign of how much this artistic choice split the community. This controversy was about more than graphics: it touched on realism, gender, and representation, making Abby’s look—and who brought her to life—one of the most fiercely debated choices.

Number four: The introduction of Lev as a central transgender character. Lev, voiced by Ian Alexander, is a young Seraphite who transitions from female to male during the story. The development team at Naughty Dog consulted with queer and transgender employees as well as an LGBTQ scholar to help shape Lev’s story, and they hired a religious consultant to handle the Seraphites’ reaction to his transition. Some fans praised Lev’s inclusion and story arc as a major step for trans representation in gaming. Others criticized the focus on Lev’s suffering, the use of his deadname by in-game antagonists, and the fact that his story was created by mostly cisgender writers. Critics debated whether Lev’s identity was handled sensitively or used primarily to provoke empathy and guilt in cisgender players. This character choice forced the fandom to reckon with how gender, trauma, and violence intersect in the post-apocalyptic narrative, and the discussion around Lev remains deeply divided.

Number three: The switch from Ellie to Abby as the playable character for a significant portion of the game. The Last of Us Part II spent years in development, and the creative team—Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross—were inspired by the character switch in Metal Gear Solid 2. In Part II, players spend long stretches as Abby after controlling Ellie. This wasn’t just a brief interlude; the game’s story structure gives roughly equal weight to both, with Abby’s segment encompassing her own quest for redemption and revenge. For many fans, being forced to play as the person who killed Joel—a beloved character from the first game—felt like betrayal. Druckmann said the goal was to foster empathy for Abby, but some players felt manipulated, arguing the narrative forced sympathy for a character they didn’t want to connect with. Others praised the ambition and emotional complexity, pointing out that this structure made the story more nuanced. No matter what side you’re on, the dual protagonist approach changed how players experienced the story, and it’s a structure people still debate.

Number two: Ellie’s decision to pursue revenge at all costs, even as it destroys her relationships and well-being. After witnessing Abby kill Joel, Ellie’s journey becomes a single-minded quest for vengeance. Along the way, she tortures Nora Harris for information, kills Owen Moore and pregnant Mel, and ultimately risks the safety of Dina, her girlfriend, and Tommy, Joel’s brother. Halley Gross, the game’s co-writer, said Ellie’s pursuit was motivated as much by her desire to overcome PTSD as her need to kill Abby. Some members of the Naughty Dog team likened Ellie’s obsession to a drug addiction, an urge that would never end. Dina eventually leaves Ellie, saying the cycle of vengeance would consume her forever. Fans argue about whether this arc is a believable extension of Ellie’s character or a betrayal of her established personality. Some felt her violence was justified by trauma; others saw it as character assassination. The choice for Ellie to abandon happiness for revenge, no matter the cost, remains one of the most bitterly argued plot points.

Number one: Joel’s brutal death at the hands of Abby, witnessed by Ellie. Joel, originally played by Troy Baker, was not just the protagonist of the first game—he was the heart of the series for many fans. Early in Part II, Joel and Tommy save Abby from infected and are then ambushed by Abby’s group. In a scene designed to be “gross, unceremonious, and humiliating,” Abby beats Joel to death with a golf club while Ellie is forced to watch. The creative team at Naughty Dog knew this would provoke outrage; Neil Druckmann said Joel’s death was a core part of the narrative from early in development, even though it caused internal resistance among the team. The scene was initially even more gruesome until it was toned down, and Joel’s last moments were made silent at Troy Baker’s suggestion. Druckmann wanted players to feel anger, not sadness, and to confront the cycle of violence at the game’s core. Some players saw the death as necessary for the story’s themes; others considered it disrespectful to a beloved character. Online petitions called for alternate storylines, and debate over whether Joel’s death was justified or gratuitous continues to split the fanbase.