Ellie's Journey: Forgiveness in The Last of Us

Today’s fan theory: In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie was never truly seeking revenge for Joel—she was subconsciously searching for a reason to forgive herself for surviving, and the ending’s ambiguity is a deliberate clue left by Naughty Dog to make players question whether Ellie’s final choice was about Abby, Joel, or her own sense of love and guilt.

This theory gained real traction not long after the game’s release, when fans began dissecting every detail in the game’s controversial ending. The spark came from heated debates on forums like Reddit and ResetEra, as well as YouTube video essays that poured over the final sequences frame by frame. Players noticed that the ending wasn’t just divisive because of what happened, but because of what seemed intentionally left unsaid. With over 10 million copies of The Last of Us Part II sold by 2022, these discussions reached a huge audience, making this interpretation one of the most widely debated in modern gaming.

First, let’s look at the clues fans cite. The ending shows Ellie returning to the farmhouse after sparing Abby on the beach in Santa Barbara. She’s physically and emotionally broken, missing two fingers, and unable to play the guitar Joel gave her. Fans point to the way the camera lingers on the abandoned guitar as Ellie tries to strum it, failing because of her injuries. The theory claims this is a metaphor: Ellie’s inability to play represents her inability to reconnect with her past or with Joel himself.

Another major clue is the flashback that interrupts the final fight. Just as Ellie is about to drown Abby, she remembers a conversation with Joel, set the night before he died. In that moment, Joel says he’d like to try to earn Ellie’s forgiveness. This is the only time in the game where Ellie even hints that she might want to forgive Joel for his actions at the end of the first game. That sudden memory, right as Ellie has Abby’s life in her hands, is seen as the true turning point—not just for the fight, but for Ellie’s entire journey. Fans argue that Ellie’s decision to spare Abby isn’t just about breaking the cycle of violence, but about breaking her own cycle of self-punishment and guilt.

There’s also the detail that Ellie leaves the farmhouse with nothing but her backpack. Dina and JJ, Dina’s child, have already gone. The house is empty except for Ellie’s things. Some players interpret this as Ellie accepting that she can’t return to her old life, and that her real quest was always about finding closure—not vengeance. The game’s creative director, Neil Druckmann, stated that Part II is about “how far one would go to bring justice for those they love,” but fans note that the word “justice” is never clearly defined in the game itself.

Fans also point to the parallels with Abby’s arc. Abby spares Ellie twice: once in the theater, and again on the beach when Ellie is at her weakest. These moments mirror each other deliberately, suggesting that both women are seeking something beyond simple retribution. Abby’s journey to Santa Barbara is motivated by her hope for a better future, just as Ellie’s is motivated by her inability to let go of the past.

But, there are strong counterarguments. Many critics and players argue that the text of the game is clear: Ellie is driven by vengeance, and her decision to walk away from Abby is simply a sign that she’s finally let go. They point to the sheer violence Ellie commits throughout the game, including the murder of several of Abby’s friends, as evidence that her journey is about nothing but revenge. The fact that Ellie leaves Dina and JJ behind is interpreted by some as proof that she’s lost everything to her obsession—not that she’s found any kind of self-forgiveness or closure.

Another point against the theory is the explicit narrative structure. Co-writer Halley Gross has discussed that Ellie’s pursuit of Abby is, on its surface, about vengeance—it's only in the final moments, when she chooses not to kill Abby, that she finally begins to confront her trauma. Some interviews with the developers suggest that the ambiguity is less about forgiveness and more about Ellie’s inability to move on, even after the violence ends.

There’s also the question of authorial intent. Neil Druckmann has said that he wanted the player to feel a “thirst for revenge” before realizing the futility of their actions, mirroring the player’s emotions with Ellie’s. While this supports the idea that the game is about cycles of violence, it doesn’t directly confirm that Ellie’s quest is secretly about self-forgiveness.

So, is this theory believable? The evidence is circumstantial but compelling. The game’s use of visual metaphors, especially with the guitar and the final walk from the farmhouse, supports the idea that something deeper is happening beneath the surface narrative. The flashback with Joel is placed so strategically that it seems designed to provoke exactly this kind of interpretation. However, the game never explicitly confirms that Ellie’s actions are motivated by guilt or a desire for self-love rather than revenge.

Why do fans care so much about this reading of the ending? It’s because The Last of Us Part II’s conclusion sparked one of the most intense debates in gaming history. The game was review-bombed on Metacritic, dropping to a user score of 3.4/10 at its lowest point, largely due to dissatisfaction with the story and character choices. Players argued online about whether Joel’s death was disrespectful, whether Ellie’s actions made sense, and what the message of the game really was. For many, the emotional core of the series is the relationship between Ellie and Joel—if Ellie’s journey is about finding a way to love and forgive herself, that changes the meaning of the entire story and gives hope to fans who were devastated by the bleakness of the ending.

This theory also resonates because the themes of love, loss, and guilt are universal. The ambiguity of the ending allows players to project their own feelings onto Ellie, making the story feel uniquely personal.

And if you want another theory to chew on, try this one: some fans believe that Abby and Lev’s journey to Catalina Island in the final scenes isn’t just a hopeful epilogue, but a setup for a future game where Ellie and Abby’s paths could cross again—this time, not as enemies, but as survivors who finally understand each other.