[WARNING: Spoilers for the Last of Us: Part 2 below]
Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us: Part 2 picked up where the sequel left off and explored the repercussions of Joel killing the doctors who were set to operate on Ellie, one of whom ends up being the father of Abby Anderson. However, it appears that several important elements were altered in between games, namely the appearance of Abby’s father, which has sparked some chatter online.
There has been buzz on social media sites like Reddit among fans who noticed differences between Abby’s father in the first game and his design in The Last of Us: Part 2. Side-by-side photos of Dr. Jerry Anderson show him looking much older and rougher around the edges in the first game compared to when players step into Abby’s shoes in The Last of Us: Part 2, but why?
Players only see Dr. Anderson briefly in the first The Last of Us when Joel rushes into the operating room to save Ellie. The doctor’s face and body are hidden behind a surgical mask and clothes, but half of his face is visible. In the second game, players get to see Abby’s father up close and personal, but he scarcely looks like the same person as before, or so at least some players have argued.
What’s Different About Abby’s Dad In The First The Last of Us?
There are several key differences between the doctor featured in the first and second games. Perhaps most striking is the fact that he has a fairer complexion in the second game. In the original The Last of Us, the doctor’s face looks darker yet also gaunt and sickly, which is understandable given the rough conditions he had to survive in. But in the second game, not only does Dr. Anderson look years younger thanks to the less noticeable wrinkles, but he's also sporting a paler complexion. In fact, when side-by-side images are lined up comparing the two, it hardly seems like they’re the same person.
One post made to Reddit by u/Ravensight_q8 was accompanied by two telling photos. The first was a screenshot from the game in which Joel was stabbing the surgeon, whose skin is noticeably darker, at least compared to what Abby’s father looks like in The Last of Us: Part 2. The post also includes a screenshot from the Wiki page of Jerry Anderson before it was updated to reflect the sequel. While obviously filled out by fans and not official Naughty Dog information, it did originally list Dr. Anderson’s ethnicity as “African-American,” seeming to confirm that at least the wide majority of players were in agreement about his ethnicity then. If the change in Dr. Anderson's design was purposefully made to have Abby look a certain way, then it’s a shame that Naughty Dog wouldn’t model Abby’s looks off the original doctor instead, and opt to have a playable character of color, something both of The Last of Us games have seriously lacked in.
It remains only fan speculation whether or not Naughty Dog purposefully altered the physical appearance of Dr. Anderson for this reason. Perhaps they had a specific image of what Abby should look like and wanted to make sure her father reflected her physical attributes. But then again, perhaps it’s only a coincidence. The seven-year gap between games, coupled by better graphics and the fact that the doctor’s face was hidden behind surgical attire, can also explain the physical differences. Despite any proof to the contrary, some players remain convinced that the developers specifically altered the appearance of Abby’s dad in between The Last of Us and its sequel.
Source: Ravensight_q8/Reddit