The Last of Us Part 2 was one of the most anticipated PS4 games of the year, but it might be the most polarizing PlayStation exclusive of all time. The game boasts outstanding graphics and gameplay, but its story caused major contention among its players. A major part of why this is the case is the inclusion of Abby, who takes the lead role for about half of the title's runtime. Regardless of what the community may think of her, Abby is the real protagonist of The Last of Us Part 2, rather than Ellie.
Fans of the original The Last of Us would most likely argue that the sequel simply couldn't compete with the first installment. The first game's plot has been praised as being among the best in the industry, so The Last of Us 2 certainly had massive shoes to fill. In what was likely a desire to break away from the formula of the original, Naughty Dog made sure the story of The Last of Us 2 is radically different from the first game, and it did so by taking a plethora of risks. For some, those risks paid off well enough for it to win Game of the Year, but others hate the game enough to plaster their opinions all over The Last of Us 2's subreddit.
Fans were outraged by the brutal murder of a beloved character and by the game's second half, in which Abby, the culprit of the aforementioned killing, becomes the main character. At this point of the game, fans completely lose control of Joel and Ellie in favor of a character who gave the audience a lousy first impression. However, Abby's inclusion in the story is an integral part of the plot that, if cut, would fundamentally change the experience.
The Importance Of Abby In The Last Of Us Part 2
Perhaps fans' biggest misunderstanding about The Last of Us 2 is thinking Joel and Ellie are still the protagonists. While Joel is a compelling, and perhaps even lovable, character in both games, he's not a consistently good person. He murdered dozens of Fireflies to stop Ellie's operation and save her life, but doing so removed the possibility of a cordyceps vaccine being developed. He also unknowingly murdered Abby's father, which caused her to hunt Joel down in the name of revenge. Abby enacts her revenge at the beginning of the game, but her side of the story is only shown after players murder hoards of WLF members to seek her out.
Abby is the embodiment of all the moral ambiguity found throughout the series, but she at least ends up redeeming herself. She's committed crimes just as heinous as Ellie, but Ellie's quest for vengeance is so intense that she's willing to leave Dina, even though they're raising a child together. Abby, on the other hand, overcomes her hatred for the Scars and saves Lev from the damnation his gender would have brought him. Abby and Ellie are opposite sides of a coin, and Abby is supposed to show the audience of The Last of Us Part 2 that classic, beloved characters aren't necessarily morally sound.