The Last Of Us Part 2: 10 Biggest WTF Moments
4. Ellie Tries To Drown Abby, Spares Her At The Last Moment
The Last of Us 2's theme is all about revenge. Throughout, both characters are driven by a massive need for it.
Ellie wants to kill Abby, and her friends, because of what she did to Joel. Abby, likewise, wanted to kill Joel for revenge. When it was done, she didn't feel the satisfaction she thought she would, and remains a flawed character.
These two stories perfectly mirror each other throughout The Last of Us 2. Abby realises in the end that revenge brought her nothing and in the game's climatic moments, as Ellie is trying to drown Abby in the sea, she realises this too.
In a flashback to much earlier, Ellie talks to Joel about what happened at the Firefly hospital. Here, despite being angry with Joel for saving her, she promises to try to work through their differences, and she chooses to forgive him.
In that moment, Ellie too realises that killing Abby won't bring her peace. Remembering Joel, and her promise to him, she stops drowning Abby, letting her and Lev float away in a boat to have another chance at life.