The Last Of Us Part 2: Ranking Every Character From Worst To Best

Mel is extremely irritating from Abby's perspective. As we play as Abby, we see fragments of her relationship with Owen as she traverses the Seattle landscape. There is clearly so much chemistry and presence there, and Mel plays the role as divider between two people who should be together. The framing of Abby's sequences means that Mel is never going to be a character beloved by fans, and she never overcomes that to stand out as a complex three-dimensional being.

She's pretty underdeveloped outside of her role in breaking apart Abby and Owen, but does get the chance to shine in Abby's first major combat sequence in Seattle where their optional dialogue is engrossing.

Her death scene is also incredibly effective and properly showcases Ellie's descent into darkness after she realises that Mel was pregnant. Unfortunately, her big confrontation with Abby in the aquarium is more melodramatic than genuinely emotional, a rare misstep in the game's personal drama. The failure to fully detail the rift between Owen and Abby comes into play here, as there's little nuance to her beyond being the other woman in a situation that we don't get all the details of.

Ashly Burch gives an excellent performance, particularly in her final moments, but she's playing one of the least major characters in the narrative.