The stars of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us game franchise have shared their hopes for the futures of main characters Ellie and Abby. Five years ago, The Last of Us Part 2 continued the story of Ashley Johnson's Ellie as a nineteen-year-old embarking on a violent revenge quest against Laura Bailey's new character, Abby. The second game was a harrowing journey for both characters and provided an uncertain resolution that may or may not be continued into The Last of Us Part 3.
Despite director Neil Druckmann maintaining that fans shouldn't bet on The Last of Us Part 3 happening, rumors have circulated for some time that a third game is secretly in development. Whether it will continue the stories of Abby and Ellie is another question. Nevertheless, during an exclusive interview with The Direct for their upcoming Prime Video series, The Mighty Nein, co-stars Johnson and Bailey shared their hopes for the futures of their The Last of Us characters, revealing that they both have a similar wish for Abby and Ellie: "happiness."
Johnson said that happiness was an emotion that she "hasn't really explored" during her time playing Ellie. Despite finding a family in Joel at the end of The Last of Us Part 1, Ellie was continually haunted by the implications of Joel's lie to her about the Salt Lake City hospital, which only complicated their relationship ahead of his tragic death. The Last of Us Part 2 then took Ellie down a dark and destructive path as she sought revenge on Joel's killer, Abby, leaving little room for the character to experience joy. Regardless of what Ellie's potential storyline might involve, Johnson said she would "be so happy to jump back into that world if we ever get to do it again:"
Ashley Johnson: "Happiness. I don’t know, that’s an emotion that she hasn’t really explored. But also, whatever it is, I would just be so happy to jump back into that world if we ever get to do that again. And if it would even be telling Ellie’s story, we don’t know. But yeah, I would love to be any part of that world."
Bailey had similar hopes as her co-star, wishing to "see Abby happy." Abby was a controversial character in The Last of Us Part 2 due to her role in Joel's death, but ultimately went on a redemption arc after saving the lives of two young Seraphites in Seattle. Bailey said that on top of happiness, she would love to see Abby "in a leadership role," adding that "I don't think she's had the opportunity to show that:"
Laura Bailey: "I just want to see Abby happy. Can we just see that? I have no idea what’s coming next, but I would love to see her in like a leadership role, because I think she’s an amazing leader and I don’t think she’s had the opportunity to show that or live that."
Both Ellie's and Abby's stories were left concluded but uncertain at the end of The Last of Us Part 2. Ellie returned to Jackson alone after coming to terms with Joel's death and allowing Abby to live. Meanwhile, Abby and Lev escaped their captivity in Santa Barbara and sailed away on a rowboat, washing up on an unknown shore that is revealed in the game's post-game menu.
What Should The Last of Us Part 3 Do With Ellie and Abby’s Stories?
While The Last of Us Part 3 is far from confirmed, fans are hopeful that Ellie and Abby's stories will be continued. The performers' wish for the duo to experience happiness is a hope shared by many fans, considering the trauma that both Ellie and Abby experience on their journeys. However, as The Last of Us has proven time and time again, joy is not an easy thing to attain in this apocalyptic world.
In the game, Ellie's journey is left unknown after her character is seen walking off into the wilds of Jackson, having returned to find that the house she and Dina shared was empty. However, Abby's storyline has some definite loose ends, with many fans theorizing that the beach shown in the game's post-credits menu belongs to the ex-Fireflies that Abby and Lev had been seeking in Santa Barbara.
If Abby did end up finding the Fireflies (a group she formerly belonged to before joining the WLF in Seattle), then Bailey's wish of seeing her character in a leadership position seems pretty feasible. The Fireflies have been a consistent plot point in The Last of Us world, and exploring this next iteration of them in The Last of Us Part 3, with Abby potentially stepping up to be one of their leaders, could be an interesting direction for the series.
Abby's leadership qualities are something The Last of Us TV show on HBO seems to be making good on, with Kaitlyn Dever's character being touted as the future leader of the WLF by its chief, Isaac (Jeffrey Wright), in Season 2. If a third The Last of Us game is never realized, then at least Bailey's wish for Abby's character may still be explored in The Last of Us Season 3.
