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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSpoilers for the entire game, including the Santa Barbara sequence and farm epilogue. Ellie frees Abby and Lev from the Rattlers, then lets Abby go rather than killing her. Abby leaves by boat with Lev. Back at the farm, Ellie finds Dina and JJ gone, tries to play Joel’s guitar, and walks away without it. The game leaves the characters’ futures—and the exact meaning of Ellie’s choice—open.
What happens at the end of The Last of Us Part II?
After returning to the farm with Dina and JJ, Ellie is drawn back into the pursuit of Abby when Tommy brings her information about Abby’s whereabouts. Ellie travels to Santa Barbara, where the Rattlers have captured Abby and Lev. She finds them restrained, cuts them down, and initially demands that Abby fight her.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Last of Us Part II (Remastered) (Nordic) | $41.75 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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The Last of Us Part I – PlayStation 5 | $37.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Last of Us Part II Collector's Edition for PS4 PS5 | Buy on Amazon |
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On the beach, Ellie and Abby struggle in the water. Ellie gains the advantage and nearly drowns Abby, but stops. Abby carries the weakened Lev to a boat, and the two leave together. Their escape from the beach is shown; the game does not confirm that they reach the Fireflies.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The story then returns to the farm. Dina and JJ are gone, and Ellie is alone in the house. She picks up Joel’s guitar but can no longer play it as she once did: she lost two fingers in the fight with Abby. Ellie leaves the guitar behind and walks out.
#1 Best Overall
Why does Ellie let Abby go?
The game offers no single, explicit explanation for Ellie’s decision. As she is close to drowning Abby, Ellie remembers a final conversation with Joel. Ellie had told him she could not forgive him for what he did, but wanted to try. The memory brings her back to the complicated relationship and grief she carries over Joel, whose death cut short the possibility of repairing their bond.
One reading is that Ellie recognizes killing Abby will not bring Joel back or undo what happened. Another is that she is choosing to stop the pursuit for her own sake, after seeing how much revenge has cost her. The flashback may help make that choice possible, but the game does not declare it the sole cause. Mercy toward Abby, exhaustion, grief, and a desire to leave room for a future can all inform the moment without becoming a confirmed checklist of motives.
In an interview-based account, The Washington Post’s reporting on the ending frames the scene around forgiveness and letting go. That is a supported interpretation, not a definitive statement of Ellie’s inner reasoning. In the official Naughty Dog podcast, Neil Druckmann describes the many conversations he and co-writer Halley Gross had about the final beats, rather than reducing Ellie’s choice to one all-encompassing answer.
Rank #2
- Enhanced visuals: Completely rebuilt from the ground up using Naughty Dog’s latest PS5 engine technology to improve every visual detail, The Last of Us experience has been faithfully enhanced with more realistic lighting and atmosphere, more intricate environments and creative reimaginings of familiar spaces.
- Fast loading: Initial loading times are near instant, and seamless after the first instance thanks to the PS5 console’s SSD – so you can pick up where you left off in the story and load specific encounters and chapters more quickly.
- Haptic feedback: DualSense wireless controller haptic feedback support for every weapon elevates combat encounters, and environments are brought to life through DualSense wireless controller haptic sensations of subtle falling rain, the crunch of stepping on snow and more.
- Adaptive triggers: All The Last of Us iconic weapons, including Joel’s revolver and Ellie’s bow, now deliver dynamic DualSense wireless controller trigger resistance and kickback on firing for deeper combat immersion.
- 3D Audio: Designed to make use of the PS5 console’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, Naughty Dog’s newly upgraded audio engine delivers richer soundscapes, bigger explosive moments and more visceral gameplay through compatible stereo headphones (analogue or USB) or TV speakers.
How does Abby sparing Ellie connect to the ending?
Earlier in the story, Abby spares Ellie and Dina after Lev intervenes. Druckmann later noted on the official podcast that, had Abby not spared Ellie, Abby and Lev would not have been in the position to be spared in Santa Barbara. The parallel highlights how choices lead to further consequences. It does not make the characters’ decisions or losses equivalent.
Druckmann’s PlayStation Blog launch statement describes the story as one of “obsession,” “trauma,” “redemption,” and “empathy,” and asks when it is time to let go. That creator framing helps place Ellie’s decision in the game’s larger concerns, but it does not close the question of exactly why she stops.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does Ellie leaving Joel’s guitar mean?
Joel gives Ellie the guitar and teaches her to play; the instrument recurs in memories of their relationship. In the farm epilogue, Ellie tries to play but cannot fret the strings properly with the fingers she has left. She sets the guitar down and leaves the house.
Rank #3
- Game: The Last of Us Part II, SteelBook, 48-Page Art Book, Ellie Statue, Ellie’s bracelet, Four stickers, 6 Pins, Digital Art Book, Digital Soundtrack
The image can be read as Ellie accepting that she cannot restore the past and beginning to loosen her hold on the bond the guitar represents. It does not prove that she has forgotten Joel, healed from trauma, or resolved things with Dina. The scene gives her a moment of release, not a guarantee of recovery.
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No. Abby survives the beach encounter. Ellie releases her, and Abby leaves by boat with Lev.
What happens to Abby and Lev after they leave?
Their destination remains unknown. They had been following a lead about the Fireflies before the Rattlers captured them, but the game does not show them reaching a Firefly base. Their later fate is not established; suggestions about where they end up are speculation.
Does Ellie return to Dina or go back to Jackson?
The game does not show where Ellie goes after leaving the farm, whether she and Dina reconcile, or whether she returns to Jackson. The final image is deliberately open rather than a confirmed reunion or a settled next chapter.
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