No—Ellie does not kill Abby. In the final confrontation on the Santa Barbara coast, Ellie frees Abby and Lev from the Rattlers, fights Abby, then stops and lets them go. What happens to them afterward—and exactly why Ellie changes course—remains open.
What happens to Abby at the end of The Last of Us Part II?
After the theater confrontation, the story jumps forward. Abby and Lev travel to Santa Barbara while searching for signs of the Fireflies, but the Rattlers capture them. Ellie, meanwhile, is living at a farmhouse with Dina and JJ, still struggling with Joel’s death and the trauma surrounding it. When Tommy tells her where Abby may be, Ellie leaves for Santa Barbara.
Ellie finds Abby and Lev bound to posts on the coast. She frees them, but then demands that Abby fight her. When Abby refuses, Ellie threatens Lev to force the confrontation. During the struggle, Abby bites off two of Ellie’s fingers. Ellie eventually gains the advantage, but she stops before killing Abby and lets both Abby and Lev leave.
Does Abby survive, and where does she go?
Abby survives the fight and escapes with Lev by boat. The game’s post-game title screen shows a brighter shoreline with a casino-like building in the distance. On Naughty Dog’s official podcast, co-writer and game director Neil Druckmann identifies the location as Catalina and says the image is meant to suggest Abby and Lev may have reached it. Co-writer Halley Gross describes the image as hopeful while emphasizing its mystery. The game does not confirm what happens to them next or whether they find the Fireflies. Naughty Dog’s official podcast transcript
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#1 Best Overall
- 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
Why does Ellie let Abby go?
The game does not give a single definitive explanation. Druckmann says Ellie’s reason is open to interpretation, while describing her choice as one that lets her preserve her humanity. Ellie actor Ashley Johnson offers a related reading: Ellie may understand that killing Abby would not necessarily heal the pain of losing Joel. These are interpretations from the creators and performer, not a final explanation stated by the game.
The last flashback between Ellie and Joel adds context without settling the question. Ellie had begun trying to forgive Joel and repair their relationship before his death. GameSpot reads the revenge story as tangled up with grief, trauma, purpose, and Ellie’s lost chance to reconcile; that is an interpretation of the story rather than an explicitly confirmed motive. GameSpot’s ending analysis
Rank #2
- Build your own zoo with over 500 different animals at your disposal, then splice together over 300,000 different animal combinations
- Keep your animals and your itors happy, with hundreds of buildings, foliage, path and enclosure decorations
- Hire the perfect employees to deal with a variety of life events
- Control everything that happens in your park, from what your animals eat to what eats your animals…
- Decide whether you want to run your Zoo above board... or break the law and pocket the extra cash
What happens to Ellie after the fight?
Ellie returns to the farmhouse and finds Dina and JJ gone. She tries to play Joel’s guitar, but her injured hand—missing two fingers—keeps her from playing as before. Ellie leaves the farmhouse alone. The game does not reveal where she goes next.
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Rank #4
- Flexible design
- High-quality material
- Durable
Rank #3
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