The Last Of Us Showrunners Say “Entire Concept” Of Heroes And Villains Is Flawed

by

In The Last of Us Part II, players were given a glimpse into Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) upcoming adventure in Season 2 of The Last of Us. However, some less invested viewers might not have been fully prepared for the decisions Ellie made in the final episode or the manner in which her encounter with Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) unfolded. If you still view those two characters as the protagonist and antagonist respectively, creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann clarified that this perspective is fundamentally incorrect.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Last of Us Season 2 finale!

Mazin, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, stated that the fundamental idea of a protagonist is problematic, as it’s often viewed from various perspectives and approached in multiple ways. Similarly, the notion of an antagonist is also questionable. Our tendency to perceive the world through heroes and villains can lead to unnecessary divisions among people. This perspective can provide excuses for unacceptable behavior, justify prejudices, and enable hasty judgments about others’ actions that we don’t fully understand. This concept might be difficult to grapple with emotionally, but it’s crucial to question our inclination to blindly follow one person’s viewpoint on everything. The story aims to explore the reasons behind our comfort in adopting a single perspective.

In the final moments of the previous season, we find that Abby takes center stage in Season 3. From the creators’ standpoint, Abby remains the main protagonist, continuing to embody heroic qualities.

According to Mazin, “Abby plays the leading role in her own narrative,” he observed. “Regardless of where we journey next, our focus will consistently be on characters such as Ellie and Dina, or Abby and Owen… [However], everything is either shrouded or illuminated by Joel’s actions – the actions Joel took against Abby, and the repercussions Abby inflicted upon Joel.

At the same press conference mentioned earlier, Mazin and Druckmann detailed why Ellie didn’t end the life of a significant character for Abby from the series. Despite this, Ellie did take the lives of two other characters who were close to Abby, thereby intensifying Abby’s anger in the final moments.

Because Season 3 focuses on Abby’s tale, characters who perished in the Season 2 finale might reappear as her narrative progresses from the show’s past to the present. The showrunners have hinted that Ramsey will return as Ellie, although they haven’t specified how frequently she’ll appear while the focus is on Abby.

Currently, HBO has only confirmed a third season for “The Last of Us,” but they haven’t announced plans for a fourth season just yet. At this point, we don’t know when the production for “The Last of Us” Season 3 might start.

Read More

2025-05-28 16:40