Those very last scenes that played out in The Last of Us 2 were the saddest I’ve ever seen in a game. Watching Ellie and Joel hash out their issues in a small attempt to make amends was a heartbreaking situation to watch since we all knew that their relationship would never be officially salvaged. 

After everything played out, it’s easy to see why Ellie felt the way she did about Joel’s decision. It’s also understandable to see why Joel did what he did, even though we can all agree that it was morally wrong and selfish. 

Watching Ellie move forward in her journey past the events of The Last of Us 2, there may be one way for her story to come to a proper close, which would put her in the same shoes as Joel in the long run. 

Ellie Lost It All

Though it may be way too early to speculate on what The Last of Us 3 will be about or whether there will even be another addition to the series at all, it’s almost certain that Naughty Dog will give Ellie’s story a proper close or reference if they do move forward with this game. 

Ellie lost it all in her revenge-fueled killing spree across the country. We watched her start out as a healthy young teenager with a budding relationship, great friends, and a father figure that always had her back whether she wanted help or not. 

Fast forward to the end of the game and Ellie was an empty husk of who she used to be. Beaten, bloodied, and broken inside and out, Ellie’s mental state was projected through her physical appearance and relentless actions.

Can Ellie Continue To Grow As A Character?

After Ellie went forward and had the opportunity to get the revenge she so desperately wanted, it would appear that there wouldn’t be anything left for her story, but I’ll argue otherwise. Ellie isn’t a washed character with a used up story like some may say. No, she’s still young with plenty of growth opportunities that could make for an interesting story as she attempts to atone for her sins of the past. 

Furthermore, it would be interesting to see that growth take place in a way way that put’s Ellie into a similar situation that Joel was put in when he made the decision to care about particular person more than anything else. Joel was the one that Ellie cared for most, but the roles were different. 

Joel and Ellie’s Relationship

To Joel, Ellie was like a daughter that he always wanted to protect by any means necessary. To Ellie, Joel was the father figure who was always there to help her in times of need. Ellie hasn’t had a character relationship with anyone that she viewed as a child and who always needed her protection.

Yes, Ellie had a family but when the time came for Ellie to choose between staying with Dina and her child and going after Abby, Ellie chose the latter. This is something that Joel would have never done. 

That mother/son or mother/daughter bond hasn’t been fully explored with Ellie because she hasn’t had the opportunity to put her own goals to the side for any other person. Putting her into a situation where she has to truly protect someone in The Last of Us 3 would give Ellie the opportunity to understand why Joel did what he did, thus developing her as a character even further. 

Though Ellie had feelings for Dina and her new family, she still chose to pursue revenge, which led to an unsatisfactory ending for some and a depressing return home. 

Will This Ever Happen To Ellie In Last of Us 3?

We can see that Neil Druckmann and the Naughty Dog team prefer to hash out character stories before ending them. Even though the events within The Last of Us 2 bounced around from different times chronologically, it’s safe to say we still got a fully fleshed out story for each character up until the end. 

Whether Ellie will be the center-piece of The Last of Us 3 is yet to be shown. We can still expect Ellie to make some cameo appearance giving us an idea of what took place after she left her farm behind in search of who-knows-what. 

We also can’t rule out the possibility of getting a DLC that will further explore Ellie’s current situation. With all the additional content coming from Naughty Dog all centering around multiple playthroughs we can see that the team is keeping The Last of Us series alive moving forward. 

Even though Neil Druckmann has stated that Naughty Dog isn’t currently working on a DLC for the Last of Us 2, who knows what the future will hold for such a successful game. 

What are your thoughts on Ellie as a character? Let us know in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading. Stay Gritty, Gamers!