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If you think the internet’s fiercest gaming debates are behind us, think again. The Last of Us Part II didn’t just split players — it detonated a controversy bomb that’s still echoing across forums and friend groups. Whether you rage-quit or rolled credits in awe, you’ve got an opinion — and I promise, this list will have you ready to argue.
Number five: The decision to have Ellie abandon her new family on the farm to hunt Abby in Santa Barbara. After a narrative packed with trauma, loss, and fleeting moments of peace, the story climaxes with Ellie leaving Dina and infant JJ behind. This happens after Tommy arrives, pressuring Ellie to finish what she started. The fact that Ellie chooses revenge over a chance for healing left a lot of fans questioning whether she learned anything from her journey. Critics argue this undermines the emotional growth expected from Ellie’s arc, especially after seeing her struggle with post-traumatic stress and the promise of a new start. On the other hand, defenders point to her psychological scars and the narrative’s commitment to showing the inescapability of trauma. The underlying mechanism here is that Ellie’s obsession with vengeance overtakes her ability to process grief, driving her to abandon the last remaining pieces of her old life.
Number four: Abby’s capture and torture by a hostile group in Santa Barbara, culminating in her near-death state on the coast. In the game’s final chapter, Abby and Lev are lured to Santa Barbara by a possible Firefly signal, only to be captured and tortured by an unnamed group of slave traders. By the time Ellie finds her, Abby is emaciated, chained, and barely alive. The controversy springs from the depiction of Abby’s suffering and how it reframes her character for the player. Some players felt Abby’s degradation was excessive and unnecessary, serving only to elicit last-minute sympathy. Others argue it was a necessary equalizer, contextualizing the violence Abby had delivered earlier and providing narrative symmetry with Ellie’s own journey. Mechanically, the sequence is designed to force the player to empathize with Abby’s vulnerability, flipping the power dynamic established throughout the game.
Number three: Ellie’s decision to spare Abby in the final fight, even after gaining the upper hand. After rescuing Abby from captivity, Ellie forces her into a brutal hand-to-hand battle on the beach. Ellie manages to overpower Abby and nearly drowns her, but in the final moment, she lets go and allows Abby and Lev to escape. This is the moment that split the fanbase right down the middle. Many felt the buildup of two entire games was leading to a conclusive confrontation, and Ellie’s change of heart felt abrupt or unearned after so much death and sacrifice. Others saw it as the only possible catharsis for a cycle of revenge, representing the last gasp of Ellie’s humanity. The immediate cause for Ellie’s mercy is a brief memory of Joel, which triggers her realization that vengeance can’t bring her peace or restore what she lost. That single flashback is the hinge on which the entire ending turns.
Number two: The loss of Ellie’s ability to play the guitar — and her symbolic inability to reconnect with Joel. At the end, Ellie returns to the empty farmhouse, finding Dina and JJ gone. She tries to play the guitar Joel gave her, but she’s missing two fingers, lost during her fight with Abby. She can’t play, and she leaves the guitar behind as she walks away. This seemingly small detail became one of the most debated moments for fans dissecting the ending. For many, the guitar represented Ellie’s last connection to Joel and her former self. Losing that ability, and choosing to leave the instrument behind, was devastating. The mechanism here is symbolic: Ellie’s quest for revenge cost her not just relationships, but the last piece of her identity tied to the man she loved most. The loss is both literal and emotional, and it lingers long after the credits roll.
After abandoning the farm, Ellie walks away into the unknown. There’s no reunion, no resolution, and no clear sense of purpose or future for her character. Players are left to interpret her fate, her mental state, and whether she’ll ever find peace. This choice reigns as the most controversial because The Last of Us Part II doesn’t tie up its narrative threads. Some fans see this as a betrayal of storytelling — after investing over 30 hours, they wanted answers, not ambiguity. Others defend it as a powerful reflection of real trauma, arguing that not all wounds can be healed and not all journeys reach a tidy conclusion. The mechanism behind this choice is deliberate narrative withholding: the creators, led by Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross, chose to leave players in the same place as Ellie — uncertain, burdened, and forced to carry the consequences of every decision.
Now, for the specifics that fuel these debates. The Last of Us Part II was developed by Naughty Dog, with Neil Druckmann returning as director and Halley Gross as co-writer. The story’s themes of vengeance were influenced by Druckmann’s experiences growing up in Israel. Ashley Johnson reprised her role as Ellie, while Laura Bailey played Abby, each recording both motion capture and voice work. The game was released on June 19, 2020, exclusively for PlayStation 4. It sold over four million copies during its launch weekend, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive at that time. Despite winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2020 and earning more nominations than any previous title, it faced massive review bombing, with its user score on Metacritic dropping to 5.6 out of 10 at its lowest point. The professional critic score, however, was a “universal acclaim” 94 out of 100.
The ending’s divisive nature was amplified by massive leaks weeks before release, with key plot points, including Joel’s death and the beach fight, circulating online. This led to coordinated backlash even before most players had finished the story. The polarization was also heightened by the game’s bold narrative perspective shift, forcing players to control Abby for nearly half of the campaign. Laura Bailey’s performance as Abby won the Best Performance award at The Game Awards, but the character’s actions — especially in the ending — remained a lightning rod for debate.
Finally, the choice to have Ellie’s last words to Joel be “I don’t think I can ever forgive you, but I’d like to try” set the stage for the game’s entire exploration of forgiveness and the devastating cost of revenge. This line, revealed only in the last flashback, serves as the emotional core of the ending, reframing every act of violence and every choice that came after.
Whether you agree, disagree, or have your own list, I want to hear where you think Naughty Dog went too far — or not far enough. Your turn: what would you put at number one?