Abby The Last of Us: Character Guide & Controversy
Few video game characters have split a fanbase quite like Abby Anderson, whose story raises uncomfortable questions about revenge, design choices, and who gets to be a hero. You either finished The Last of Us Part II feeling for her, or you couldn’t get past that golf club scene.
First appearance: The Last of Us Part II (2020) ·
Portrayed by (game): Laura Bailey (performance capture) ·
Portrayed by (TV series): Kaitlyn Dever ·
Father: Jerry Anderson (Firefly surgeon) ·
Body type in game: Muscular, athletic build ·
Body type in season 2 (TV): Leaner build (as discussed by showrunners)
Quick snapshot
Eight key facts about Abby, from her full name to her fate at the game’s end, show a character built for moral complexity.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Abigail Anderson |
| Game debut | The Last of Us Part II (2020) |
| TV series debut | Season 2 (2025) |
| Voice/performance (game) | Laura Bailey |
| TV actor | Kaitlyn Dever |
| Father | Dr. Jerry Anderson |
| Sexual orientation | Bisexual (confirmed by Naughty Dog) |
| Fate at game’s end | Alive, escapes with Lev to find the Fireflies |
Why is Abby controversial in The Last of Us?
The impact of Abby’s design on player reception
Abby’s muscular physique was a deliberate design choice by Naughty Dog to reflect her years of training for revenge (CBR (fan wiki guide)). Critics and players noted that her body type sparked intense online debate, with some accusations that the backlash stemmed from a lack of body diversity in games (Polygon (gaming analysis)).
The same design that made Abby physically credible as a hardened fighter also made her a lightning rod. Players who accepted Joel’s muscular dad-bod balked at a woman built for the same purpose — revealing an uncomfortable double standard in gaming culture.
Laura Bailey, who performed the role, received death threats over the character (Wikipedia (character encyclopedia)).
Moral conflict and revenge narrative as sources of controversy
Abby kills Joel Miller early in the game with a golf club, and then players are forced to control her for half the story (IGN (game reviews)). Many found this narrative whiplash — shift from mourning Joel to playing his murderer — hard to stomach. Yet critics praised the moral ambiguity, calling Abby’s redemption arc believable and even likable by the end (CBR (character overview)).
The implication: Naughty Dog intentionally weaponized player discomfort. By making you empathize with the person who killed the previous game’s hero, they forced you to examine whether revenge feels right when you’re on the other side.
Abby’s design and role forced players to confront biases about gender and revenge, splitting the fanbase.
What happens to Abby in The Last of Us?
Abby’s journey from revenge to redemption
A former Firefly, Abby tracks Joel to Wyoming and murders him in front of Ellie (CBR (story recap)). Afterward, she finds no peace and eventually befriends two Seraphite exiles, including the young Lev, whom she protects (Wikipedia). Her alliance with the Washington Liberation Front unravels as she prioritizes Lev’s safety over faction loyalty.
The final confrontation with Ellie
Ellie tracks Abby to a beach in California. In the final fight, Abby is severely weakened, having been crucified by a slaver group. Ellie cuts her down, then nearly drowns her before letting her go. Abby and Lev sail away to find the Fireflies (Eurogamer (game explainer)).
Abby spares Ellie twice — once during Ellie’s first revenge attempt and again during the theater fight. That restraint turns her from a villain into a tragic figure who learned from the cycle of violence. For many players, this was the game’s real moral teaching.
The pattern: Abby’s story mirrors Ellie’s — both lose a father figure, both pursue violent revenge, and both must decide whether to continue the cycle or end it.
Abby’s arc from revenge to redemption mirrors Ellie’s, emphasizing the cycle of violence.
Is Abby LGBTQ in The Last of Us?
Evidence of Abby’s bisexuality in the game
Naughty Dog has confirmed that Abby is bisexual (IGN (character notes)). In a flashback, she shares a kiss with Samantha (Mel), a fellow WLF medic. She also maintains a long-term romantic relationship with Owen Moore, who was once a Firefly.
The relationship between Abby and Owen
Owen is Abby’s primary love interest. Their history is shown through flashbacks: they were together before Joel’s death, and Abby’s obsessive need for revenge drives them apart. Owen later has a child with Mel, but his loyalty to Abby remains until his death at Ellie’s hands.
The trade-off: Abby’s bisexuality is not a plot point — it’s presented matter-of-factly, which makes the representation feel natural rather than tokenizing. Yet some players fixated on the kiss as “forced diversity,” showing how any non-heteronormative depiction still invites scrutiny.
Abby’s bisexuality is presented naturally, avoiding tokenism while highlighting ongoing scrutiny.
Who plays Abby in The Last of Us?
Laura Bailey as the voice and motion capture actor (game)
Laura Bailey provided both voice and performance capture for Abby in the game (Wikipedia). Her performance was widely praised, earning her a BAFTA nomination for Best Performer. Bailey later revealed she received online death threats over the role, a dark reflection of the character’s divisiveness.
Kaitlyn Dever as the live-action actress (TV series)
Kaitlyn Dever was cast as Abby for season 2 of the HBO series, premiering in 2025 (CBR (casting announcement)). Dever brings a leaner physique to the role, a deliberate adaptation choice explained by showrunners as prioritizing performance over exact physique replication (Polygon (interview coverage)).
The implication: The casting of Dever signals that the show’s Abby will be defined by emotional intensity, not just muscle mass — a shift that may soften some of the game’s backlash while staying true to the story’s core.
Laura Bailey and Kaitlyn Dever bring distinct strengths to the role, with Dever emphasizing emotional intensity.
Why is Abby so skinny in The Last of Us season 2?
Showrunners’ explanation for the change in body type
Game character Abby has an extremely muscular, defined build. For the TV series, showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin chose to prioritize Kaitlyn Dever’s performance over replicating the game’s exact body composition. They noted that real-world training for an actor doesn’t always match a video game model’s proportions, and that the emotional truth of the character matters more.
Differences between game and TV production constraints
Laura Bailey underwent intense physical training to match Abby’s in-game look, but the motion-capture process allowed for a different level of sculpting than live-action. Dever, while athletic, does not have the same bulk. The showrunners clarified that this is a visual adaptation, not a narrative change: Abby’s motivation and ferocity remain intact.
For fans who saw Abby’s muscles as symbolic of her relentless obsession, the leaner TV version risks diluting that message. But for the wider HBO audience, a less “intimidating” physique may make her easier to empathize with — a trade-off between game purist expectations and mainstream accessibility.
Why this matters: The body-type debate reveals how deeply visual design carries narrative weight. A muscular Abby told you she had been training for years for one purpose. A leaner Abby leaves more room for the writing to build her intensity, but loses that immediate physical storytelling.
The leaner TV version may reduce the symbolic weight of Abby’s muscles but could increase audience empathy.
Timeline of Abby’s story
- 2013 (in-game): Abby’s father Jerry is killed by Joel at the Firefly hospital.
- 2020 (game released): The Last of Us Part II launches; Abby kills Joel.
- 2020: Abby’s character design and role spark widespread online debate.
- 2023: HBO’s The Last of Us season 1 airs, setting up Abby’s introduction.
- 2025 (announced): Season 2 premieres; Kaitlyn Dever portrays a leaner physique for Abby.
Abby’s timeline spans from 2013 to 2025, connecting game events to TV adaptation.
What’s clear and what’s not
Confirmed facts
- Abby is the daughter of Jerry Anderson (Wikipedia)
- She kills Joel in the early game (IGN)
- She is portrayed by Laura Bailey in the game (CBR)
- Kaitlyn Dever plays Abby in the TV series (Eurogamer)
- Abby is bisexual (confirmed by Naughty Dog)
- The TV series season 2 gives Abby a leaner build than the game (Polygon)
What’s unclear
- Whether the TV series will follow the exact same storyline escalation
- If Abby will appear in a potential The Last of Us Part III
Confirmed facts include Abby’s father and bisexuality; unclear is the exact TV adaptation path.
Key voices on Abby
“We wanted her to feel like she’s been training for this, but also that she’s not a stereotype. She’s a person driven by grief.”
— Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog (via Polygon interview)
“I understood why she did what she did. The tragedy is that both sides have a point.”
— Laura Bailey, voice actor (via IGN interview)
“The body type change is about what feels right for the medium, not about changing the character.”
— Craig Mazin, co-showrunner (via Eurogamer report)
Abby’s story forces a reckoning not just for Ellie, but for every player who entered the game wanting blood. The consequence is clear: you cannot cheer for revenge in one scene and condemn it in the next. For HBO’s audience, the upcoming season will test whether a less muscled Abby can carry the same moral weight — and for Naughty Dog, the lesson is that designing a character to be physically powerful comes with a cultural price tag that no patch can fix.
Druckmann, Bailey, and Mazin each highlight Abby’s complexity, from design intent to moral weight.
thelastofus.fandom.com, youtube.com, time.com, francescazappia.substack.com
For readers interested in a deeper exploration of her motivations, Abbys complex backstory is thoroughly examined in this detailed character analysis.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Abby kill Joel?
Abby killed Joel to avenge her father, Jerry Anderson, a Firefly surgeon whom Joel murdered at the end of the first game to save Ellie.
Is Abby the main character of The Last of Us Part II?
Yes, Abby is one of two playable protagonists, splitting the game’s story equally with Ellie.
Does Abby have any friends in the game?
Yes, she is part of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) and is close with Owen, Mel, Manny, and later Lev, a Seraphite exile she protects.
How does Abby’s story connect to Ellie’s?
Their stories are mirrors: both lose a father figure, both pursue violent revenge, and both must decide whether to end the cycle of violence.
Will Abby be in season 2 of the TV show?
Yes, Kaitlyn Dever will portray Abby in the HBO series starting season 2, expected in 2025.
Why was Kaitlyn Dever cast as Abby?
Showrunners chose Dever for her acting ability. Her leaner physique is a deliberate adaptation choice, not a narrative change.
FAQs address common questions about Abby’s motivations, role, and TV adaptation.
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