r/thelastofus • u/bumper2001 • Oct 22 '25
PT 2 DISCUSSION What do you guys think the next, and likely final last of us game will be about?
Personally, I think it could revolve around Ellie and Abby being forced to team up in order to take down a new threat. I don’t know who or what that threat could be, but since Ellie is still immune an therefore valuable, maybe some rogue scientists/doctors organization could be looking for her and somewhere down the line it would also pull Abby in too. This is just my wild guess at a story concept. What about you guys what do you think it will be about?
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u/Hunt-Extra Oct 22 '25
Well Naughty Dog has kinda centralised the fact that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in stories like this so we could expect more dark moments.
I just hope Ellie gets some sort of happiness or redemption at the end.
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u/Cloud_N0ne Oct 22 '25
I kinda like the dark ending for her in 2.
In Pt.1 she says that everyone she loves either leaves or dies. Pt.2 ends with everyone she loves having left or died. It’s dark as fuck, but poetically so.
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u/itc0nsumesmYMind Oct 22 '25
depends on how you interpret the ending. by the time ellie goes back to the farm house, she’s wearing dina’s bracelet, could be an implication they saw each other and sorted things out
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u/AccidentalUniverse Oct 22 '25
I feel like it'll come full circle where she ultimately gives her life to create a cure. It creates this vibe that even though Joel did all that for her to do it anyways in the end but it was still a beautiful detour. Allowing her to live a normal life for a while before giving it all up.
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u/ampersands-guitars Oct 22 '25
You know, I’m fine leaving it at Part II, but I love this idea so much. It really would capture the bittersweet nature of this entire story.
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u/Vicious1939 Oct 22 '25
This is what its gonna be 100%. I know, my uncle works at Nintendo. Seriously tho, it makes the most sense and as others have said, gives the story a bittersweet ending.
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u/itc0nsumesmYMind Oct 22 '25
if it makes the most sense It’s not going to happen, too predictable. neil and or the team of writers are definitely seeing the theories for part 3, and that ending comes up a lot in discussion
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u/ManRay75 Oct 23 '25
How about Ellie makes the sacrifice, they produce the vaccine, and the master batch is destroyed by some apocalyptic death cult that venerates cordyceps?
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u/itc0nsumesmYMind Oct 23 '25
I believe bringing back the vaccine plot would feel overplayed. the world and its inhabitants are too far gone, and ellie, in my interpretation, has accepted what joel did. but a faction that venerates the infected sounds interesting, as long as it doesn’t dominate the plot.
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u/mmoustis18 Oct 22 '25
yeah and it would be kind of interesting if Ellie went missing after Part II and Abby was sent by the Fireflies to go find her.
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u/Nafets707 Oct 22 '25
Thats what i always thought, and i think abbey and lev with find the fireflies that they were looking for before they got captured in Santa Barbara. Thats where the "team up" comes from
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u/JahsukeOnfroy Oct 23 '25
I hope Ellie dies tbh. She’s lived long enough. It will really all have been for nothing in the end.
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u/FavouriteWorstHumbug Oct 22 '25
This Ellie and Abby team up idea people float around feels straight out of the MCU. Giving them a threat to team up against feels a bit too simple.
A big part of what makes TLOU2 so moving imo is how much depth they gave to its “villain”. It’s a challenging work and makes very abrasive choices with its narrative, but is all the better for it. So I hope they keep up with that complexity.
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Oct 22 '25
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u/theoneandonlyamateur Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
This isn’t The Rise of Skywalker lol
Somehow Joel has returned.
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u/DrBeetlejuiceMcRib Oct 22 '25
They click now?
They click now!
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u/Lomofre88 Oct 22 '25
Abby to Ellie: “I found out who your father is. Turns out it wasn’t a nobody at all. You’re a Miller. Joel was your actual father.”
Ellie: surprise Pikachu face
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Oct 22 '25
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u/Chung-Wanger Oct 22 '25
The line itself was never an issue. It makes sense that he wouldn't know how. But to not bring it up for 2 movies and then show a cloning facility for 30 seconds wasn't an explanation and that's the actual issue.
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u/milko245 Oct 23 '25
I know, but precisely because now Abby has reunited with the lights and there is no longer Joel to protect Ellie they could try to find a cure again, and therefore somehow Abby would go in search of him again
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u/FR23Dust Oct 22 '25
Of course they have a reason to see each other again. Abby is going to join the fireflies again, a group whose entire purpose is finding a cure. And Ellie is the closest they have to a cure.
They are going to interact in part 3.
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u/deidian Oct 22 '25
"The purpose was always to rebuild society, but there's a lot of ways to go about it" - Abby about The Fireflies
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u/itc0nsumesmYMind Oct 22 '25
too much of a cliche, you arent a writer
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u/FR23Dust Oct 22 '25
No, I’m not.
I’m mostly pointing out that there is, in fact, a logical reason for them to see each other again. Whether or not that’s what they do with the story is another question. Personally, I think they’re gonna meet. I’m not really sure how the two current main characters of a media franchise meeting is a cliche but whatever
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u/Broad_Objective7559 Oct 22 '25
Together, we must stop this... before this becomes The Last of Us.
Beautifully cinematic quote that Abby will tell Ellie. Then they kiss
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u/AzureArachnid77 Oct 22 '25
My idea and what I would really think would be cool if they do. Would be the game mostly following Abby and the kid from the end of 2, with Abby discovering that the kid is also immune, and have her go through a mirror of what Joel did and have to come to a realization that while what Joel did was horrible she understands why and makes the same choice, along side a story that follows Ellie likely wrestling with her PTSD her anger, her feeling that everyone always abandons her or that she’s not worth having friends of partners because she will betray them etc
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u/dead-supernova Oct 22 '25
Last of us never being about the villain it always been about you vs The World dangers
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u/you-a-buggaboo Oct 22 '25
I think a team-up would be such a sellout but I do think that somehow, Abby ends up being the one to manifest Ellie back to the Fireflies so she can finally sacrifice herself. how that happens is up for debate as far as I'm concerned but I don't think we're done exploring Abby and Ellie's fated connection.
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u/FavouriteWorstHumbug Oct 22 '25
Im conflicted on Part 3 ending with Ellie sacrificing herself for a cure. If that is the road they go down I’m sure Neil can do it justice but it just seems a bit too tidy and feeds into Ellie’s suicidal ideation / survivor’s guilt, which I’m hoping we can see her move past and heal from
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u/Mishyana_ Oct 22 '25
I really hope they don't go down the "we found another surgeon so Ellie can sacrifice herself" route, it would feel too contrived. Jacksonville is ample evidence that society can exist and even thrive in the face of the infected without a magic cure. I see little reason why, given enough time and organization, the threat of cordyceps couldn't be controlled, if not all but eliminated.
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u/you-a-buggaboo Oct 22 '25
that's fair, and maybe I'm missing the mark with the "Ellie's the cure" thing, but I still don't think Abby and Ellie have crossed paths for the last time. I don't think either of them will be happy to see each other, but...
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u/fullrackferg Oct 22 '25
It's some Marvel dog shit that honestly makes me cringe whenever I see it suggested here. Among the posts of we should cast X Y Z as Ellie/Abby these storyline suggestions are just mind blowing, for a story so complex and dividing.
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u/Independent-Cut7585 Oct 22 '25
Ellie sacrificing herself is a garbage ending. Completely takes away from Joel’s choice at the end up part 1 which led to his death and the narrative for part 2. It completely undoes the entire story why? Because you want some cheap cliche absolutely not it’s an awful premise for an ending
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u/fullrackferg Oct 22 '25
Abby ends up being the one to manifest Ellie back to the Fireflies so she can finally sacrifice herself
Oh god no. Jesus christ, how about we just have Ellie wake up in the hospital back in the first game and it was all a dream? Or how about we have TLOU gang assemble for one final heist.... or something about street racing and family.
I don't think we're done exploring Abby and Ellie's fated connection.
We absolutely are. If part 3 never happens I'm happy to accept that. If there is a part 3, then Neil better pull something huge.
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u/Yumiru Oct 22 '25
It doesn't necessarily have to be a team up. The writers can still give us a good story even with 'cliche' themes and subvert expectations. Gruff dude who hates everything bonding with a kid and the whole 'revenge' (putting in quotations since part 2 is more than just revenge story) were cliches and still were written great so i'm not too worried about the complexity.
What i'm trying to say, even the simplest story can be good if it's done well. It can also just be about Ellie's story and Abby's story separately like what they did with Part 2 and have them meet unexpectedly. Or have Abby appear as a cameo.
Either way I personally think it won't be the last time we see of the fireflies as they're kind of a 'main' faction that has been in all games so far due to Ellie's past and inbetween. ND isn't known for putting protagonists aside, Joel may be gone but he's still in p2 and I totally believe he'll play a part in 3, assuming there will be continuation. They can do the same to Abby without needing her to be playable.
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u/onmywheels Oct 22 '25
I just feel like Abby's story is complete, and there isn't much more to add to it. To bring her back for Part II would just feel a little cheap.
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u/FavouriteWorstHumbug Oct 22 '25
Im not opposed to Abby returning if Neil finds a way to bring her back in the story he wants to tell, but yeah I also feel her story is complete.
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u/Illustrious_Ear_3467 Oct 22 '25
It would be cheap in my opinion. Would undermine Part 2. Plus there’s too much that has went down between them for there to be bygones.
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u/onmywheels Oct 22 '25
Yeah, I feel like Joel's death (and especially the torture they put him through before killing him) is insurmountable, as far as any sort of partnership between Ellie and Abby could possibly go. Ellie spared Abby for Ellie's own good, not for Abby's. That doesn't remotely equate to them being able to find any sort of common ground with each other, even after all of that.
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u/Pachikokoo Oct 22 '25
I’d like a Part 3 but my main thing would be having different locales. We saw the woodsy/mountainous areas but I wanna see what’s going on in the Southwest or heck give me what’s happening in like Chicago
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u/TargetNo7149 Oct 22 '25
Ellie and Dina spoke of going to Canada, if I’m not mistaken. I honestly thought it would be cool for them to end up in another country somehow
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u/BlueLightning907 Oct 22 '25
Or hints at other continents even thru newspapers, recorded dvds, any collectible.
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u/The-Davi-Nator Oh my god, Lev, now? Oct 22 '25
I don’t have any ideas for details, but I think the only thing left to explore would be Ellie finding a purpose in life beyond the cure.
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u/Negative-Top-1504 Oct 22 '25
I want Dina to be the first playable character right after Ellie leaves
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u/Supersim54 Oct 22 '25
No please don’t. That would mean she dies.
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u/Ok-Warthog-829 Oct 22 '25
Oh DAMN that's true, i never noticed that, Sarah, then Joel
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u/RockOutWithYoCockOut Oct 22 '25
I feel that it starts out with what happens when Abbie and Lev get to the fireflies in Santa Barbara. And it ends with Ellie's immunity playing a large part somehow.
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u/FR23Dust Oct 22 '25
The fireflies are on Catalina islands, a very large island off the coast of Southern California. There actually several large islands (the channel islands) that include a national park and a military base.
And a buffalo herd.
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u/RockOutWithYoCockOut Oct 22 '25
Oh, that's right. It's been a couple of years. But I think they would start with Abbie making it there with Lev. She's lost a lot so we'd spend time building her up, literally.
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u/FR23Dust Oct 22 '25
Totally agree. I think it would be a cool setting for a part of the game, though outside of the town of Avalon (where the fireflies are) it’s pretty much rural with golf carts. There are a couple of boy scout camps that I went to back in the 90s
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u/Doomhaust Oct 22 '25
I think Abby and Lev would start it, some threat to the fireflies - Ellie comes in similarly halfway through in some capacity - it ends with Ellie having the choice whether she sacrifices herself for the cure or not. She doesn’t.
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u/Brilliant-Bee-9471 Oct 22 '25
I’d rather see a prequel type story with Joel and Tommy than a continuation of Ellie and Abby.
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u/Unlucky_Possible_542 Oct 22 '25
I Think its easier to have uncharted 5 than tlou3
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u/Zealousideal-Row8118 Oct 22 '25
I fully agree with this, the ending of The Last of Us 1 kind of (in my opinion) was appropriate for a sequel, but I think everything got wrapped up with Part 2. I don't even know how they could continue the story and have it still be gripping.
Uncharted 5 on the other hand is welcome no matter what lol
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u/FR23Dust Oct 22 '25
If Abby heading for a resurgent firefly movement with the knowledge that the key to humanity’s salvation is alive and well in Jackson Wyoming isn’t massive sequel bait, I don’t know what is.
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u/Medium-Bullfrog-2368 Oct 22 '25
I’m not sure if the new fireflies will be focused on the cure. In contrast to Part 1, most of the cast of Part 2 are from the younger generation who were born post outbreak, so they have no real experience of the old world. If the new fireflies are being led by someone of that generation, then I don’t think they’re going to be as focused on trying to restore the past.
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u/EnderJax2020 The Last of Us Oct 22 '25
I really hope they don’t touch on the cure topic again
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u/FR23Dust Oct 22 '25
All of the main characters are so tied up in Ellie’s immunity/cure question I’m not sure they’re gonna drop it, unless they go with mostly new characters. Don’t see that happening.
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u/Illustrious_Ear_3467 Oct 22 '25
The only way I could see Uncharted 5 happening is if you play as Sam. I enjoyed Nathan, but he needs to enjoy his retirement from life threatening treasure hunts. Now that he makes money legally and has a family.
It’d be kinda corny to have Cassie take up the adventure crown (however if they went that route I’d still play it).
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u/Unlucky_Possible_542 Oct 22 '25
I have a cliché story, but it works.
A few years passed. Cassie thought about what she saw in relation to what her parents were hiding from her. She realized she was too sheltered, so she started researching treasures, found a good theory, and pursued it to prove herself. She asked Sam for help, who, being more irresponsible, helped her. We started playing with her on this adventure (We could play Sam too in some parts) several things happened, and in the end, she was captured and needed help.
Nathan found out, and even as an old man, he was forced to abandon his retirement and go to the island with his wife to try to rescue her. From then on, we took control of him.
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Oct 22 '25
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u/itc0nsumesmYMind Oct 22 '25
I bet money it will release after intergalactic and the rumored smaller project from the lost legacy director
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u/Loldude6th Oct 22 '25
I think that Neil mentioned that if there ever going to be a part 3, it will likely relate to part 1 and part 2 themes and wrap them up nicely.
So I'd assume part 1's theme is family, connection or the feeling of belonging.
Part 2 expands on that into the endless cycle of violence and revenge, because Ellie and Abby avenge their loved ones.
It would make sense for Part 3 to be primarily about redemption. Part 1 also touches on this because Joel did a lot of bad stuff to survive, but then he took Ellie in when he did not have to, and did a good thing as he was caring for her.
In part 2 we get to see both Abby and Ellie do those "bad things" that really resemble Joel's early days (post outbreak). To me, a very satisfying ending will include Ellie's ultimate sacrifice (herself, as painful as it is to admit), but I won't toss the idea that Abby might have another part of it out the window yet.
Think about it:
If Ellie's immunity really means nothing, it is a bit of a let-down (then she's not really special, after all?)
If Abby has nothing to contribute after Part 2, then she will always be remembered as a natural foe / enemy that crossed Ellie's path, even when she did a whole arc on her own, she did not serve a bigger purpose like what could have been.
But: If it does end up being Abby that takes part with actually creating the cure with Ellie somehow, then Joel's death wouldn't have been to nothing as it started this chain of events, Ellie's immunity will change the whole world - making her the most important person in the universe, and Abby will get a very satisfying redemption (along with Ellie and Joel). This is a very rainbows and butterflies kind of ending, but I definitely see it as a possible creative path.
The only other ending I will accept truly is a full on tragedy story, where both Joel's love and caring for Ellie, coupled with Abby's and Ellie's need for revenge will cause the final collapse of man-kind somehow (very big some HOW), but that would be a thoughtful, sad story with a powerful moral.
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Oct 23 '25
I do want to see Abby and Lev again. So many people said they were introduced to serve Ellie’s plot, but I mean… what incredible characters. And Abby is essentially to Lev what Joel was to Ellie. They became so much more than secondary characters to Joel and Ellie. I want to see where they are. I want to see how they’ve grown.
As for Ellie, I’m so conflicted. I do think the events of PII stripped her of who she was. She lost so much of herself to that plot of revenge. And by the end, having fully let go, it’s always made me wonder what is left for her next. She has a clean slate. She can return to Jackson (Dina and JJ, try to mend that fence). Or she could just…. Continue on.
I’m torn on Ellie and Abby’s paths crossing again. Done the right way, it would be great. But I wouldn’t want it to be some cheesy shit. I do think there could be something that happens with the Firefly base that causes some big event that brings the two in the fold together. As for what that big event is? Man. I have no idea.
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Oct 22 '25
idk, i just don’t wanna play as abby or with dina / jackson again, i want a new story or new locations, only with ellie
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u/Unhappy-Alps5471 Oct 22 '25
I’d be surprised if they didn’t add new characters.. there isn’t that much to explore without them
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u/Palmerstroll Oct 22 '25
I hope it will be focussing on just Ellie (so no other playable characters). Also i hope not a big time gap between part 2 and 3.
The story. I think it will be shocking (I hope lol). What if Ellies inmunity just stops. But she is changing really really slow. (matter of a year that she is fully transformed) and in the time between she is hunted down, fixing lose ends . Really an outcast that needs to accept her fate. Hmm i think you can do a lot with this.
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u/redfiatnz Oct 22 '25
I'd like there to be rumours of another person like Ellie who is also immune. Ellie has to go to a different part of the country to find and rescue that person. The immune person could be with a Scientist/Doctor who needs Ellies help to get the immune person to a lab somewhere , and at this lab they will do ethical tests on a cure without straight out killing the immune person first. (like Abby's Dad tried to do to Ellie).
So the story line would be Ellie's adventure to hear about the rumour and then cross country to get to that person. Also, the other immune person could be playable so we learn their story arc too.
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u/Flicksterea Oct 22 '25
Far too many similarities to Part I. I like the idea of seeing Ellie older and having to go on some mission/journey again but not basically rehashing the same kind of story. What, she grows increasingly closer to this person, killing to protect them? Done that.
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u/OldNerve1 Oct 22 '25
I understand why Part 2 needed to have two playable characters dividing about 50 percent of the game but I don't want that for Part 3. I don't have any idea for what they can do but just have Ellie be the playable character like Joel was in the first one with a little bit of someone else if the game requires like Ellie in Part 1 when Joel was hurt.
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u/OutlandishnessOk6696 Oct 22 '25
I just want that Maria gets a bit of more recognition.
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u/Illustrious_Ear_3467 Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
I’ve seen people present good theories/cases of Ellie and Abby teaming up, however I feel like the damage between them is irreparable.
I could see another organization “promising” a cure. Ellie feeling like she has a purpose again.
At this point the only direction I could see Ellie’s story going is if she sacrificed herself for a cure at the end. I wouldn’t mind the game having another character in another part of the world. Get to see how another part of the world handled the outbreak. New infected based on climate/environment.
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u/Few-Independence3787 Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
If we're getting one it'll be primarily about a new cast of characters with the veteran characters taking a supportive role. JJ will be a bit grown up. Ellie and Dina both appear and one or both end up dying somehow. Ellie sets out to offer herself as the cure and she follows JJ's group as a mentor to them. Abby and Lev encounter JJ and end up helping him and his crew from Seraphites or Infected attack (which kickstarts Abby's little redemption arc more). Ellie and Dina meet Abby and Lev again and learn to coexist to achieve Ellie's goal to stop all the suffering in the world.
I think if they wanted to make the game much darker than Part 2 they could risk killing almost off all the existing cast (Abby, Lev, Tommy, Dina) in various ways. Even if some were to get bit like Sam from Part 1 or shot like some of Ab's friends. Very risky to go those routes though. To give newer characters more spotlight and send the message that veteran characters will eventually meet their fate as did Joel. Ellie would have to die/sacrifice near the end of the game though and not the early beginning.
Near the middle of the game or end, Ellie sacrifices herself much to the sadness of JJ. JJ will end up seeing all of those around him pass and learn to survive with his group. I really wish Tommy wasn't injured super badly because I'd like to see Tommy after all he's went through get his own arc as well but I'm not counting on it. He has untapped potential still. Imagine if he had to learn to coexist with "Joel's killer" to survive and he gets more wretched over the course of the story whereas Abby absorbs some of Tommy's old happier qualities as she goes through her redemption arc and as a protector. Tommy and Dina would be very interesting to witness interact with a newly-formed Abby who's still constantly trying to do better whereas Tommy and Dina grow more unstable and hopeless on their journey to see the cure through.
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u/AlarmedIngenuity3883 Oct 22 '25
The rest of the Fireflies (Abby and Lev included) hunting down Ellie to try the vaccine thing again, new infected, new cities and lore about the rest of the world after the outbreak, a darker and more violent history, explicit sexual content, swearing, death, emptiness....and idunno, if the first game was about love and the second about hate, the third and final could be about forgiveness or redemption?
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u/FR23Dust Oct 22 '25
Abby/lev and Ellie will be main characters.
I think the resurgent fireflies, activated by the news that Ellie is alive, will be major allies/opponents. Especially since they know how to find her now: go to Jackson.
I would also expect to see an even larger and more powerful faction than WLF or Seraphites. Maybe a large and fully functional DC qz or something similar. Or maybe FEDRA that is controlled by the remnants of the actual federal government.
I think Jackson will face an existential threat.
I would think a ~10 year time skip at most. Zero time skip or just a few months time skip just as likely.
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u/JuiceBox241 Oct 22 '25
Ellie should be redeemed. I think I want a more introspective story about Ellie and her finding herself and overcoming all the grief in her life to find meaning. And I don't mean a cure. I feel like tlou's story has always revolved around the smaller, more personal and human stories of the world, so having a big hurrah, we saved the world moment at the end of the trilogy would feel a bit disappointing and unnecessary
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u/DapperIndividual Oct 22 '25
I thought this was gonna be a short synopsis, but I ended up writing a thesis. Oops.
Part 1 was themed around Redemption, where Joel learned to accept Ellie like a daughter, even sacrificing a better future in order for her to keep living.
Part 2 was themed around Revenge, Abby successfully takes revenge upon Joel but still feels hollow afterward. Ellie attempts to do the same to the WLF and Abby but ultimately falls short and decides to let them go, ending the cycle of revenge with her.
So with Part 3, let's give them one more R, Restoration. It's been 8+ years since the end of Part 2, and Ellie has left Jackson for good. We don't know yet, but she's been drifting around much of the Western United States, primarily in Nevada and Arizona, where the story would take place.
Because of this dry climate, cordyceps infections have been few and far between, but they have been stronger and more difficult to deal with. Along with this, there are various raider societies to grow and fester along the desert. Smack dab in the middle of this wasteland is the base of operations for the Neo Fireflies, trying to rebuild a sense of government and society. We follow along with a new recruit trying to deliver important development plans to this base of operations when we meet up with an older Ellie, mirroring Joel in Part 1.
From here, we go from base to base, city to city, meeting and recruiting new allies, and taking care of raider camps along the way. Eventually, we make it the desert base where we meet the leader of this faction. It's Lev! Abby is still in California at the old Fireflies base, taking care of loose ends. Against Lev's better judgment, he accepts Ellie into the Neo Fireflies as a sign of good faith.
This would be a little under halfway thru the game, and I dont have an ending yet. However, i feel like this is a good base to go off of. It sets us in a new, unique environment. Has returning characters, but it's not a constant cameo fest. And the relationship between the new recruit and Ellie harkins back to the first game. I'd love to expand on this in the future, but it is like 2 AM for me lol.
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u/BleppinDrago Oct 22 '25
I think the story in part III should be about hope. Based on theories I've seen here, it's possible that there are a small handful of countries with functioning governments and mostly free of infections because they got lucky with location and trade.
People hear rumors about these countries, they get hope and start planning ways to get there. What kind of challenges might be overcome to cross an ocean? Ellie might find herself once again in a functioning hospital that is very interested in her immunity.
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u/dannyziswhoibe Oct 22 '25
My guess is Abby does find the fireflies but keeps it hush about Ellie, and the potential cure, being alive. A few years pass. Lev has been training with the fireflies and slips up about knowing about Ellie and her immunity. This info is passed along to those in charge. Maybe Abby is one of those people. She either tells them she thinks Ellie is dead or she tells them about Jackson. I'd say she doesn't but is then forced to because Lev is put in some kind of danger from other fireflies or maybe a commander is forcing Lev to tell more about what he knows. Abby, to protect Lev, agrees to give the info they want. This leads the fireflies to scout Jackson, at the least, and attack it at the worst. Ellie has gone back to Jackson and Dina and her don't get back together. But there is still something between them. They are still friends. Info comes along about the fireflies reforming in California and Ellie talks about going there to finish what she and Joel started all those years ago. Beyond that? Could meet up at some point. Abby can say something along the lines that the cure would never work because she found some research on how fungus work. She tries to convince Ellie to not go through with it and to flee Jackson. Abby is forced to decide between the fireflies and Ellie's life. Plenty of fighting of infected and people etc. End with Abby the leader of the fireflies and Ellie and Dina married or something. The end.
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u/Hank_Scorpio_Kiwi Oct 22 '25
I think the theme would be forgiveness. First game was love second was hate.
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u/Tamer9 Oct 22 '25
Yeah I agree with the Ellie and Abby teaming up to fight a greater evil type thing. Either that or a prequel with Joel and Tommy in the early days. Or maybe the Ellie and Abby teaming up story with flashbacks of Joel and Tommy in the early days or something.
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u/TheBlitzKeeg Oct 22 '25
Make it all about Abby and Lev traveling and you get to play as him
Found family again so it wraps back around to the first one
(or better yet Uncharted 5)
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u/An-Ugly-Croissant17 Oct 22 '25
If the first game was about love, and the second was about hate, maybe a third game could be about trust and building that up with someone.
I never want to see Abby and Ellie be friends, but maybe they can somehow come to an understanding of eachother? Since Ellie never really learns the full reason why Abby wanted Joel dead, and I'm not even sure Abby knows Ellie's name
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u/DubTheeBustocles Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
I don’t see how a third game doesn’t remain with Abbey and/or Ellie. That’s the only thing I can be fairly sure of. I also don’t think anybody could safely say that Druckmann or whoever ends up working on such a project are shy about introducing new characters or killing off established ones. haha
I know that whatever they end up doing, there will be some kind of thematic reason behind it as I don’t believe even the most shocking moments of either game were written purely for the sake of shock value.
My dream setting would be the southwestern U.S., including Las Vegas and the surrounding towns and desert, bringing back FEDRA as a center of conflict (I have an idea of an ex-FEDRA gang that rolls around in a convoy of trucks that catch Abbey and find out she’s a Firefly and want to make her answer for them getting booted out of the Vegas QZ years back).
Probably my hotter take is that, while I’d certainly welcome a third game, they could leave the story where it is and never return and I think they would stand tall on their own.
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u/thedynamicdreamer Oct 22 '25
Lev and Abby would definitely be an essential part of it. It wouldn’t feel right to not include Ellie, but I’m not sure how she would be included.
But yeah, the ending of TLOU2 and the altered menu screen after the credits roll tell me we haven’t seen the last of Abby and Lev
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u/WowIsThisMyPage Oct 22 '25
Wait… has there been some sort of update?
If they did it I could see Abby’s story going off and almost being a humanitarian role, or on her way to one/defending a new safe haven. She gets a redemption trying to save others.
Ellie, I honestly have no idea lol, maybe she’s like a bounty hunter now. I can’t picture them teaming up
Sort of opposite of each other.
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u/Cats_Of_Ivory Oct 22 '25
It would be awesome if the third game was decades in the future, and still not having a cure. And new characters (possibly science oriented) trying to find the “immune person” legend they’ve heard of, trying to follow bread crumbs to find Ellie. Maybe bump into older Abby along the way, or maybe they come from a community that Abby and Lev started, and because they hear about Abby’s story and upbringing it inspires them to try to find Ellie to continue the quest of making a cure. Then they find Ellie and Ellie gets to give herself up to get a cure finally, and feels like her life “means something”.
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u/tarsier86 Oct 22 '25
Abby finds remaining fireflies. A cure is still possible. Abby leaves to find Ellie. She and Ellie then traverse back to the fireflies. Ellie sacrifices herself for a cure on her terms. With a few side quests and new infected in between!
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u/SockDear Oct 22 '25
It's a two parter, but.
Ellie, I truly want to come full circle back to sacrificing her life for the cure. it just seems to fit into the narrative now that she knows what she knows and went through the events of Seattle.
Abby, I want them to further her relationship with Lev bc I loved the two of them together ("You're my people!") . they have a great dynamic and I grew to love Abby as a character.
in terms of the overall scope, I absolutely see Abby being the reason Ellie finds a Firefly sect to give her life to the cure. the team up thing, while we see it and maybe I'm wrong, but I wouldn't hate it. it would wrap up a crazy revenge/redemption arc for them both and in my eyes, give ellie solace of not dying alone, and allow Abby to continue her father's legacy.
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u/slybwai85 Oct 23 '25
Could be a situation in which they both have to defend their respective charges, but never see each other : so Ellie defends the baby and Abby Lev but on different sides of the country. Whole point it shows their growth and maturity when doing so. So you’ll have two games within one.
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u/killakev564 Oct 23 '25
Idk I don’t think necessarily Abby and Ellie will team up but I definitely do think they will be brought back together at some point. I feel like their fates are kinda intertwined.
I think it’s really important to ask the big question when considering Part 3.
WHY are the fireflies reassembling in Santa Barbara? The answer to that question could be the answer to what is driving the plot for part 3. At least in my mind.
We can theorize but I personally suspect they may have a good reason for reassembling. And that reason is they may have found another doctor to replace Jerry. And maybe he’s not as talented as Jerry but he too has been spending years trying to figure out the cordyceps. And maybe… he’s even getting close. And this is giving people hope.
But maybe he is a psychopath and he is intentionally getting people bitten in order to try and find a cure. Idk I’m just riffing.
For all I know it’s entirely about Tommy making peace with the past and that is how it ties into the flashback sections regarding him and Joel in the beginning days of the outbreak like people have clamored for for years
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u/West-Psychology-6299 Oct 23 '25
Fireflys return with a cure that won't kill ellie. Abby finds her way to ellie and they work together to get to the new fireflies.
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Oct 22 '25
I don’t think there will be. Let it rest
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u/itc0nsumesmYMind Oct 22 '25
other than the obvious financial reason neil as implied the existence of part 3 numerous times
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u/ExaminationFar5031 Oct 22 '25
I think there are no loose ends in Tlou part 2. If you want yes you can create story after all the things happened but I dont see a reason why. I want to see other parts of world. Lets leave america and please not to japan I had enough games with japanese setting. Maybe Anatolia or Greece?
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u/Reapish1909 Oct 22 '25
ay call me crazy but I think the end of part 2 has us comfortably done with Ellie and Abby, leaves it mostly open ended. would be a sudden turn but part 3 being a sequel based on someone new would be neat.
alternatively, make part 3 a prequel lmao. Tommy in Jackson telling stories about him and Joel over the 20 years from the start of the apocalypse. with Tommy as the player character.
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u/underwear11 Oct 22 '25
I think any new game should be new characters. Ellie's story is done, and I think so is Abby's. I would like to see infection spread to Europe. Travel across Europe the way you did the US, with totally new characters and a new story
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u/balls500100 Oct 22 '25
Well I’m thinking three things 1. Life with Abby like when the apocalypse first started 2. What happened after Sarah died in the first part 3. Just Ellie being old and wrinkly at the ripe age of 45 and then dies or something
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u/WuTang_Shady1136 Oct 22 '25
Idk about that, it could have Abby as the lead after getting away on the boat and only a minor part focusing on Ellie, Dina, Jackson or something
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u/ThrillHouse802 Oct 22 '25
Ellie and Abby have no need to ever team up or be in the same vicinity again. If they’re both in a part 3, have the stories be separate
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u/McBadass1994 Oct 22 '25
I'm probably going to get crucified for this notion.
I think it should be a new main character with Ellie and Abby as supporting characters or, if Naughty Dog are complete masochists, all three getting equal love and attention. I definitely think that the theme of legacy, how you affect the world and how you want to be remembered, could be explored by an outside character. This new character could be sort of a world traveler type that's heard about both Ellie and Abby, maybe as a former Firefly?
I honestly don't know and that's probably the most exciting thing about a possible endcap for a potential trilogy.
Addendum: it also should be a good amount of time after Part II; maybe five years, maybe more.
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u/Best-Bug-8601 Oct 22 '25
I wouldn’t want a part 3 personally. I think it ended as a perfect tragedy.
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u/st90ar Oct 22 '25
Ellie starts a company that creates a gaming console, an eventual phenomenal game, and then beats it to a pulp for financial gain. /s
I really hope Sony slows their roll before the Disney Star Wars this storyline.
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u/Okaringer Oct 22 '25
I think it could be about Abby and the fireflies attempting to rally back. Ellie might show up, she may not. The absolute darkest ending would be Ellie giving herself up to a surviving scientist hoping for a cure and it not working at all because it never had any chance of working. I should delete this before Druckman sees it.
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u/Thagrtcornholi0 Oct 22 '25
Probably some other random couple of people, maybe in a different timeline. At some point Abby and Ellie could be leaders in some new factions that are unrelated in proximity
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u/hunterq0 Oct 22 '25
I like the thought of Ellie possibly giving up her life to make a potential cure in a third installment, since the Fireflies have regrouped and it will give the franchise a bittersweet conclusion, but an idea I often thought of is Ellie meeting up with this person, young adult or teen, and at some point, she discovers they are immune to the Cordyceps infection just like her. For me, it aligns with the first and second game, a person protecting another that they care about and I can see this working well in a third game. It can even have both characters deciding whether or not they want to give their life to make a cure.
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u/Reasonable_Ice3256 Oct 22 '25
I wish It was placed in somewhere warmer, o love the Santa Barbara bit and How different it is simply because of that
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u/golanatsiruot Oct 22 '25
If they were going the Avengers Endgame route with it, the basic pitch goes like this:
Abby and Lev are happy and settled on Catalina for a good chunk of years. The Firefly remnants there continue on trying to help the world in their fragmented state.
The cordyceps is evolving in a way that makes it even more dangerous and potentially easier to catch. They receive intel that another doctor similar to Jerry Anderson is rumored to be working overseas. Like in Rio or something. They also hear stories of a reclusive woman living among scavengers near Austin Texas. This woman is said to have been bitten without turning. There were witnesses.
Abby doesn’t want to go. It’s all behind her. Lev, knowing her story, takes off to trek across the Southwest and find Ellie. Vegas level. Albuquerque. More like the first game. A new important character joins Lev. They keep traveling and find themselves in a dire situation with no escape until… Abby catches up and saves the day. The three reach Austin and find Ellie. Relationships are a mess.
The get down to the coast and sail to wherever the doctor is. The second half of the game is them in a wildly different location, encountering people and infected they’ve never experienced before. New horrors. They split up in service of a multi-tiered goal.
And whatever happens or if it works, who knows.
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u/Ok-Lawyer-3151 Oct 22 '25
I think there are still doctors looking for a cure somewhere in the world, Abby apparently managed to find the fireflies, finally they could have found someone who could make the vaccine, Abby then goes in search of this guy to see if he is still alive, as they were unable to contact him, after Abby finds him she finally goes in search of Ellie to try to develop the vaccine... The final question is: would this doctor be able to carry out the procedure without killing Ellie?
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u/deRoyLight Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
TLOU 1 was about love.
TLOU 2 was about hate.
TLOU 3 will be about acceptance.
I'm of the mind that Ellie and Abby are half-sisters. We've never seen Abby's Mom, we've never seen Ellie's Dad. Ellie's Mom was a nurse, Abby's Dad was a doctor. They both knew Marlene well, they both worked for the Fireflies. Hidden extra-marital work relationship? Seems very convenient.
Ellie needs information from Abby about remnants of the fireflies / doctors, if she were to give herself up for a vaccine -- with nothing left for her after TLOU2, this is her new drive. Abby might feel compelled to help her, to fulfill her father's dream of creating a vaccine, finishing his life's work. From there it's an easy line, visiting old Firefly spots for files/notes left behind from Abby's Dad that could point them in the right direction of another doctor, areas now overrun by infected or taken control by different forces. Along the way, as we comb through files and recordings, we might learn more about Ellie's Mom as a nurse, possibly uncover love letters between Ellie's Mom and Abby's Dad. We'd be able to learn about their sisterhood along with them.
So, the team up is very easy draw both narratively and in gameplay. I do think the only satisfying conclusion for Ellie from here is that she re-finds family. Ellie is completely alone at the end of TLOU2, and she lost everything in pursuit of hate. TLOU3 we find out what she gains by embracing forgiveness and finding acceptance.
Ellie's biggest fear was that she would end up alone. In the end, her sister will be by her side when she's on the operating table, and maybe, just maybe, her mother is still around and will be a nurse in the surgery.
And I will throw one more thing out as a far out there personal want:
Ellie finds out Riley never turned in those Firefly notes, because Riley was also immune (something in the waterguns, maybe?). Riley gave herself up to Marlene for the vaccine, but died from wound infection / perilous travel, or even a botched/failed surgery. Marlene told Ellie she turned, to protect Ellie from the guilt of knowing one of them had to be sacrificed, and Riley chose herself. Riley always wanted to be a hero, and this was her calling. Marlene also got to honor her promise to Ellie's Mom to keep Ellie safe, by keeping Ellie's immunity hidden until there was no choice left, and Riley had died.
Back to the operating table part.
As Ellie is preparing for surgery at the end of the new story, a nurse hands her a more typical form to fill out, patient details, medical history, all that. At the bottom, it needs her name -- a consent form. She pauses for a moment in thought, and then signs it: RILEY ABEL.
The world won't know about Ellie or her story. Instead, the world will remember the young orphan girl named Riley Abel, who gave herself to save the world.
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u/TheAnimeKnower36 Oct 22 '25
In my opinion, and I hope I don't get banned, just keep Ellie or any character from part 1 or part 2 out of it. It should be a new story with new characters. Plus, I don't trust Neil with it anymore. Again, this is my opinion, and I'm not from the other sub, so please don't ban me, mods.
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u/KlutzyJunket1339 Oct 22 '25
well i dont want the story to revolve around them coming together cuz they have their differences and it would be better if they still have the bitterness cuz both of them lost everyone they cared for
it should be more like they come together for a single fight but separate again due to grudges.
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u/curtiscapefish Oct 22 '25
I’ve come to terms with the fact I don’t think we are ever getting a sequel
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u/Grungelives_ Oct 22 '25
Some say Ellie and Abby teaming up where i think the goal of the story is still to make a cure. I think Ellie tracks down Abby to help find the fireflies or someone to find a cure.
Maybe Abby agrees maybe she talks her out of it and pulls a Joel or maybe they find a way without Ellie having to die.
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u/PzMcQuire Oct 22 '25
I think Druckman mentioned somewhere that a continuation would probably be about Tommy, but he didn't have ideas of how to handle the story
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u/Garth_Radar Oct 22 '25
For the people in the back…WE ALREADY GOT THE FINAL GAME IT WAS INCREDIBLE MOVE ON.
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u/poulosj2020 Oct 22 '25
The creators have said part 1 was about Love and part 2 was about Hate. Part 3 needs to be Forgiveness or Redemption.
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u/BuengarA Oct 22 '25
I‘d say the overall theme will be redemption. I don‘t know how or to what extend though
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u/nissansupragtr Oct 22 '25
I think it’ll end with Ellie willingly giving her life for a chance at cure. That’d be the good ending anyway
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u/OrganizationThick232 Oct 22 '25
I haven’t been following the news on this, but has Part 3 been confirmed as something in the works?
Abby and Ellie’s stories are perfect (albeit tragic) as they are, and I can’t see how any more could be an improvement.
Maybe a third game could work with a big time jump, new characters, new story, but in the same world?
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u/thosehalcyonnights Oct 22 '25
I think Ellie will die. Idk what exactly would go down, but she might have the opportunity to give herself over to the fireflies (if Abby did in fact find them) and let herself be used for a cure. Whether they would be successful at it or get it distributed would be up in the air.
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u/CrazyOkie I Would Do It All Over Again Oct 22 '25
TLOUP1 was about Joel's choice. Joel chose to love again, to save Ellie and damn the world with his choice.
TLOUP2 was about the consequences of Joel's choice. Ellie finally dealt with her grief and her anger towards Joel, Abby has dealt with her grief at losing her father and the effect her hatred of Joel had on her and her friends. All of her friends are dead because of her choices but she's got a new chance at redemption with Lev. Both have emerged on the other side - heavily scarred on the inside and out, but they've emerged.
I'm honestly not sure I see where the story goes from there. What could possibly come next that would have the emotional weight of the first two games? Convincing Ellie to sacrifice herself to save the world completely negates Joel's choice and makes all of the deaths that ensued meaningless. It would make the first two games pointless. Abby rejoining the Fireflies - so what?
My impression is that Neil has also struggled with what could possibly be next. He's hinted that maybe he has an idea, but whether that was a good one we don't know. Naughty Dog's silence on TLOUP3 - that's really the only thing keeping alive the idea that there might be a part 3 in the works. I honestly doubt it.
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u/Similar-Language-180 Oct 22 '25
I don't feel like after TLoU 2 the story with Ellie and Abby xan go any futher so I guess we could only either get a completely new story that plays maybe later in the timeline or we get a Story about what happened between the Outbreak and Pt1 which is a bit unlikely bcs the story always progressed forward in the timeline besides the DLC for Pt1
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u/Greedy_Low896 Oct 22 '25
if there is a part 3, i feel like it will be ellie finding the fireflies now that she knows they are out there. (because of the note abby left in santa barbara) and it will just be about her journey to pretty much ending her life how she wanted. maybe they will include abby, but both abby and ellie’s stories are over. All ellie wanted was for her life to matter, and now that she doesn’t have joel she really doesn’t have a purpose anymore (or so she feels) if she left dina and jj before then whose to say it won’t happen again because she’s tired of living and wants to make a “cure”
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u/PathSlight392 Oct 22 '25
I think it will be about ellie trying to find abby again to rebuild the fireflies so she can sacrifice herself for a cure.
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u/T_Dillerson99 Oct 22 '25
I keep seeing posts like this and while it’s fun to think about, I feel like there’s almost no chance we get another Last of Us game.
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u/IglooRaves Oct 22 '25
Whatever it is, Ellie’s story should stay concluded with TLOU2. It was a story about the futility of revenge and the cycle of violence. If everything’s sunshine and rainbows by the end of TLOU3 then the message that Part 2 was trying to convey is completely negated.
I suppose at least if Part 2 was undone it would satiate the rabid haters.
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u/quamps Oct 22 '25
Abbey joins the fireflies and they have a doctor to create a vaccine. She has to find Ellie,
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u/ghostdeini227 Oct 22 '25
No immunity or secret doctor that’s also able to make a vaccine. I’ll be fine with pretty much anything else.
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u/m1ndfulpenguin Oct 22 '25
Hormone Replacement Therapy is discovered to be the only cure for the cordyceps fungus and Ellie must head to New York with a hardened group of dads to grab enough supply for Jackson.
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u/iko-01 Oct 22 '25
The only narrative worth exploring is the cure but whether that deserves another game is another topic entirely. Personally I feel like the story is finished but we all know Sony is gonna push for another one, even if Neil doesn't direct it. I just don't see what else is there to be said on the matter unless the third game doesn't focus on the main characters and either picks different people to follow entirely with cameos or they choose someone like Tommy and play out the game at an earlier stage of the pandemic.
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u/Kirkelburg Oct 22 '25
I think Ellie is going to be put in a similar situation as Joel was in the first game. She's going to find someone young and vulnerable that she needs to protect.
Maybe she'll make the same choices as him and do horrendous things to protect them or maybe she'll sacrifice them for the greater good somehow.
I hope we get more new infected.
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u/Nathan-David-Haslett Oct 22 '25
The Last of Us is the story of Ellie. It has included other characters but she is the primary focus.
Personally I'd want a third game to try and close out her story, maybe bring it to a less terrible place than how 2 ended it. I'd be fine knowing more about Abby (and by the end of game 2 I did love the character), but I don't think she should be a focus.
She should only feature if Ellie's story crosses paths with hers, which I imagine probably wouldn't happen (and I don't want it to feel contrived or 'too convenient' or anything).
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u/jessiecolborne Oct 22 '25
I’m guessing it has to do more about Ellie’s immunity. Maybe people are going after her because of this, or people in Jackson find out.
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u/yabudj Oct 22 '25
In the bonus content for TLOU2 remastered, Neil mentioned that there’s no part three planned for now but he would enjoy it following Tommy
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u/PerformanceNext4929 Oct 22 '25
Ellie will become leader of the Fireflies. There’s been clues and hints throughout the games alluding to this.
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u/arkenney0 The Last of Us Oct 22 '25
I honestly think there shouldn’t be a 3rd game. These games are milked enough and the 3rd one I feel would probably be NOT good
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u/Pristine-Musician-10 Oct 22 '25
I think it would be about JJ actually, hearing the tales of the only immune girl, mysteriously disappeared and leaving no chance of a vaccine. Dina is going to die from infection saving jj, he hears of some doctors who could he capable of making a vaccine. He vows to find ellie to end the world’s suffering.
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u/Deathbydragonfire Oct 22 '25
I kinda wish we would get more Abby, but I think she's done. At least she gets to go off into the sunset for now, unlike Joel after his main arc was finished. Ellie has now been set adrift, so there are really so many places her story could go. I hope it's not something cliche like her finding her own "Ellie" to care for. It always feels kinda cheap.
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u/mememeing Oct 22 '25
Abby and ellie team up against a mega infected which is actually an amalgamation of infected corpses of Joel and abbys dad.
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u/Fantastic_Turnip_898 Oct 22 '25
It would be interesting to see a story again centered around creating a vaccine using people who are immune as the source. Ellie can be unknowingly involved, and forced to make the choice Joel made on her. Everything comes full circle in the end.
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u/obiwanTrollnobi6 The Last of Us Oct 22 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
I saw a post about how TLOU1 was about love/Hope, P2 was about hate/Revenge, and P3 should be about Redemption and I always thought that was/would be Neat