Why does Abby kill Joel in The Last of Us?

The Last of Us is an immensely popular narrative-focused game by Naughty Dog that was recent adapted into a nine-episode television show. The post apocalyptic game follows the relationship between Joel Miller and Ellie Williams as the two venture across the country in hopes of turning Ellie’s infection-immune blood into a cure.

Though the pair remain apathetic towards each other for the majority of the first game, shared trauma and experiences see the two form a paternal bond. Joel and Ellie quickly rose as fan favorites and two of the most beloved character in video game history.

The Last of Us II starts off with an unexpected gut punch for players, as Joel is brutally killed by an entirely new character, Abby. This not only sparked outrage in many players, but also confusion as to why this unsuspecting character had it out for Joel.

Why Abby kills Joel in The Last of Us Part II

In short, Abby kills Joel in The Last of Us Part II as an act of revenge for her father’s death at the hands of Joel. In the final part of The Last of Us, Joel and Ellie arrive at a Firefly lab with the hopes of turning Ellie’s immune blood into a cure for the fungal infection.

Once Joel learns that the procedure would likely kill Ellie, regardless of the surgery’s results, Joel decides to kill the surgeon about to operate on Ellie. This surgeon is Jerry Anderson, the father to Abby Anderson, who later takes up a revenge quest to slay her father’s killer.

At the beginning of The Last of Us Part II, Abby and her group have found Jackson, the settlement Joel and Ellie both reside in. Abby’s group eventually run into Joel while on a supply run and Abby brutally beats Joel to death in front of Ellie.

There are far more details regarding the fallout of Joel’s death, both in Ellie’s vicious path of vengeance afterwards and in Abby’s story leading up to her killing Joel, but this is the reason why Joel eventually dies.