Ellie is the central protagonist of the first two Last of Us games, but The Last of Us Part 3 can leave her and Joel behind. Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic saga sees the world fall into ruin after the outbreak of a deadly fungal plague. Through its various playable characters the story-driven series has explored themes of loss, hope and revenge after the end of modern civilization. Ellie is consistently depicted as the most important character in the Last of Us series, but a potential third installment doesn't need to follow her story again.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2.]
2013's The Last of Us tells the story of Joel and Ellie, two survivors who find their lives intertwined in post-apocalyptic America. Joel's life transformed completely when his daughter was killed on the day of the Cordyceps outbreak, which transformed most of humanity into zombie-like creatures. The Last of Us sees Joel and Ellie, a young survivor with her own traumatic backstory, travel across the ruins of America after her immunity to the virus is discovered. Ellie returns in The Last of Us 2, with the brutal sequel leading her on a path of vengeance against a young woman named Abby after she tortures and kills Joel. Players spend half of the game controlling Ellie before switching to Abby and exploring her own perspective of the bloody conflict.
The Last of Us Part 2 ends on a downbeat note, leaving plenty of room for Naughty Dog to continue the series in a third installment. The game ends with Ellie abandoning her pursuit of revenge against Abby, but her quest for blood leaves her life permanently scarred. With her girlfriend Dina abandoning her for parts unknown, Ellie's future after TLOU 2's ending is very unclear . Many fans expect The Last of Us Part 3 to continue or conclude Ellie's story, but there are many alternate routes Naughty Dog could take to create a fresh adventure.
The Last Of Us Part 3 Can Focus On Abby & Lev
Abby is the secondary protagonist of The Last of Us Part 2, so it seems obvious that a sequel would continue to follow her journey. While she is initially focused on revenge and seeks to wipe out the rival survivors the Seraphites, Abby's relationship with a young member of the group named Lev results in growth that mirrors Joel and Ellie's dynamic in the first game. Abby abandons her bloody crusade, instead committing herself to locating the survivalist group called the Fireflies. The end of The Last of Us Part 2 finds Abby and Lev having apparently located the group, whose goal is to cure the fungal Cordyceps pandemic and restore human society, on California's Santa Catalina Island.
While reaching the Fireflies could be the end of Abby and Lev's story, there are many questions left unanswered at the end of The Last of Us Part 2. The Fireflies are known for trying to restore humanity, but it is unclear how exactly the group will accomplish this goal without Ellie. Abby and Lev could be drawn into a conflict between the Fireflies and a rival group, or maybe Abby could be sent to find another individual immune to the infection. Perhaps the Fireflies would even send Abby to find Ellie, which could lead to a quest that sets up Ellie's return in a fourth game.
The Last of Us Part 3 Can Follow Brand-New Characters
While Abby was a Last of Us 2 protagonist that deserves further growth, The Last of Us Part 3 could also introduce entirely new characters. The Firefly group on Santa Catalina Island would be an ideal faction to explore in a third game, given its presence in the series' first two installments. Naughty Dog has a habit of asg important to non-player characters in subsequent titles, with the head doctor in The Last of Us revealed to be Abby's father Jerry in the sequel. Following this trend, perhaps the Firefly that speaks to Abby on the radio in The Last of Us Part 2 could be the third game's protagonist.
Outside of the Fireflies, there are plenty of other survivors in the world of The Last of Us that a third game could follow. The Last of Us 2 sees Joel's brother Tommy running a large bustling outpost in Jackson, Wyoming, and this location is filled with potential heroic protagonists. Other societies are hinted at, too, and each survivor in the world of The Last of Us likely has an emotional and engaging story worth exploring. New characters could tie into Ellie or Abby's stories in some way, or they could simply shed light on other aspects of life in post-apocalyptic America. A prequel story could even spotlight lesser-known Last of Us figures like Ish, Bill or Henry and Sam.
The Last of Us Part 3 Can Explore A New Setting
The first two Last of Us games explored the ruins of America, but The Last of Us Part 3 could shed light on humanity outside of the United States. The infected world of The Last of Us was ravaged by a fungal outbreak, rather than a natural disaster or nuclear exchange, so there are likely survivors around the world. Global superpowers like China and the European Union could be in a similar state as America, with the military overseeing society within quarantine zones. It is never stated whether different countries are still able to communicate in the world of The Last of Us, but reestablishing connection could be an interesting premise for the third game.
The first two Last of Us games have painted a pretty clear picture of life in the United States, but other countries may find themselves in different situations. America is separated into many small survivor groups, but perhaps another country assembled one massive walled-off supercity to fend off Clickers and other Last of Us Cordyceps infected. Some countries may have even succeeded in irradiating the Cordyceps pandemic, leaving them in a weak but stable state. Focusing on new protagonists from other countries could be a fresh take on the Last of Us formula, and their stories could possibly intersect with Ellie or Abby's lives during a journey to America.
So far The Last of Us has focused largely on Ellie's life story, but The Last of Us Part 3 could easily break the mold. Abby and Lev are just as interesting as Ellie and Joel, and controlling a brand-new protagonist with their own backstory and goals would be interesting too. The Last of Us Part 3 could even visit another country, revealing how the rest of the world has dealt with the Cordyceps outbreak.
