What Is Ellie’s Fate in ‘The Last of Us’?

It’s become an increasingly popular question: Does Ellie die in The Last of Us? Yikes! What kind of franchise do you take this for?

It’s almost like you think the writers of The Last of Us are out to get you by fueling your nightmares and traumatizing you with nonstop beloved character deaths. Preposterous! Absurd! Never in my life have I heard such poppycock!

And now you think that the writers seek to emotionally destroy you entirely by orchestrating the death of the series’ murderous, baby-faced protagonist? Oh, ye of little faith! Oh, ye lambs, ye wee, frightful lambs!

They won’t kill Ellie. At least … not yet.

Wait—does Ellie die in The Last of Us on HBO?

I know what you’re thinking: “Oh, woe is me! The writers of my favorite series conspire against me! The show shall culminate in the death of my favorite character and so, too, shall I die like a flower in winter!” This is far from the truth! Miles! Lightyears! While the series is indeed grim, Ellie must survive the first season in order for the story of The Last of Us to continue. After all, she is one of the lead characters in the second game. No Ellie? No season 2. And take heart, for season 2 has been confirmed! Oh frabjous day! Calloo callay! How good! How great! How utterly scrumtralescent!

However, it must be stated that while Ellie’s physical death shall be avoided entirely, the death of her innocence will not. Alas, the sweet bird of youth fled the cage of her heart when she sunk a meat cleaver in a rapist-cannibal’s head in episode 8! Growing up is so hard, is it not? And after the season finale and the subsequent aftermath, Ellie’s innocence has departed entirely in the second game. The sweet bird of youth that once sang in Ellie’s heart has been replaced with the opossum of wanton murder! How sad! How woefully sad!

Does Ellie die in The Last of Us game?

No. By the grace of God, no. Certainly some benevolent cosmic entity has granted a boon of favor on the young woman because she should be well in her grave by now. The events of The Last of Us Part 1 were hairy enough, but things become even hairier in the second game! It’s like comparing the body hair of a baby to a silverback gorilla! There is no comparison! In the second game, Ellie faces an entire militia, as well as the most frighteningly competent villain-turned-anti-hero in the series so far: Abby. Know ye not Abby, oh ye who only played the first game. You will … oh, you will.

Now, should the creators decide to round out the story with a trilogy, it is quite possible that Ellie could die. At the end of the second game, our favorite opossum of wanton murder is replaced with a platypus of uneasy peace. Her subsequent evolution means that she may hit the character growth ceiling by the end of a possible third game, and you know what that means … Her plot armor will fall away, and she may be struck dead. Considering the writer’s track record with killing fan-favorite characters, this likely. The opossum of wanton murder has burrowed deep in both of their hearts, this we know. This we know …

(featured image: HBO)