Ellie has been an important figure in gaming over the years. Not only is she a female protagonist, which is not something that many of us grew up with, but she is also a lesbian, with fans being able to watch her budding romance with both Riley and Dina throughout the events of the two games. As such, it is perhaps no surprise that many of us want to see her story continued, but with The Last of Us Part III not yet being confirmed, the future remains uncertain for our favorite survivor.
Since the launch of The Last of Us Part II back in 2020, rumors of The Last of Us Part III have taken over the internet. With Naughty Dog head Neil Druckmann originally claiming that the story was done, he later edited his statement by claiming that "there is probably one more chapter to the story" during the Grounded YouTube documentary.
As such, we are none the wiser as to if a third installment will come to fruition, and even if it does, it will be a while until it is released, considering that Naughty Dog is currently hard at work on its brand-new IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. One thing is for sure, however, and that is that, if there is The Last of Us Part III, the majority of fans would like to see Ellie return, as opposed to introducing a brand-new character or following the likes of Abby or Tommy.
Does Ellie Have Any Story Left To Tell?
The last time we saw Ellie, she was walking away from all that she had ever known, separated from her girlfriend and child, and missing two fingers after her final showdown with Abby. Where she goes next is unknown, and as such, fans have argued about enjoying her ambiguous ending, whilst others wish for her to finally get the happy ending she deserves.
Over on r/thelastofus, one user broached the topic by sharing, "With the rumors of TLOU 3 growing, I keep wondering where the story could go. It feels like a lot has already been explored, but there’s still room for something new. The question is how to expand this universe without losing the essence that made the series so impactful. What do you expect? Where are we heading?"
With over 400 comments, it is safe to say that The Last of Us fans have their opinions, but there is one overriding answer to the majority of comments: Ellie's return.
"TLOU is Ellie's story," one comment read. "Druckmann has already said so himself. I think there is plenty of room for her to grow. In TLOU1, her arc is mostly about losing her youthful innocence, and how the world beats it out of her by the end, as she learns to adapt to it. She also suffers from survivor's guilt after Riley's death, which basically gets amplified by the death of Tess, and at the end, by Joel's decision. And we see the consequences of said trauma play out in TLOU2, when she finds out about it... But by the end, she finds some peace, and we do not know in what direction it goes. It is a good open-ended ending like TLOU1, but I can see her going in different directions."
Whether Ellie's story is over or not depends entirely on Druckmann, and it is something that fans will only find out if The Last of Us Part III was ever to be released. For now, Ellie's future is uncertain, but I can only hope that she is happy wherever she is.
Released
June 14, 2013
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
Publisher(s)
Sony
Engine
Proprietary (overall), Havok (physics)
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
No, The Last of Us Part 1 does not have crossplay
Cross Save
no
Expansions
The Last of Us: Left Behind
English (US) ·