Why You May End Up Rooting for Season 2’s Most Hated Character
Alright, let’s rip the Band-Aid off. Abby Anderson isn’t exactly showing up to HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 with balloons and fanfare. She’s arriving with baggage. The heavy, emotional, world-shaking kind. If you’re a fan of the original game, you probably already know what I’m talking about. If you’re new? Buckle up. Because Abby’s about to flip the emotional table.
Fans who played The Last of Us Part II when it dropped back in 2020 will remember the storm. Reddit exploded. Twitter melted. Entire friendships might’ve fractured. Why? One name: Abby. She was brutal. Unapologetic. Unforgivable—at first. But the story had other plans. And those plans? They were sneaky. Because by the end of the game, a lot of us weren’t just understanding her. We were rooting for her.
So, here we are. With HBO teeing up Kaitlyn Dever’s debut as Abby in Season 2. And yeah, emotions are mixed. Which makes this the perfect time to ask: what if Abby’s not the villain we thought she was?
The Shock Heard ‘Round the Fandom
Let’s address the Clicker in the room. Abby’s intro in The Last of Us Part II wasn’t just controversial. It was nuclear. She didn’t just upset fans—she wrecked them. But that reaction? That was the point. The game forced us to feel the sting of vengeance. To sit in the anger. To hate.
And then, it handed us Abby’s perspective.
HBO has confirmed that Season 2 will follow the same bold narrative. According to Variety and IGN, Dever will bring Abby’s deeply polarizing character to life, giving us all a front-row seat to her arc. So, if you’re already fuming, that’s okay. The story kind of needs you to start there.
Who Is Abby Anderson, Really?
First impressions aside, Abby’s not your typical villain. She’s strong, yeah. But she’s also scared. Determined, but also cracked with grief.
Let’s break down what makes her tick:
- Motivated by personal loss. Abby isn’t out to ruin lives for fun. She’s driven by the murder of her father—a Firefly surgeon we briefly meet in the first game. His death isn’t just a tragedy; it’s a fracture that defines her.
- A soldier caught in cycles. She joins the WLF, not just for protection, but for purpose. She becomes a weapon because she thinks she has to be.
- Layered with compassion. Later, she meets Lev. Their relationship becomes the emotional spine of her story. And honestly? It’s beautiful. She protects him, learns from him, and changes because of him.
The thing is, Abby’s story isn’t just about violence. It’s about what comes after. When vengeance has scorched the earth and there’s nothing left but guilt and questions.
Kaitlyn Dever: The Face Behind the Fury
Now, let’s talk casting. HBO didn’t just grab any random actor for this beast of a role. They tapped Kaitlyn Dever. If you caught her in Unbelievable or Dopesick, you know she’s got range. Soft, sharp, furious, tender—she can do it all.
Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of the series and the game, personally endorsed Dever. That says something. It means we’re in for a performance that’ll twist your gut and then soothe it, all in the same scene.
So if you’re already side-eyeing Abby, give Dever a shot. She’s got the emotional ammo to turn the tide.
The Redemption Road Trip
Here’s the real kicker: Abby’s arc isn’t about justifying everything she does. It’s about humanizing her.
The Last of Us thrives in moral fog. No one’s squeaky clean. Everyone’s broken in some way. But Abby’s path goes somewhere unexpected. Once the dust settles, she starts to grow. To reflect. To reach for something better.
With Lev at her side, Abby becomes more than just a weapon. She becomes a protector. And honestly? A pretty damn good one. She puts herself at risk again and again, not for revenge, but for hope. For someone else’s future.
Watching that transformation? It hits hard.
But Wait—She Still Did That Thing
Yeah. She did. No use pretending otherwise.
But the show isn’t asking you to forget it. It’s asking you to sit with it. To weigh it. To explore what led to it and what came after. And by doing so, it challenges you to ask yourself: if I were in her shoes, could I have chosen differently?
That’s the magic trick HBO’s about to pull. Not by softening Abby, but by complicating her. She becomes a mirror, reflecting all the messy, contradictory parts of being human.
From Fury to Fandom?
You might not realize it yet, but there’s a good chance you’ll end up cheering for Abby. Maybe not with pom-poms. But with a deep, unexpected empathy that surprises you.
Game players went through the same cycle. Disgust. Resistance. Then a quiet shift. By the end of Part II, many of us weren’t just okay with Abby. We were invested in her survival. And maybe even her peace.
HBO is teeing this up for maximum impact. With multiple returning cast members (yes, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are back), a talented director slate, and Druckmann still steering the story, Season 2 is loaded for emotional detonation. Abby will be at the center of that.
Keep Your Mind (and Heart) Open
So, if you’re gearing up for Season 2 with a clenched jaw and crossed arms—cool. You’re allowed. That’s how it started for a lot of us. But as the episodes roll out, let the story breathe. Let Abby unfold.
Because maybe, just maybe, you’ll find yourself doing the unthinkable:
Hoping she makes it.
Wishing her well.
Rooting for redemption, even in the rubble.
