You know that moment when a show takes on a huge, risky challenge and everyone online loses their collective minds? Welcome to Abby’s world. Or more specifically, Kaitlyn Dever’s wild entrance as Abby Anderson in HBO’s The Last of Us. The fandom circled, speculated, exploded, then settled in for a close look: would Dever’s Abby live up to the game’s legend? Could she possibly crush it — not just emotionally, but physically?
Turns out, HBO didn’t just want to check the “big arms, big biceps” box. The creative team, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, knew there was more to Abby than gym stats. So let’s dig in: how did the cast shape up for season two’s heavy hitters — and how did Dever sweat, fight, and flex her way through those expectations?
Rethinking Strength: Abby Beyond the Bench Press
The “Is she buff enough?” debate sparked hotter than a clicker in a kerosene closet. Fans remember Abby’s in-game physique — a one-woman wrecking crew. With muscles sculpted for survival and revenge, she left an impression (and a few Twitter arguments). When HBO cast Kaitlyn Dever, the reactions blasted across social media. Some cheered, others shouted, “But Abby’s got arms that could thump bricks!”
Here’s where things get seriously interesting. Neil Druckmann, who co-created both the show and original game, actually addressed the elephant (or, more accurately, the dumbbell) in the room. “We need someone to really capture the essence of those characters,” Druckmann shared in January 2024 (ScreenRant). He wasn’t sweating the exact biceps-to-forearm ratio: “We don’t value as much, ‘Do they look exactly like the character with their eyebrows or their nose or their body?’” The magic comes from internal strength and the ability to own the screen — bodybuilder or not.
And let’s remember: Abby’s size in the game had a point. As Druckmann pointed out, the game needed combat variety. Abby’s hulking strength gave fights impact, contrasting sharply with Ellie. But on-screen? That’s not the same playground. It’s about soul, not just sinew.
Kaitlyn Dever’s Training Crash Course
Hang on. Let’s not pretend Dever just rolled out of bed and tried to outmuscle Joel with pure acting. She didn’t. She took Abby’s physicality seriously. Really, really seriously.
- Boxing? Check.
- Jiu-jitsu? Add it to the list.
- Weight training? You know it.
Dever worked out in London with the show’s stunt team for two solid months before filming started. That’s not “maybe I’ll squeeze in some Pilates” energy. That’s “I’m going to throw someone through a wall” energy. Her efforts weren’t just for the camera, either. You’ve got to move different, breathe different, fight different as Abby.
But Dever dug deeper. She didn’t just focus on muscle; she lived in Abby’s messy, complicated emotional space. Abby’s not a villain in her own mind. She’s driven by grief, loyalty, and blunt-force empathy. Dever read scripts, watched performances, but also got to grips with Abby through physical exhaustion. That’s a secret sauce the game’s motion capture cast always praised.
The Show’s Approach: No Muscle Suit Required
Sure, gamers remember Abby’s mountain-level upper body — a practical superpower in the post-cordyceps world. Some people campaigned for an actress who looked just like those polygons brought to life. Craig Mazin, though? He went a different direction.
“We didn’t feel like we were obliged to fully represent the same body shape that Abby has in the game,” Mazin told Collider in early 2025 (Collider). For him, it was never just the muscle — it was “a certain ferocity and a relentlessness.” You can’t fake that with foam latex.
Instead, the showrunners leaned in on intensity, speed, and resilience. “I personally think that there is an amazing opportunity here to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger,” Mazin said. Suddenly, Abby’s story changes flavor. Her toughness is all fight, grit, and, when called for, vulnerability.
Not Just a Dever-Driven Metamorphosis
But don’t sleep on the rest of the cast. The Last of Us is practically a fitness boot camp now. Bella Ramsey and the returning ensemble also worked side by side with fight coordinators, stunt experts, and even survival consultants. Scenes need rawness, sure, but they also need safety and stamina. It’s not all movie muscle either — think core strength, reaction time, and emotional fitness.
When the fights land, they pack real punch. Not over-choreographed, not too pretty. Abby’s physical presence feels less “Marvel superhero,” more “run-you-over-because-I-have-no-choice.” Big difference. Big impact.
Let’s See What Social Media Says
Oh, don’t think fans kept quiet. The moment HBO dropped images of Dever in costume, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and TikTok all started dissecting every inch of her look and her form. The consensus? The camp seems split but passionate. Some gamers still grumble about the “lack of deltoids.” Others now say casting Dever was inspired — her energy, not her arm size, wins them over.
- “She’s got Abby’s stare. That’s what actually matters,” one fan wrote on Reddit’s game subreddit.
- “Honestly, you can tell she’s trained hard, and you feel it. I’m here for it,” chimed in on TikTok.
Scrolling through X reveals memes, side-by-sides, and, yes, some armchair fitness advice. But as the season aired, large swaths of viewers shifted their focus to the emotional layers way more than the lifting stats. Turns out, Abby’s jaw-dropping resolve has less to do with protein powder than most folks thought.
Why HBO’s Abby Might Change Everything
This new Abby, shaped by Dever’s physical prep and relentless inner work, kind of flips the script on how games get adapted. The old “looks exactly like the character or bust” approach just doesn’t fly here. Instead, character depth, unpredictable energy, and high-stakes emotion do the heavy lifting.
And, just in case you’re keeping score — no, the show didn’t CGI her muscles. No body double either. And not a muscle suit in sight. What you see? That’s Dever. She boxed, grappled, and yes, sweated her way there. That authenticity means every brawl and breakdown rings true onscreen.
“So…Did It Work?”
By mid-season, even die-hard critics started coming around. Dever’s Abby throws a punch just as heavy as her heartbreak. When she steps into a fight, it’s rough, desperate, sometimes ugly — never choreographed to be “cool.” That’s as real as The Last of Us gets.
And as Neil Druckmann said, “It’s more about the drama.” The show focuses on the things Abby can’t bench-press away — like grief, trauma, remorse, and the urge to forgive. Strength, in 2025, means feeling everything and fighting through it anyway.
In a year stacked with big-screen heroes and over-the-top action, HBO’s Abby stands out. She’s tough, sure. But her power comes from her story, not her size. Next time you hear someone say, “But Abby was bigger in the games!” just remind them — sometimes, the best muscles are the ones you can’t see.
So, whether you’re cheering or griping, you’ve got to admit: Dever’s Abby brings something fresh to the apocalypse. No one’s walking away from those episodes without feeling a little stronger themselves. Now, who’s got next at the gym?
