If you’ve been lurking on TheLastOfUs.tv comment threads or braving Reddit, you’ve probably noticed the clamor: “Will HBO change The Last of Us Part II’s wild, heartbreaking finale when we finally roll into Season 3?” Theories are bubbling up like infected spores in a Seattle summer, and it’s pretty clear — fans have opinions and they’re not shy. Some want HBO to patch up old wounds and offer a softer landing. Others, meanwhile, want every brutal moment to play out, no matter how many tissues it takes. So let’s grab some firefly fudge and dig into everything we actually know about the fabled alternate endings (and what could possibly await Ellie, Abby, and our post-pandemic hearts).
Where All the Fuss Comes From: Part II’s Legendary Split
The Last of Us Part II packs the kind of ending that divides dinner tables and splits friend groups. You know the drill: gut-punch themes, cycles of revenge, and decisions that haunt your dreams for weeks. The game ended with Ellie letting Abby go, offering no neat closure for anyone. For every fan who championed that choice and found philosophical poetry in it, another wished for either sweeter redemption or even more delicious darkness.
And because it’s 2025, TV watchers are fully aware of this lore. Speculation is off the charts that Season 3 might swerve — just a little — or maybe even take a fork in the road and surprise everyone. But is any of this dreamcasting rooted in reality?
Neil Druckmann and the “Faithful Adaptation” Mantra
Let’s get one thing straight: Neil Druckmann really loves his story. If HBO gave him a Firefly coin for every time he’s said the word “faithful,” he’d be living in a gold-plated Salt Lake City hospital room. As recently as summer 2025, Druckmann told GamesRadar he hopes Season 3 is just as “deeply faithful as Season 1.” To him, Season 1 nailed it. Fans and critics mostly agree.
Still, there’s a twist — Druckmann isn’t running the show anymore. He’s ushered in new stories at Naughty Dog. Craig Mazin is now the ringmaster for Season 3. While Mazin respects the sacred text, he’s less allergic to expanding the universe a bit. He’s actually teased the possibility of exploring more sides of the narrative without tossing out what makes it iconic. So, what does that mean for our chances of alternate endings?
Lessons from Season 1: The Almost-Alternate Finale
Remember that jaw-dropper at the close of Season 1? The team actually toyed with an alternate ending there too. At one stage, Ellie just walked away from Joel, showing their emotional fracture in full, heartbreaking force. But the directors pulled back. They went for the legendary in-game finale, where Ellie demands Joel swear his lie is truth. This history lesson tells us two things:
- The show’s crew loves the source material.
- Executives aren’t entirely averse to giving us fresh angles, if it sharpens the gut punch.
Rumor Radar: Alternate Endings and Secret Epilogues
Swing over to TikTok, Twitter, or basically anywhere Gen Z theorists gather, and you’ll find spicy speculation. Some want HBO to sprinkle gloomier closure on the drama — one theory even hopes Ellie loses herself more completely to revenge. A minority demands Abby take a tragic fall, ramping up the darkness.
Then you have the dreamers. They’d love to see a hopeful twist — a subplot where Ellie finds forgiveness, or a sort of makeshift family epilogue. Maybe HBO gives us a “what if?” flash forward showing Ellie and Dina raising JJ, happy as they can be in the wasteland. Sure, fanfics exist for every possible version — the internet never sleeps.
But there’s also practical precedent for expansion. Mazin, always the sly interviewee, hints at “thoughtful expansions.” Maybe we see more from peripheral characters. Maybe epilogues fill in gaps. But none of these ideas replace the central, seismic decisions from the game. So, if you crave full-on canon breakup, don’t count on it just yet.
Season 3’s Road Map: Ellie, Abby, and New Faces
Here’s what’s locked in. HBO confirmed that Season 3 is in early development and targets a blazing 2027 release. Buckle up for some changes: Bella Ramsey’s Ellie will take a back seat, while Kaitlyn Dever steps into Abby’s shoes. That means more gritty, emotional Abby screen time, with her perspective being a top priority this round. (gamesradar.com)
And here’s where HBO’s flexibility comes into play. With Abby earning the spotlight and Ellie drifting to a supporting role, the show has a little more narrative wriggle room. Will we see Abby’s prison escape with more harrowing detail? Could Lev get a richer arc? Will HBO extend Tommy’s fallout or expand Dina’s heartbreak in Jackson? Mazin and his writers aren’t spilling specifics, but their track record suggests even the smallest side-quest could go prime time.
What If HBO Breaks Tradition? Impact on the Canon
Let’s go galaxy-brain for a second. Imagine HBO tweaks the final beats — maybe Ellie finds true closure, or Abby refuses one last fight. Some fans would burst into applause. Others would cry foul, accusing the series of betraying what made the story legendary. Loyalty to the source has become The Last of Us’s badge of authenticity.
But, and this is key, TV isn’t the same beast as gaming. Games give you agency (or at least let you feel agency). TV? You’re along for the ride. Mazin’s challenge is to keep viewers glued to the most wrenching, uncomfortable payoffs, while also making sense inside a serialized, binge-able format.
So, what could HBO realistically do? Here’s a rapid-fire list of theoretical tweaks, rooted in what’s possible — not pure fan fiction:
- A parallel storyline that shows Ellie’s Oregon exile while Abby forges ahead with the Fireflies.
- Small vignettes at the end, where we catch glimpses of Dina, JJ, or even grizzled Tommy.
- Scenes exploring Abby and Lev’s new “Firefly” beginnings, deepening their arc without erasing major events.
- Hints of hope in some classic HBO-style ambiguous montage where nothing concrete gets spelled out.
All plausible. None fundamentally break the game’s spirit, but each could give closure that a controller-driven story can’t.
What Does It All Mean for Our Favorite Trauma Survivors?
At the center of all this? Ellie, Abby, and a story about how hatred and forgiveness wrestle in the dark. Any change, even a subtle one, means big ripples. Give Ellie forgiveness, and you undermine the game’s raw message about vengeance and fallout. Give Abby a game-over moment and, honestly, you risk alienating the millions who found power in her survival.
But if Mazin and his team nail it, we might just see HBO give every major character an epilogue grounded in heartbreak, but not without hope. That would be vintage Last of Us — pain with purpose.
Counting Spores, Counting Days
Infected Twitter threads and hush-hush set photos aside, the facts are these: HBO’s creative stewards strongly favor staying true to Druckmann’s vision. He wants faithfulness. Mazin promises reverence with just enough wiggle room for character growth. Past close calls with alternate finales hint they won’t throw out what worked.
That said, don’t rule out clever tweaks or expansions. At this stage, speculation is half the fun. Keep your eye on filming news, cast updates (that Abby recast still stings for some!), and official teasers as 2027 creeps closer.
Until then, whether you’re Team Alternate Ending or Team Stay Faithful, this debate has enough fuel to rage till clickers freeze over. One thing’s for sure — no matter which fork in the road HBO takes, Season 3 will have us talking, theorizing, and maybe a little bit wrecked… all over again.
