Heads up, Clicker-dodgers and Firefly fans. HBO’s The Last of Us just threw the fandom into a blender with Season 2, and the big new name swirling in the mix? Abby Anderson. She’s built like a tank, swings like a wrecking ball, and emotionally? She’s a narrative sledgehammer.
Enter Abby: The Powerhouse With a Purpose
So, who is this muscle-bound enigma who just flipped the story on its head?
Kaitlyn Dever—yes, that Kaitlyn Dever—now wears Abby’s heavy armor. And man, she wears it well. Abby makes her brutal debut in Episode 2, “Through the Valley,” by delivering the mother of all gut-punches: she kills Joel. Not just kills—brutalizes. Cue collective gasps and screen-punches across living rooms everywhere. This isn’t just drama; this is The Last of Us throwing the rulebook out the window.
But hang tight. Because if you’re not a diehard fan of the games, you might be wondering—why would this woman do such a thing?
The Backstory Bombshell: Fireflies and Fathers
This isn’t random rage. It’s deeply, painfully personal.
Abby is the daughter of the Firefly surgeon Joel shot in the Season 1 finale. That’s right. The man Joel killed to save Ellie? Abby’s father. Her entire quest is vengeance-dipped heartbreak. She watched the world lose its one shot at a cure. Then she watched her dad bleed out because of it.
- Joel’s choice shattered Abby’s world.
- Her father’s death became her fuel.
- Her rage? Years in the making.
From there, Abby doesn’t spiral. She sharpens. She trains, she plots, she joins the Washington Liberation Front. Then, she waits.
Kaitlyn Dever: Grief Meets Grit
Kaitlyn Dever brings serious weight to Abby. Not just muscle (though, wow), but emotional gravity.
Here’s the kicker: Dever filmed that wrenching Joel scene only days after her mother’s funeral. So when you see Abby break down after the act, it’s not just acting. That’s raw pain, real tears. Her performance is less performance, more lived experience. And it’s haunting.
That emotional depth softens the edges of Abby’s brutality. Suddenly, she’s not a monster. She’s a person trying to live with loss, just like Ellie. That parallel? It’s no accident.
Not the Villain You Were Expecting
Let’s be real—Abby’s entrance is savage. But that doesn’t mean she’s the bad guy.
Unlike your typical baddies, Abby’s choices come from a place of belief. She thinks she’s doing the right thing. And when you take a step back, it’s easy to see why. This isn’t a revenge high. It’s justice, as she sees it. Which makes her far more complex than a mustache-twirling villain.
As the showrunners confirmed, they didn’t want her to just be the “girl who killed Joel.” So they smartly front-loaded her story. That way, viewers wouldn’t wait until mid-season to get it—they’d feel it from the jump.
Abby’s conflict? It’s internal as much as external. Her journey is brutal, sure. But it’s also beautifully human.
The Domino Effect: What Abby Means for Ellie
Joel’s death cracks Ellie wide open. Suddenly, our beloved scrappy survivor has one thing on her mind: revenge.
But here’s the genius: the show mirrors Abby and Ellie’s paths. Both young women. Both shaped by loss. Both convinced they’re doing the right thing. But as we know, vengeance doesn’t soothe grief—it multiplies it.
So when Ellie steps into Abby’s shoes (literally, in the game), things get complicated. The lines blur. And the show dares you to question everything.
Not Just a Twist—A Shift
Abby’s arrival marks more than a plot twist. It’s a perspective shift.
The story zooms out, then flips. Suddenly, we’re not just rooting for one side. We’re sitting in two very different pain seats. And it hurts. But in a weird, brilliant way, it heals too.
This isn’t just narrative gymnastics. It’s emotional engineering. The writers are cracking our hearts open to show us that empathy can exist on both sides of a gun.
Why Abby Matters (Even If You Hate Her Now)
Yes, Abby killed Joel. Yes, she’s easy to hate. But that’s the point.
She’s a walking, grunting question mark. A challenge. A complication in a world that desperately wants things to be simple. And through Dever’s stunning performance, Abby earns her seat at the narrative table.
So even if you’re still reeling—or furious—keep watching. Abby’s not done. And neither is this twisted, gorgeous story.
What Comes Next: Blood, Guilt, and Growth
Season 2 is just heating up. With Abby in play, everything changes.
We’re about to see what happens when two grieving souls spiral toward each other. The damage won’t be pretty. But if HBO sticks the landing, it might just be unforgettable.
So buckle up. This isn’t just the story you thought you knew. It’s the one you didn’t realize you needed.
