'The Last of Us 2' ending explained: Was the game not about revenge after all?

The Last of Us 2 does not end when players would expect it to. Instead, after a brawl between Abby and Ellie, players are treated to a surprising 18 month time jump. After over a year since the violent confrontation with Abby, Ellie is now raising a kid with Dina which is lovingly named JJ (in honour of Jesse and Joel). Life seems to have turned out good for Ellie but it is later revealed that she is suffering from PTSD and longs to take revenge against Abby for the murder of her father figure Joel. 

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The lingering effects of Ellie's PTSD are tested further when Tommy reveals he may have found where Abby is. Ellie leaves to take revenge against Abby even after Dina's vocal distress and rejection, thus setting off a cycle of violence again. Abby and Lev, on the other hand, track down their reformed Fireflies in Santa Barbara and get caught by a mercenary group of slavers known as The Rattlers. As months go by, Ellie finally finds her way to the Rattler HQ and locate Abby, who was left to die and strung up along with Lev. 

Image courtesy - The Last of Us 2 gameplay/YouTube

The Last of Us 2 - the final battle

As Ellie helps Abby and Lev make an escape from being strung up to die, she considers giving them a pass. But images of Joel keep hindering in her mind which forces her to confront Abby with a violent force, one last time. This is the 'final boss battle' of The Last of Us 2, where two physically injured characters fight each other to death. After taking some strong blows from Abby, Ellie eventually manages to take the upper hand and starts to drown Abby in the shallow waters. But, another memory of Joel playing the guitar triggers one final act of mercy for Ellie and she lets Abby live. 

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Image courtesy - The Last of Us 2 gameplay/YouTube

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Ellie returns back home, only to find it vacated. Her thirst for revenge drives away Dina and her kid. She picks up the guitar and starts playing it while recalling her memory with Joel. Towards the end of the game, it is revealed that Joel and Ellie were eventually going to work on their relationship as Ellie suggests she would like to try to forgive him for his actions. As the memory ends, Ellie puts her guitar back and players watch her walk back into the wilderness as the screen turns to black. 

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What does the ending mean?

The entirety of The Last of Us 2 plays out as a game that makes its players believe that it is based upon revenge. But, with the final conversation between Joel and Ellie, it is revealed that the two were on the verge of fixing their relationship as Ellie wished to forgive Joel. This reflects upon the decision taken by Ellie to not kill Abby and instead, just move on. The central philosophy of the game towards the ending becomes a lesson of letting go of the urge of revenge, hate, violence and choose a path that allows a person to move on and have a different life, as chosen by Ellie.