Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us Part II!

The Last of Us season 2 will continue Ellie’s arc from the first season, but the HBO show must fix one major criticism for the story to work. While The Last of Us is one of the most critically acclaimed shows of 2023, it did have some problems, with fans pointing to elements that were lost when adapting the video game series to television. The Last of Us season 2 won’t be able to work without one of these elements, meaning that season 2 must address this criticism in order for Ellie’s story to properly be told.

The Last of Us is HBO’s beloved adaptation of the video game series of the same name, with season 1 covering the story of the first game. The Last of Us season 2 is in the works now, and the upcoming batch of episodes will be adapting the ambitious story of the second game, The Last of Us Part II. This story gives an even greater focus to Ellie than the story of season 1 did, meaning that one element of the HBO series really needs to be tweaked.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Needs To Let Ellie Kill More Humans

For the story of The Last of Us season 2 to work, the show needs to let Ellie kill more humans. One of the biggest points of criticism with season 1 was that Joel and Ellie actually didn’t kill a lot of humans. While they did wipe out some clickers, they rarely fought humans, and when they did it was usually because the humans attacked them first. In The Last of Us game, Joel and Ellie kill all kinds of humans unprovoked, and this disgusting habit is a big part of their characters.

The Last of Us season 1 is all about finding a cure for the Cordyceps infection, so it makes sense for Joel and Ellie to mostly focus on the infected. However, The Last of Us season 2 will tell a much more personal story of Ellie seeking to avenge Joel’s death. Most of the enemies in The Last of Us Part II are humans, whether they be Fireflies, WLA members, or Seraphites, meaning that Ellie will have to kill a lot more humans in season 2.

Why The Last Of Us Season 2 Won’t Work Without Ellie Being More Violent

Although it’s possible that The Last of Us season 2 tones down the violence from the game in the same way that season 1 did, it will hurt season 2 immensely. The Last of Us season 2 won’t work without Ellie being more violent, as the whole point of the story is the disastrous lengths that revenge will take a person to. The Last of Us Part II is a slow build-up of Ellie’s uncaring violence, and without the constant violence from Ellie, the story of season 2 won’t have much of a thematic purpose.

Luckily, The Last of Us season 1 has already shown that it may be willing to have a more violent Ellie. Although Ellie’s violence throughout season 1 is mostly spontaneous, The Last of Us episode 8 does make a point of showing how much violence Ellie is capable of. In order to properly adapt the story of The Last of Us Part II, The Last of Us season 2 needs to continue this idea, fixing the criticism of season 1.