[WARNING: Spoiler for The Last of Us: Part 2 below]
Dina and Baby JJ forever. Then comes the final shot of Ellie’s guitar against the window sill. Rather than concrete closure, The Last of Us: Part 2 concludes with a symbolic image: What does it mean?
To understand the guitar’s importance one must first understand the significance of its moth engraving. The moth might be the most repeated image in the entire game. The Last of Us: Part 2 even opens with it. The first shot of the game is of Joel gently caressing the engraving. Then the moth reappears sporadically, showing up in the loading screens, Ellie’s journal, and even on her own arm as a tattoo.
During an interview with the characters of The Last of Us Part 2, particularity Ellie, are self-destructive in their obsession. Ellie’s quest for vengeance concludes with lost loved ones and a mutilated body. That is why her leaving behind the guitar is so significant — leaving it behind is leaving the moth, the obsession, behind. No longer myopically seeking vengeance, Ellie goes on with her life.
A Last of Us Callback Provides Hope Amid The Loss
Besides symbolizing forgiveness, the guitar’s abandonment also contains tragedy, since Ellie can no longer play the guitar. In her final fight with Abby, Ellie loses two fingers, and while she can still play to some extent, complex notes are beyond her grasp. Both the guitar and the skill are gifts from Joel, and now they are diminished. Still, despite the sorrow, Ellie continues.
Last of Us Part 2’s final shot ultimately signals renewed hope by calling back to the original game. The Last of Us' beginning menu depicts a broken window crushing a vine: a potent reference to Joel's violent resistance to change. Then, after the game ends, Ellie's knife is added to the scene, since she too is now caught within the violent cycle Joel, and many others, have propagated. In contrast, The Last of Us Part 2 ends with an open window that’s inviting nature in rather than resisting it. Also, instead of a knife, a guitar now rests against the window. Peace has replaced aggression.
Ellie, no longer hiding from her feelings, removes the guitar from its case and leaves it behind next to a welcoming window. Still suffering but no longer confining herself to hate, Ellie's end in The Last of Us Part II is a hopeful one.
Source: Washington Post
