Naughty Dog's impactful narrative. Throughout the 20-30 hour campaign, players may miss numerous small details about each of the main characters.
Each member of the main cast is a fully fleshed-out human being, and keen observers will feel like they've known them for years if they pay attention to every detail offered up by the exclusive. Hopefully this is not the last players see of these complicated creations.
Ellie's Right Hand Shakes
This one detail perfectly exemplifies Naughty Dog's extreme attention to detail. During gameplay one may notice Ellie's right hand suffering some slight tremors. This is a common symptom of PTSD, something which Ellie understandably lives with after all the things she has been through. The detail does not really have an effect on gameplay, so one does not have to worry about losing because of it.
Dina Had A Sister
Dina travels with Ellie to Seattle on her quest for vengeance. One of their conversations details just how sympathetic Dina is to Ellie's cause. Dina reveals that her sister was also murdered, and goes on to say what she would do if she just had the chance to take on the person who took away her sibling. Her feelings about vengeance change during the ending, however.
Ellie's First Love
Longtime fans who played the first game and its DLC campaign, Left Behind, will already be fully-versed in this tidbit. Ellie's first love was a girl named Riley who ed the Fireflies. On the night before she leaves, the two are venturing by themselves in a mall when they are both bitten. They agree to transmogrify together, and this is where Ellie discovers her immunity, while Riley fully succumbs to the infection.
Abby's Last Name Is Anderson
Joel's full name is Joel Miller, and players find Abby's family name if they pay attention to the collectibles. This small, irrelevant detail is found in her room during the beginning of Abby's segment after going through the three days of Seattle as Ellie. Knowing this does not help Ellie, however, since she cannot look up her address in a phone book.
Dina Is Just As Battle-Hardened As Ellie
While talking in Seattle, Dina and Ellie discuss how old they were when they first killed someone. Players see the first time Ellie takes someone's life in the original game where she shoots a hunter in the head, saving Joel.
Dina was just 10 years old when she killed someone, four years younger than Ellie's first time. Her performance in combat also shows a similar aptitude with guns.
Tommy Has Been Brutal Before
Tommy has a softness in The Last of Us due to him trying to forge a new, more peaceful life in Jackson with his wife. Players see a whole different side of him when following the trail of bodies in Seattle. This is not the first time Tommy has gone this deep into darkness. While the game never goes into detail, he did some cruel and unforgiving things with Joel during the early days of the outbreak.
Why Abby ed The WLF
The game does not explain it clearly, so many fans are scratching their heads in wonder as to how Abby and her friends ended up in the WLF. Laura Bailey later explained in a Jeffrey Wright, was a former Firefly who knew Abby's father. This also explains why he is slightly more forgiving towards Abby's indiscretions despite his brutal nature.
Ellie's Ink
Ellie has a gorgeous tattoo on her arm to cover her bite mark since she is hiding her immunity from the other settlers in Jackson. The specific design has a deeper meaning as well. The moth can be seen as a symbol and reminder of Joel. The guitar he gifts her at the beginning of the game bears the same design, and the game opens and closes with a shot of the guitar.
Abby Makes It To Catalina Island
Abby's goal after leaving the theater and sparing Ellie's life is to regroup with the Fireflies. After learning of their location, she and and Lev are kidnapped by the Rattlers. Ellie saves them and almost goes through with her vengeance before opting to let Abby live and leave on a boat. The new title screen shows a boat on a sunny beach, implying Abby and Lev reached the Fireflies at Catalina Island.
Joel Might Have Had A Girlfriend
Originally, Joel was to have a girlfriend named Esther who died in the four years between the two games. All mention of her was removed from the finished product for various story related reasons. But just because she did not show up in the story does not mean she didn't exist. Perhaps the events of their relationship and her demise still happened, but they never received attention in the story.
