If The Last of Us Part 3 Never Happens, Several Hanging Plot Threads Can’t Go Unanswered (2025)

Neil Druckmann recently commented on the future of The Last of Us, but it may not be the news many fans wanted to hear. In an interview with Variety, Druckmann promoted the second season of The Last of Us, but when it comes to the games that started everything, Part 2 may ultimately be the end of the road.

When asked about the possibility of a third game, Druckmann replied, "I guess the only thing I would say is don’t bet on there being more of Last of Us. This could be it." This could disappoint a lot of players, especially since The Last of Us Part 2 ended on a massive cliffhanger. The fates of every major character are left hanging in the air, even Ellie's. As season 2 of The Last of Us draws closer, Druckmann's comments now hang over the show, raising many questions about whether these plot points will ever get resolved or not.

Answers to The Last of Us Part 2's Ending May Never Come

The Story of Ellie and Abby

• After seeking revenge against Abby, Ellie returns to the farm to find Dina and JJ have left, their destination or whereabouts unknown.
• In Santa Barbara, Ellie lets Abby and Lev go, and the duo take an old lifeboat out to sea, presumably to Catalina Island.

It remains unclear where Ellie and Abby ended up after their climactic show-down in Santa Barbara, but there are a few theories. When it comes to Ellie, many have hoped that the finale of her walking away from the farmhouse is a sign that she is headed back to Jackson, where Dina and JJ might be. Others theorize that she is headed off on her own, which would be a bleaker outcome, but a bummer of a storyline definitely isn't exactly something The Last of Us is afraid of.

It's assumed that Abby and Lev made it safely to Catalina Island, since a Firefly outpost is believed to be there. However, it's a mystery if the radio transmission they picked up in Santa Barbara was actually a Firefly member or a Rattler trying to lure them into a false sense of safety before being kidnapped. If there isn't a Last of Us Part 3, it may mean that fans might never get answers about whether Catalina Island was a legit spark of hope or not. Ellie and Abby are just the tip of the iceberg, too. The fates of Tommy, Maria, Dina, and JJ have all been left unanswered. Most troubling of all, there still aren't concrete answers about Ellie's immunity or if a cure is even possible. Of course, the show gave its own explanation for her immunity, and that may ultimately be where these lingering questions finally get answered.

The Last of Us' Live-Action Adaptation May Be the Future of the Franchise

Druckmann's co-writer, Craig Mazin, has stated in the past that The Last of Us Part 2 is potentially going to span multiple seasons. If this is the case, then it's possible that unanswered story questions that have yet to be answered in the games may get addressed in the show. This would potentially be quite controversial, but based on Druckmann's response to Variety, it could be the only way plot threads get tied up.

Right now, there's no way to know for sure how Druckmann will handle the post-apocalyptic world he created. It's quite possible that The Last of Us Part 2 remains an open-ended story. Until more is known, fingers are crossed that The Last of Us Part 3 still happens eventually.

Success!

10/10

The Last of Us

Experience the emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters in The Last of Us, winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards. In a ravaged civilization, where infected and hardened survivors run rampant, Joel, a weary protagonist, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a military quarantine zone. However, what starts as a small job soon transforms into a brutal cross-country journey. Includes the complete The Last of Us single-player story and celebrated prequel chapter, Left Behind, which explores the events that changed the lives of Ellie and her best friend Riley forever.

Action

Adventure

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating: 94/100 Critics Recommend: 99%

Released

June 14, 2013

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

Developer(s)

Naughty Dog

Publisher(s)

Sony

Franchise

The Last of Us

Platform(s)

PS3, PS4

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

Proprietary (overall), Havok (physics)

How Long To Beat

15 Hours

Expansions

The Last of Us: Left Behind

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

See at Playstation StoreSee at AmazonSee at Walmart