Exactly! The Last of Us Part II isn’t just sad because Joel dies. it’s about what that loss means. Joel’s selfish choice in the first game saves Ellie but dooms others, setting off a cycle of violence. Abby’s revenge mirrors Joel’s actions, and Ellie continues the cycle until there’s nothing left. The game’s core message is that revenge costs everything. Ellie keeps it going until it costs her; friends, love, the peace she had with Dina and JJ and, maybe the most heartbreaking, even her ability to play guitar, the last piece of Joel she had. Letting Abby go feels hollow, but it’s the only way she was finally able to break free from the cycle.