While many fans are speculating on what could be next for The Last of Us Part 3, we take a look at what characters could get away with having their very own story before The Last of Us 2 took place.
There’s no doubt about it, The Last of Us Part 2 has been, and will continue to be, one of the most controversial games of its time. Many TLOU fans fell in love with its bold narrative and the introduction to Abby while others felt that Naughty Dog went too far with its violent and revengeful stance and took a harsh viewpoint – some without even playing it in its entirety, or even at all.
Over a year later, many fans are wondering what we could see in The Last of Us Part 3 and where the narrative could go but before we get carried away with ideas and conspiracies, let's take a look at a few interesting characters who could have a prequel to the events that we saw take place in TLOU2.
Cat
Picture of Cat in Ellie's bedroom
Long before Ellie and Dina were a thing, Ellie had a relationship with a woman called Cat who was a tattoo artist and who also gave Ellie her now iconic arm piece art. Information is very slim on Cat and the only thing we really know is that she is described as an "Asian woman covered in tattoos".
Personally speaking, of course, I think taking a look at Ellie and Cat's relationship before Dina would be a really interesting viewpoint. How they met, how Cat coaxed the rather awkward Ellie out of her shell, who Cat was before everything went to crap and how they integrated into the Jackson community. I would see this type of story being somewhat similar to Life is Strange: True Colors with the empathise on the development of relationships, feelings and internal dilemma but either way, I think it would be amazing to see who this Cat person really was, her backstory and how she felt about Dina.
Lev
One of the most compelling characters in The Last of Us 2, Lev's narrative is soaked in fear and sadness. Throughout the game, we see his struggles with the Seraphites and with his own mother who lives and breaths the Seraphites orders. Even though it would be utterly heartbreaking to trace back to what Lev had to live through with his gender identity and the impact that has had, it would be extremely impactful to know more about his backstory.
Learning his fear and anxiety after building up the courage to escape the cruel rules of the Seraphites, being exiled from the community and what Lev and Yara did to survive up until the point of rescuing Abby from the clutches of the religious cult would certainly be a worthwhile and impactful, yet horrifying and extremely emotional endeavour.
Mel
Originally a member of the Fireflies who looked up to Abby's father, Jerry Anderson, Mel was certainly one who felt the painful raw impact of Joel's decision to kill the doctor. Training as a medic under Dr Anderson's guidance, Mel worshipped the man who would try to bring an end to the Cordyceps brain infection but that soon came to an end.
We already know that Abby and Mel were friends throughout their time in the Fireflies but what we don't know in acute detail is how deep Mel's revengeful predisposition ran for Joel. How did it affect her medical training when seeing others succumb to the virus due to Joel's choice? Did she try to pick up Jerry's research in a last-ditch attempt to honour his work of finding a cure? Bringing awareness into what Mel did in the aftermath of Jerry's murder would prove a fascinating route to take.