A third installment hasn't been announced or confirmed for The Last of Us series. However, the ending of The Last of Us Part 2 left quite a few open-ended questions for players, giving room for more story development should Naughty Dog decide to continue the gritty tale. The writers also have a few different options for protagonists, but one fits Director Neil Druckmann's theme for the saga better than the rest. This post contains major spoilers for Last of Us 2.
Naughty Dog's newest installment for its AAA zombie saga bred major controversy among fans. The first Last of Us was beloved, though leaving fans livid with Joel's decision, and it paved the way for a continuation of Ellie's story. Its sequel, however, was met with widely divided reception, with some fans loving the ambition and different direction it took, while others couldn't move past certain story beats. Both are due to experiencing Ellie's downfall firsthand after falling in love with her in the predecessor. By playing through three gruesomely long days as Ellie, then being forced to switch perspectives to Abby, it tore gamers apart, leading up to a brutal and punishing ending.
In the final act, players watch as Ellie leaves behind Dina and J.J. to chase after Abby once again. Abby is captured when following the trail of the Fireflies with Lev. Ellie finds her and releases her, only to face off with her once more. But Ellie, deciding that this isn't who she wants to become, lets Abby and Lev leave alive. This led to a vague and unclear ending, where it was originally assumed Ellie might never see Dina and J.J. again, but a small clue suggests Ellie may actually be living peacefully in Jackson with them. There's also still the unanswered question of what happened to Lev and Abby, who were on their way to Catalina Island to find the surviving group of Fireflies. But utilizing one of these recurring characters could tie together all of these storylines yet again: J.J.
The Fireflies
At this point, Abby and Lev have the most open-ended story. Many fans speculate that Abby will likely be the main playable character of The Last of Us Part 3 if there is one. However, if the game were to follow a similar format, it will not majorly reprise another main character as the protagonist. Some also say that Abby and Lev's story is basically wrapped up, although it's never shown what happens once they arrive at the Fireflies headquarters on Catalina Island, or if that was a trap, or even if they do make it at all.
There are a lot of open-ended directions for Naughty Dog to work with here, and they can all easily be explored if J.J. were the protagonist. It's possible that Dina and Ellie would pass on the immunity secret to him, which could prompt him to meet up with the Fireflies.
But Abby's character was met with much controversy, mainly due to the way she entered the game: by bludgeoning Joel in the head until he dies. As he still stands as many fans' favorite character, this caused heavy controversy early on, and Naughty Dog may choose a different path. Should a third installment come into play, it's likely that she would appear, but this leaves two main characters that were seen in The Last of Us 2 with a story still available for expanding upon: J.J. and Lev, and their involvement with the Fireflies.
Ellie and Dina
If fans assume that the theory of Dina's bracelet is true, pointing to the couple and their son living happily together in Jackson, that pretty much wraps up their storyline. However, making J.J. the main playable character could show that the relationship between his two moms did in fact work out, with the help of a major time skip, which would also show how the post-apocalyptic world grew with him.
Better yet, many fans enjoyed the flashback sequences throughout Part 2, filling in holes of Abby's relationship with Owen and answering questions of Ellie's resentment for Joel. Save for the fans who review-bombed The Last of Us 2 upon its release, many fans would likely adore seeing this mechanic in play again, as Dina and Ellie's relationship was one of the few (if only) happy moments throughout the brutal revenge game. It would give fans final closure on the ending to the pair's story, showing that love really does trump hate.
Alternatively, there is the issue of how much killing Ellie did throughout Last of Us 2. Her story mirrors Joel's, descending into an anti-hero to feed her selfish wishes and resulting in the deaths of many innocent people (and dogs). If Part 2 taught players anything, it's that the past will come back with an unforgivable vengeance, and there's room to believe the same would happen to Ellie in the future. Perhaps it's time for Naughty Dog to end the vicious cycle of revenge, but there's plenty story involving J.J., who shares a similar relationship to Ellie that she did with Joel, to get wrapped up in.
Themes of Love
Fans can debate what they will about the overall theme of The Last of Us Part 2, but Neil Druckmann has said that the series encompasses messages of love. Even if it means fueling blind decisions, Joel ultimately decided to save Ellie because he loved her like a daughter. And Ellie pulls herself out a murderous rage because she's reminded of the love Joel and Dina had shown her. Though it might be few and far between long spouts of anger and depression, love is a major through-line in the series. With such a vague ending from Part 2, playing through Part 3 leaves many possibilities to continue this theme; for example, the possibility of Ellie and Abby putting their hatred aside and working together, or J.J.'s relationship with his parents.
The opinion between fans is split by a marginal gap. Those who enjoyed The Last of Us 2, even calling it one of the best games they've ever played, are hoping for a third game to tie up all of the loose ends. But then there are gamers who detested the game, going so far as to break their game discs and think that the series should end with Part 2. Whatever Naughty Dog decides, if it does decide to make a third installment, it'll have the most flexibility with J.J. as the protagonist.
The Last of Us Part 2 is out now for PS4.