Reasons why Kaitlyn Dever is the perfect Abby in The Last of Us Season 2

As the second season of The Last of Us continues to drop new episodes on HBO, Kaitlyn Dever’s performance has drawn quite a bit of attention. Dever portrays the character of Abby in The Last of Us Season 2, and the latest episode, titled “Through the Valley,” delivered a brutal moment that was both highly anticipated and, in part, dreaded by fans of the Naughty Dog game franchise and new viewers alike. Dever’s portrayal of Abby is arguably the best rendition of the character to date. Here’s everything we know.

What makes Kaitlyn Dever the perfect Abby on The Last of Us season 2?

The character of Abby was first introduced in The Last of Us Part II by Naughty Dog, and the HBO series remains faithful to the source material in this regard. While the game depicted Abby as a super-ripped, formidable character driven by a thirst for vengeance, the show does a brilliant job of grounding her motivations and exploring the emotional weight behind her actions.

In one standout scene, Abby slips into a dream-like state, wandering through the facility where Pedro Pascal’s Joel Miller killed her father to save his adopted daughter, Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey). This haunting moment intensifies her resolve for revenge, and she ultimately follows through. Amid a snowstorm and a Cordyceps attack, Abby brutally kills Joel with a golf club as Ellie watches on helplessly.

What makes Dever’s performance so extraordinary is the raw sorrow she channels into the role. The scene was filmed just days after Dever’s mother passed away from cancer. The emotional intensity she brings to Abby in that moment elevates her performance to one of the most powerful of the year.

Kaitlyn Dever speaks about The Last of Us season 2

Dever recently appeared in an exclusive interview with Indiewire, where she shared insights about her character in The Last of Us Season 2:

"I don’t know how these intense roles come into my life so often, I really don’t how that happens, but I think I find it somewhat therapeutic. I wanted to focus on getting to the real root and the core of who she is."

She continued:

"To be very honest, I was dealing with a lot in my personal life right up until my first day of shooting on this job, I had done a lot of thinking on the role and a lot of prep mentally, but… I really didn’t do the same prep that I normally do on other jobs. And I think it was honestly helpful for me."

Speaking about her retinue for preparing for the role, Dever remarked:

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"I threw myself into it in a way that I never have before. I think it was helpful for this woman and this character I’m playing and just the intensity of it and the anger and the rage that she has. I just really felt like I had to really go for it."

The Last of Us season two airs new episodes exclusively on HBO.

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