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The Last of Us 2's Abby Anderson has been critiqued as a character servicing the game's narrative. But whether fans like or dislike Abby's character due to her controversial actions in The Last of Us 2, fans appear to have critiqued Abby's appearance to a similar degree. Please note that this article will have some SPOILERS for The Last of Us 2.
Abby's appearance, particularly her physique, has been a widespread topic of debate, with The Last of Us 2 fans sharing a disinterest in her perceived lack of femininity. Rather, many fans understand that Abby's muscular physique services her character well and depicts her as a woman devoted to her vengeful goal. One fan has recently produced a portrait of Abby that concentrates the conversation on her face instead of her musculature.
LadyPhantom74 has produced a digital art piece of The Last of Us 2's deuteragonist. Abby is portrayed with freckled, shaded skin, a cut along her chin, and her iconic ponytail braid. LadyPhantom shares that the portrait is "a digital drawing on the Sketchclub app." While Naughty Dog's decision to have Abby be muscular is appreciated for representation, it is also an essential characteristic that illustrates Abby's motivations and thus it cannot be ignored from a narrative perspective either.
Abby, by me. from thelastofus
However, Abby's facial features and defining emotional characteristics are equally important to The Last of Us 2's narrative, with LadyPhantom's artwork showcasing that. LadyPhantom74 portrays Abby with a calmer demeanor, and what some fans identify as a subtle smirk. Other fans have responded positively to the portrait, gifting their compliments with regard to how much the image looks like a screenshot due to its accuracy.
Abby's facial model remains the same throughout the game as she transitions through her youthful flashbacks, the present day, and her emaciated self while imprisoned in Santa Barbara. Players are then able to witness these transitions and what they represent for her character in terms of the narrative. Abby's physical transformation is a sizeable difference from before her father was killed and, in The Last of Us 2's present day, she has packed on a significant amount of muscle mass in her commitment to revenge.
Abby's character does not receive a lot of time for respite in The Last of Us 2's narrative, and though she succeeds in her initial plot to kill her father's murderer, the people that are close to Abby soon face the consequence of that action. Abby and Lev abscond to Santa Barbara in search of the Fireflies, where Abby is arguably the calmest and happiest that players see her the whole game when they find working radio comms. LadyPhantom's fan art creates a terrific portrait of the character that ultimately celebrates her in a moment of respite.
The Last of Us 2 is available now on PS4.