Warning: Spoilers for The Last of Us 2 ahead.One of the most mournful moments in The Last of Us Part 2 is now even sadder thanks to a player’s discovery that was hidden in plain sight. This small detail can be found next to an important character’s gravestone and somehow makes The Last of Us 2 more depressing and even more brilliant
The Last of Us Part 2 is a game that is relentless when it comes to emotional devastation, both for the characters in the game and the players playing it. This emotional devastation is how the Last of Us sequel swept The Game Awards and left many fans with a hole in their heart. The most heartbreaking moment in the game is undoubtedly the death of Joel - an emotionally scarring moment for any TLoU fan when Ellie is forced to witness a stranger bash her father figure’s head in with a golf club. Even though Ellie survived this encounter, a major part of her died that night. A few scenes later, Ellie is seen at Joel’s gravestone, morning both Joel and the part of her that died.
The scene with Ellie at Joel’s grave shows how profound Joel’s death was in The Last of Us and how it affected her. Ellie’s depression may be self-evident, but the meaning behind the flowers she leaves at Joel’s grave is not. Reddit user Hrvycc was the first player to publicly notice the blue hydrangeas by his gravestone and looked up the meaning behind the Japanese flower. This player found that blue hydrangeas symbolize regret, apology, and forgiveness. Three emotions that perfectly symbolize the relationship between Joel and Ellie.
Not only does the scene at Joel’s grave rank as one of the most depressing moments in The Last of Us, but this tiny detail about the flowers adds even more depth to Ellie’s descent into darkness that occurs throughout the game. More so when it comes to the idea of regret, and why Ellie might feel this way toward Joel. There are three possible reasons why Ellie might feel regretful about Joel’s death. She may feel survivor’s guilt over the fact that the most important person in her life was killed and she lived. She may regret getting mad at Joel the day before his death. Or, she may regret not getting to Joel in time before that fateful golf club swing.
The Last of Us series has a history of displaying thought-provoking detail, like the symbolism of the moth tattoo or the small tragic detail when Ellie fights Abby in Last of Us 2. Fans of the series have come to expect hidden meanings and discovers throughout each playthrough, but that doesn’t make this detail about Joel’s grave any less significant.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available now for PS4 and PS5.