‘The Last of Us’ Video Games Both End in Savage, Morally Ambiguous Ways

The Last of Us was one of the PlayStation 4's most talked-about titles when it was released by Naughty Dog Entertainment. Following the brutal aftermath of a post-apocalyptic zombie world, players follow Joel and Ellie as they navigate survival in a dangerous landscape ravaged by a deadly virus.

The success of the title ended up spawning an HBO series that has become the flag-bearer for bleak television. If you've never played the game and are wondering how it ended, here's a summary of the direction of its narrative.

Even if you've never played the title all the way through, you may have come across a few memes or online discussions alluding to its conclusion and the subsequent controversy it created.

WARNING: If you plan on playing The Last of Us or don't want to have an idea as to what kind of direction the series will take, do not scroll any further.

The Last of Us ending spoilers.

Throughout the course of the game, Joel and Ellie toil together to survive, with the two developing a bond with one another along the way.

The pair makes it out of several harrowing situations alive while journeying to Salt Lake City at the Firefly Lab. It's at this research center where scientists are working together to develop a virus for the zombie disease attacking humanity.

Joel, who was hired to bring Ellie in, brings her into the lab for treatment, but is told by Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, that a portion of the teen's brain must be cut out in order to develop a cure, since she has an immunity to the virus.

This, Marlene explains, will ultimately kill Ellie, which Joel cannot abide.

Players aren't allowed to make a decision at this point in the game; there is only one course of action, and it's that Joel will not allow Ellie to undergo the operation.

Instead, he kills all of the doctors in the laboratory, even those who are begging for their lives in the process.

It appears that the developers make it a point to highlight the brutality of Joel's actions. During the slew of executions, he also kills Marlene and carries Ellie away from the facility.

When she comes to, Ellie asks Joel what happened, and he lies to her.

He informs Ellie that an individual immunity to the zombie disease couldn't be synthesized and transferred to others. Together, they had back to their refuge, with Ellie left in the dark as to Joel's actions while she was unconscious.

SPOILERS BELOW.

The sequel to Naughty Dog's popular title offered up an even more divisive narrative, one that had players control the game's villain, Abby.

As it turns out, she's the daughter of one of the doctors that Joel murdered in the Firefly lab.

Abby goes on a quest for revenge to avenge her father's murder by killing Joel. Players then control Ellie who confronts Abby in a final showdown. While Ellie has the change to murder Abby, she instead, elects not to.

That's because she wants to end the cycle of violence and revenge. Instead, she elects to let Abby live after their climactic final confrontation.

As Ellie drowns Abby at the end of the game, she recalls an image of Joel playing guitar, and chooses to mourn his death without vengeance and further death.