The Last of Us season 2 finale aquarium fight wasn't game-accurate because "a physical struggle wasn't going to go well", says co-creator: "Ellie is not really capable of killing Owen"

The Last of Us season 2 finale depicted some key moments from the game – but one scene was very different.

In the game, Ellie finds Owen and Mel in the aquarium on her hunt for Abby, just as she does in the show. But, a more physical scuffle plays out in the game, while in the show, Ellie fires her gun once when Owen lunges for her, and the bullet kills both Owen and Mel, who is pregnant.

According to co-creator Craig Mazin, there is a reason for that change. "In the game, Ellie fights Owen (Spencer Lord), and then fights Mel, and it's only after Mel dies that her coat opens and Ellie realizes she's pregnant," Mazin told The Hollywood Reporter.

"But for this, Ellie is not really capable of killing Owen – you look at Bella [Ramsey] and you look at Spencer Lord, he's 6'4" and just incredibly imposing," he continued. "A physical struggle wasn't going to go well, and she's not there to kill them. She just wants to kill Abby. I remember saying to Neil [Druckmann, co-creator] that as fucked up as that moment was in the game, I think it can be more fucked up and not to be a tormentor."

This might raise some eyebrows in the same way as Mazin's comment about Abby being more "competent" than Ellie. "Look for the devil, the devil's gonna find you. Abby seemingly is not like Ellie, in that Abby is incredibly competent," he said of the theater confrontation that follows the aquarium scene.

The Last of Us season 3 seems set to focus on Abby's side of the story, so it might be a while before we see Ramsey's Ellie again.

For more on the show, check out our The Last of Us season 2 review, or see our guide to all the most exciting upcoming shows still to come in 2025.