Abigail Anderson

Abby's full name is Abigail Anderson, whose name, derived from Hebrew, means "joy of the father," a detail that underscores her deep attachment to him. Her story is marked by trauma and a quest for revenge.

• ​Origin: Abby was the daughter of a Firefly surgeon. This surgeon was the one who was going to operate on Ellie to try to find a cure for the infection, a procedure that would have cost her her life.

• ​Turning Point: The pivotal event in her life is the death of her father at the hands of Joel Miller (the protagonist of the first game), who eliminated him to rescue Ellie from the operation. This tragedy left her with deep trauma and a relentless thirst for revenge.

• ​Affiliation: Following the disbandment of the Fireflies, Abby joins the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), a militarized faction of survivors in Seattle, where she becomes a soldier with an imposing presence.

• ​Revenge: Following clues for years, Abby finally tracks down and brutally murders Joel in front of a helpless Ellie. This action makes her Ellie's initial antagonist and sets off the chain of violence and the cycle of revenge in the story.

• New Alliance: Later, his loyalties within the WLF become unstable when he befriends Lev and Yara, two former members of the Seraphites (a religious cult the WLF is at war with), whom he chooses to protect. This turn represents the beginning of his redemption arc, where he finds a new purpose in protecting a child, similar to Joel's character arc in the first game.

• Endgame: After months of torture, Abby is rescued by Ellie. Though Ellie forces her to fight, she ultimately spares a weakened Abby's life, suggesting the end of the cycle of violence for both of them. Abby sails with Lev to the Firefly base on Catalina Island, seeking a new beginning with her father's faction.

Abby's appearance is integral to her character and symbolizes her strength, discipline, and determination in the apocalypse.

• Muscular Build: She is known for her robust and muscular physique, an appearance that defies traditional female stereotypes in video games. Her body was modeled after athlete Colleen Fotsch and reflects her years of military training and discipline in the WLF. This musculature is not only symbolic of her willpower, but also practical, allowing her to execute hand-to-hand combat moves like Krav Maga or snap necks with ease.

• ​Face: Her face is based on visual effects artist Jocelyn Mettler. The face in the image shows freckles and superficial scars or cuts, evidence of the harsh conditions of life and combat in the post-apocalyptic world.

• Presence: She is described as having an imposing and dominant presence, which highlights her character as a capable and utilitarian warrior.

• End-game appearance: Towards the end of the story, after being tortured for weeks, her appearance changes drastically. She is emaciated, weak, and almost unrecognizable, becoming much thinner, reflecting her suffering and hunger.

Abby is a complex character, with a personality marked by her trauma, her capacity for great loyalty, and her subsequent search for redemption.

• Driven by Revenge: Initially, her life is consumed by her goal of avenging her father's death, displaying complete and indomitable determination and ruthlessness to achieve her goal.

• Fierce Loyalty: One of her most notable traits is her unwavering loyalty to her close circle of friends (WLF) and, later, to Lev and Yara. She's willing to do anything for them, even risking her life or going against their faction.

• Mental Strength: She possesses great mental strength and willpower to keep going and toughen up in a hostile world, which is also reflected in her physique. She is a relentless "badass" who pursues her goals.

• Humanity and Empathy: Despite her acts of violence, she hasn't completely lost her humanity. Her character arc shows her developing deep empathy for the Seraphites, Lev, and Yara, proving to be sympathetic and able to see beyond the "toxic tribalism" of the faction conflict.

• Fear (Acrophobia): A very human trait of his personality is that he suffers from a severe case of acrophobia (fear of heights, which translates to vertigo). This fear is evident in the game, showing a vulnerable side of the character.

• Evolution: By the end of the story, he seems to understand that the cycle of violence doesn't solve anything; it only makes things worse and creates more suffering, eventually forgiving Ellie (or at least not completing the act of revenge). This suggests he has regained his resolve to make the world a better place, finding a new purpose in Lev.

Combat Skills

Abby's abilities reflect her military training and physical conditioning, orienting her towards a more direct, "gunslinging" style of play, in contrast to Ellie's stealth.

• Hand-to-Hand Combat (Krav Maga): He is exceptionally skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Rather than just stealth chokeholds, he can take down and submit opponents with brute force using techniques similar to Krav Maga or BJJ/Boxing, which is consistent with his muscular build.

• Weapons Handling: As a WLF soldier, he has efficient handling of firearms.

• Survival: She is an indomitable survivor in the apocalypse, capable of tracking, fighting infected and living in extreme conditions.

The information about his hobbies is not as extensive as his skills or history, but some important details can be inferred:

• Gusto (Fatherly Love): He has a genuine love for his father, this being the main motivation for his initial path.

• Taste (Animals and Children): He is great with dogs and has a protective affinity for children (like Lev), which highlights his more tender and empathetic side.

• Disgust (Acrophobia/Vertigo): The most notable is his acrophobia, or fear of heights. A childhood memory indicates that he hated going fishing with his father in a small boat because it made him nauseous. This implies an aversion to sea sickness/nausea.

Implicit Hobby (Training): Given his imposing musculature, exercise, strength training (compound exercises) and discipline are more than a hobby, they are an integral and constant part of his life to maintain his physique.

His relationships are fundamental to his development, showing his intense loyalty and capacity for redemption.

• Father (Firefly Surgeon): The most important figure in her life. Her deep love for him is the direct cause of her quest for revenge.

• WLF Friends (Owen, Manny, Mel, etc.): Initially, he displays extreme loyalty to his circle of WLF friends. For example, his concern for Owen and his plan to make sure he was safe demonstrates this loyalty.

• Enemies (Ellie and Joel): Initially, her relationship with Joel is marked by hatred and a need for revenge. With Ellie, the relationship is a cycle of mutual violence, where both see each other as mortal enemies. However, in the end, Ellie spares Abby's life, breaking the cycle.

• Lev and Yara: Her relationship with Lev is the force that gives her a new purpose, similar to the dynamic between Joel and Ellie. She becomes his protector and support figure, helping him redeem the guilt and trauma he feels after his revenge. Lev is the most significant factor in his character's evolution.

• WLF: She's a soldier in the Washington Liberation Front, which puts her on the opposite side of the Seraphites. However, her decision to protect Lev and Yara shows that she can transcend the tribal conflicts of the faction war.