'Last of Us 2' Theories: Is Ellie pregnant? Here's why some fans think she is

Impact

Ever since The Last of Us Part II was finally confirmed, the internet has been aflame with theories about what the future brings for original protagonist Joel and new protagonist Ellie. The upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive is still a ways off, but that won't stop the internet from speculating about the game's story. GamesRadar has a helpful guide to some of the most prominent theories.

Here's a few of the more interesting fan theories for The Last of Us 2 making the rounds online. Definitely take them with a grain of salt, though some of this stuff can be pretty convincing.

Last of Us 2 theories: Is Ellie pregnant?

The only trailer for the game has Ellie playing a guitar and singing. Some have apparently theorized that the guitar is hiding a baby bump, or that Ellie was pregnant before the start of the game. 

GamesRadar goes through some other pieces of evidence — including a mysterious The Last of Us Easter egg from Uncharted 4 — but even without those, this theory makes a bit of sense. Ellie is a bit of a hot commodity due to her immunity to the spores plague, so her offspring would theoretically be as well. The main problem here is that Ellie is gay. As GamesRadar points out, perhaps Ellie either elected to be inseminated by her own volition or against her will as a way to ensure the future of mankind. 

Pregnant women typically aren't the focus of AAA action games, nor are mothers of any stripe. That could be an interesting angle to take — or perhaps a disastrous one, depending on how Naughty Dog would handle it.

Last of Us 2 theories: Is Joel actually dead?

This is the other major theory about Last of Us 2: Joel, who appears in the trailer, is actually dead and Ellie is hallucinating. In the trailer, Joel seems to materialize out of bright light, and his appearance doesn't seem to have aged very much since the end of the first game.

Other than that, there isn't any real evidence for this, nor would it make much sense, in my opinion. The banter between Joel and Ellie was essential to what made The Last of Us a beloved game back in 2013. Every Naughty Dog game since Jak & Daxter has made interplay between two characters during gameplay a key feature. It's one of the hallmarks of the studio's design and what makes its games special due to the high quality of the writing and acting on display.

If Joel is indeed dead and Ellie is hallucinating his presence, it wouldn't necessarily take that element away from the game, but it would lessen its impact. Hopefully that isn't the case.

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