Nora's "You're Her" Line Confirms Something I've Always Wondered About Ellie Since Season 1's Ending

Nora's "you're her" line in The Last of Us season 2, episode 5 confirms something I've always wondered about Ellie since season 1 ended. At the end of The Last of Us season 1, Joel saves Ellie from the Fireflies, who were planning to use her immunity to try and cure Cordyceps, something that would kill her in the process. Joel killed everyone, including the surgeon, to get her out. The surgeon's daughter, Abby, arrived in The Last of Us season 2 to exact revenge, killing Joel. After his death, Ellie sets out on a revenge quest of her own.

At the end of The Last of Us season 2, episode 5, she ends up finding Nora, one of Abby's friends who was present when she killed Joel. When Nora gets cornered in the hospital basement, which is filled with Cordyceps spores, Ellie reveals she's immune to the virus. The dying girl responds by saying, "you're her," shocked that she's come face-to-face with the immune girl Abby's father was going to operate on. But her line also confirms something about Ellie I've been wondering since season 1 wrapped up.

Nora's "You're Her" Line Further Proves That Most Fireflies Didn't Believe Ellie Was Real

Not All The Fireflies Knew If She Really Existed

Given how surprised Nora was to learn Ellie is immune, it furthers the idea that her existence was likely only a rumor for most of the Fireflies. While there were some, like Marlene, who knew the truth about her immunity, other characters in The Last of Us didn't have full knowledge about her ability. This seemingly includes Abby's group, who never once mentioned the possibility that Joel was with the immune girl. It's possible she's been mythologized at this point, given the lack of proof of her existence.

This is mostly because of what happened in Salt Lake City, with Joel wiping out most of the Fireflies to save Ellie. By killing everyone at the hospital, he left no one alive who could confirm if the immune girl was actually real. This makes it clear to me why Nora is in disbelief when she learns the truth about Ellie, as she didn't even know if she existed in the first place. It also makes Joel's actions more brutal, erasing part of the Fireflies' history in the process.

Did Abby Know Who Ellie Was When She Killed Joel In The Last Of Us?

Or Did She Think Ellie Was A Random Girl Who Cared About Him?

It's unclear how much Abby knew about her father's work at the hospital, although it seems she has some idea it had to do with the immune girl. Given her five-year hunt for Joel, it seems she and her father were close, signaling she may have known about Ellie's existence. However, I don't think she knew that Ellie was the girl who begged for Joel's life, even if she could have assumed so depending on how much she knew about his actions. Had Abby known, perhaps she wouldn't have left her beside Joel's corpse.

Nora's reaction also gives away that Abby didn't know who Ellie was, as Nora didn't even seem aware she was real until she saw the spores didn't impact her. It lays the groundwork for the reveal possibly happening in The Last of Us season 3, which is poised to continue adapting The Last of Us Part II. While I don't think this information will change the inevitable violence of their confrontation, I do hope it adds a new layer of complexity to their conflict.

Based on Abby's lack of acknowledgment and Nora's reaction, it seems Ellie's immunity has fallen into myth among the former Fireflies. I wouldn't be surprised if it stayed this way, too, since Ellie is probably going to kill Nora, the only person in the group that knows the truth. It's still possible Abby finds out when the pair clash later on, but it also might not be important to the story going forward. For now, it seems most former Fireflies in The Last of Us will continue to think of her existence as a rumor.