The Last of Us Part II’s launch trailer is a simple ode to the murderous rage that consumes Ellie’s soul

Serenity Now, Serenity Now

“Show, don’t tell” is one of the most well-tread pieces of writing advice, the idea that characters are better defined by their actions than by some internal monologue. Naughty Dog has so often shown us the unquenchable bloodthirst that lives inside Ellie, it’s afforded the opportunity to simply tell us every now and then.

That’s mostly the case in The Last of Us Part II‘s launch trailer. Across 20-some seconds, Ellie says “I’m gonna find and I’m gonna kill every last one of them.” We believe her because she has proven time and time again that she is not bluffing. It’s so intimidating yet so network TV-friendly.

Also, we’ve seen that The Last of Us takes place in a timeline where the Vita is alive and well. Apparently this also is a universe where Ellie is a committed Arthur viewer. Now we know where Ellie learned her violent outbursts.