The Last of Us 2 ‘Woke’ Allegations Are Rubbish, but Neil Druckmann Still Can’t Beat His Worst Criticism

As a gamer, you’ve probably heard of Neil Druckmann. Studio Head & Head of Creative at Naughty Dog, Druckmann is one of the most influential and popular figures in the gaming industry, known for his work on the Uncharted and The Last of Us series. But did you know he is also a topic of great controversy?

Druckmann’s approach to character design, specifically for female characters, has been something that fans have criticized over the years. A lot of fans believe that Druckmann’s female characters feel “artificial,” and look like they’re a particular aesthetic rather than looking natural. The Last of Us Part 2‘s Abby has been a big example of this alleged bias.

Abby from The Last of Us 2 is just really unnatural

One of the most commonly criticized aspects of Niel Druckmann’s female characters is that they seem a bit exaggerated. You may have noticed them too but sometimes it’s as if they’re designed specifically to challenge conventional beauty standards. Reddit user u/ultimateformsora described them as feeling “like an artificial over-correction to prove that “not all women look like what you think.’”

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The thing is, it’s not like we mind strong, unconventional-looking women in games, but the point that fans are making is that Druckmann’s characters often feel unnatural. Some of their features like their muscularity seem overtuned at times as if it were purposefully done to make a statement rather than letting their design emerge organically.

Abby, in particular, has been called out for her hyper-muscular build, which some felt was excessive and distracting. If you consider the post-apocalyptic state of The Last of Us‘ world, it sort of doesn’t make sense either because we have people living in the worst conditions possible. So how is Abby so physically large when proper nutrition is a luxury, if at all possible?

This is my opinion and I take responsibility for it. The good thing is that the trailer managed to intrigue, the bad thing is that in my opinion a woman does not need to lose her femininity and become masculine to be strong. Orientals know how to make strong women 💪 without…

— leonardo esteban valenzuela ormero (@Leonard690548) December 13, 2024

Another point that fans have brought up is the seeming lack of variety in Druckmmann’s characters. If you look at the characters that he has designed, such as Abby, Mel, Dina, and now Jordan from Intergalactic, they all share an uncanny sameness and have sort of muted expressions and a distinct lack of traditional femininity.

Looking at what’s coming, Amy Hennig will be sorely missed

This is where the comparison to Amy Hennig comes in. Hennig was the creative director and lead writer for Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series and also worked on projects like Legacy of Kain and Jak and Daxter. A lot of people see Druckmann’s characters as an intentional deviation from conventional beauty standards.

Fans have compared these characters to ones that Hennig wrote and designed for the Uncharted series. The female characters that she designed like Elena Fisher and Chloe Frazer are praised for being well-rounded and memorable without feeling forced. It’s a very common argument that female characters under her leadership were strong without sacrificing relatability or natural charm.

All of this doesn’t even take into account the allegations of “woke” culture within Naughty Dog and with Neil Druckmann himself. The online community is really too quick these days to brand anything unconventional as woke. But even if the allegations of “wokeness” are baseless, it still doesn’t explain that Druckmann’s characters just don’t look normal.

What are your thoughts on these character designs? Let us know in the comments!