Ellie's Fixation With Moths in 'The Last of Us' Has Been a Mystery for Years
The moths don't have a single fixed meaning.
Published May 19 2025, 11:23 a.m. ET
Warning: this post contains spoilers for the second season of The Last of Us.
As the second season of The Last of Us winds its way toward its conclusion, its penultimate episode gives us a look back at Ellie and Joel's relationship in the years between Seasons 1 and 2. The episode chronicles how their bond gradually fractured, in part because of Ellie's increasing suspicion that something strange happened in Salt Lake City at the end of Season 1.
Along the way, we also get to see how fixated Ellie becomes with moths over the course of several years. She gets a moth tattoo, has a moth emblazoned on her guitar, and also has drawings of them hanging all over her room. Here's what we know about why Ellie seems to like moths so much.
Ellie's tattoo in 'The Last of Us.'
Why does Ellie like moths in 'The Last of Us'?
Like many symbols in works of fiction, there is no single answer to this question. Joel attempts to riddle one out in the episode after Ellie says that she sees them in her dreams, only to discover that those who study dreams think moths symbolize death.
If that's the case, then it's possible that Ellie is dealing with the lingering trauma of her journey with Joel, and maybe more specifically all the people he killed in Salt Lake.
The moth symbol is transported over from The Last of Us: Part 2, though, and fans have long theorized that it has a more positive meaning. This theory suggests that the moths symbolize a desire to always be looking toward the light.
The second season of The Last of Us has already shown us the way Ellie's fixation on Abby and on getting revenge has led her to do unspeakable things.
The moth, then, is supposed to be a reminder for both Ellie and the audience that even in those dark moments, she should still be looking toward the light. That's also what Ellie does at the end of Episode 6 when she decides to try to forgive Joel for what he did in Salt Lake City, even though she knows how impossible that seems to her.
Ellie's ending may also tie in to the moth symbol.
Warning: the rest of this post contains spoilers for The Last of Us: Part 2.
We don't know how Ellie's story will end yet in the show, but in the game, the moth symbol may also symbolize Ellie's final decision not to kill Abby. After she finds her in California, and the two of them fight, she decides to let her go, finally ending the cycle of vengeance that Joel started in Salt Lake City.
It's in that moment that Ellie looks toward the light, remembering her conversation with Joel and her ultimate attempt to forgive him. It seems like, at the last moment, Ellie decides to do the exact same thing with Abby, even if she'll never forget what she did.