Ellie seems to have Lost Her Iconic Arm Tattoo in The Last of Us Season 2 Poster

Many fans are excited about The Last of Us's return this April, and Max has been slowly releasing the marketing featuring Ellie, Joel, and the new character Abby.

Just in, some new posters of the three have been dropped, and some fans noticed that something is notably missing from Ellie.

Where’s Ellie’s Tattoo?

As @AbbyStanAccount has pointed out on Twitter, Ellie’s tattoo seems to be missing in the new posters that have just been dropped for the second season of The Last of Us.

For context, Ellie’s tattoo has a plot purpose in that she gets it to hide the fact that she has bite from an infected on her right arm. Though the wound had healed since it got bitten, it’s still clearly visible, and Ellie always has to explain to others that she’s immune—if they would believe her.

It was probably best to have her cover it up so that nobody would notice. If someone looked closely, she could pass it off as a nasty burn.

Returning to the poster, has Ellie’s tattoo been removed from the series?

If set photos are to be believed, Ellie still has her tattoo, but it’s noticeably smaller than the one she has on the game.

Ellie still has her tattoo, but this time around, it’s smaller and doesn’t wrap around her whole forearm, which is why it can’t be seen in the poster. That said, the tattoo still serves its main function—to hide Ellie's bite wound.

When Does the Show Take Liberties from the Game?

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Credit: Naughty Dog, HBO | fair use for promotional purposes

Though the series has been lauded for staying faithful to the game's overall themes, certain changes have been made to enhance the narrative from a TV perspective.

Besides fewer encounters with infected in the series, some characters have been altered and added to increase the show's drama. For one, Henry’s younger brother Sam was made deaf in the series to push further the dynamic that Sam depends on Henry to survive in the apocalypse. Melanie Lynskey’s character is also a unique addition to the story, adding urgency to Sam and Henry’s escape.

Bill’s story was the biggest departure from the source material, which caught many fans off guard. Though Bill was a bitter old wreck in the game, The Last of Us series decided to rewrite his and Frank’s story into a self-contained love story set in the apocalypse. Though Bill’s story may have ended, Ellie and Joel managed to get what they needed from him narratively.

What Can Change in Season 2?

It’s unclear what could be different for the second season of The Last of Us, but some fans think that there could be some shifts in the storytelling order. If anything, the show will flesh out more of WLF leader Isaac’s story. Maybe they can tell more about Abby’s circle with characters like Owen and Mel.

Fans will just have to wait and see. The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on Max this April.