I was browsing the Last of Us subreddits today and couldn’t believe how many toxic comments there were, mainly from users who seem to lean towards racism and misogyny. They were complaining about the casting choices in the recent TV adaptation, particularly targeting Bella Ramsey’s appearance and criticizing the diversity of the cast as being too ‘woke.’ Given that the Last of Us series is often seen as progressive, I expected the fanbase to be more welcoming. What’s causing this hostility?
3 Answers
Honestly, I think a lot of it ties back to the divisiveness of TLOU2 itself. Neil Druckmann’s decisions in that game had people really split, and it feels like the louder voices are often the angriest ones. They don’t just criticize the game; they’re projecting a lot of their frustrations onto the adaptations too. It’s not all right-wing or hostile but more of an echo chamber effect. If you don’t fit into their mold, they get aggressive.
You’re right; it’s wild how toxic some subreddit communities can get. The Last of Us 2 subreddit especially took a turn for the worse after its release. People just seem to cling to this idea that their way of seeing things should dominate, and it’s a shame because the narratives in the games are much richer than their petty gripes. Instead of sharing and discussing ideas, it’s like they resort to name-calling and trolling. Just play the games and enjoy them, right?
It seems like some folks just can’t handle change, especially when adapting something they love. A lot of the backlash seems to come from how TLOU2 portrayed characters and tackled themes around identity. People who were never happy with those changes are more vocal now, it’s a pretty common trend in fandoms—some folks get super defensive when their old favorites evolve or when inclusivity is a focus. It brings out extremes, for sure.
