Kaitlyn Dever's Abby is scarier in The Last of Us season 2 than game

Audiences met the live-action version of Abby (played by Kaitlin Dever) during the Season 2 premiere of The Last of Us. In her own right, Dever's performance as Abby is a much more terrifying and cold-hearted adaptation than her videogame counterpart.

In the opening minutes of the episode titled "Future Days," the second season begins with a funeral. Abby is in a state of grief and anger. She revealed her father died during Joel's (Pedro Pascal) violent rampage against members of the Firefly resistance group, which took place during the first season finale.

Abby has only one thing on her mind. When she and the remaining survivors find her father's killer, Abby declares, "When we kill him, we kill him slowly.”

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dever described her character as a "chilly ice queen."

She explained, "The way into Abby is knowing how grief feels and how loss affects you, especially in the immediate aftermath. There’s just this shock and this desire to make it all go away.”

In the game, Abby is defined by her muscles. The musclebound look works for the game. If you're looking for another example, look at how Negan is bulked up within the comic book pages of The Walking Dead. On the AMC show, Jeffrey Dean Morgan looks good in a motorcycle jacket but is not as jacked. In the Max drama, Abby is driven by action and conflict, which serves the character best. Abby will have to survive the apocalypse if she wants to complete her mission of revenge.

This live-action version of Abby has a clear advantage over Joel. Storywise, five years have passed since the brutal events of season one. In the past installments, Joel has had a gentlemanly look with his greyish hair. In "Future Days," the makeup team aged the character and highlighted his white strands. During his therapy session with Gail (Catherine O'Hara), viewers discover Joel has become hardened, reckless, and rash. Gail admitted she hates Joel because he murdered her husband. The sins of the past are weighing him down mentally and physically.

Even though he is prone to violence, Joel has become comfortable in his solitude. During the episode, Joel showed off his teaching skills to Dina (Isabel Merced) and taught her how to fix a radio. He's not moving around and on the run like he was with Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in the first season.

Joel has faded and become slower as a fighter in his old age. Abby has youth on her side. He is going to get caught off guard when Abby eventually finds him. Abby is faster and more agile, like Joel was in his prime, making her a colder and vengeful threat.

"The way into Abby is knowing how grief feels and how loss affects you, especially in the immediate aftermath"

Kaitlin Dever

"When [Abby] walks into a room, she comes through with this intense strength. It’s what makes her scary and intimidating. But it’s all because of how much pain she’s gone through," Dever notes.

This new version of Abby is proving to be much more scary than the Abby in the game and we're honestly terrified to see how Joel's death is going to play out when she finally gets her revenge.

Season 2 of The Last of Us continues on Max.