'The Last Of Us 2' theory: Joel's death supported by convincing clues found in reveal trailer

Naughty Dog finally confirmed that it is working on a sequel to “The Last Of Us,” which was originally released in 2013, during the PlayStation Experience event earlier this month. Since the reveal trailer for “The Last Of Us 2” was aired, fans of the franchise have bwwn busy trying to look for clues and concocting different theories about what the story line could be.

READ: 'The Last Of Us 2': Creative director Neil Druckmann on the highly anticipated sequel

Among then, is a theory that speculates Joel is dead and that Ellie is seeking revenge for his murder. The trailer does not hide how strongly Ellie feels about a mysterious group, as she says she has not and will not give up looking for its members and killing them off. “I’m gonna find and I’m gonna kill every last one of them,” she says.

Watch the reveal trailer of “The Last Of Us Part II”

In the trailer, Ellie is evidently bruised, tired and generally worn down. Her hands are shaking and her voice is husky. Many have assumed that she took down one encampment of the group she is trying to bring down, which many believe are the Fireflies. In the middle of her song, Joel walks up seemingly from thin air, and while viewers are not given a good view of him, it appears he is well and without a scratch on him. Furthermore, the years have evidently gotten to Ellie, while Joel seems to have stood the test of time.

Both these things support the theory that Joel is dead and that he is simply a figment of Ellie’s imagination, which perhaps helps her cope with the loss. However, the team behind “The last Of Us 2” have said nothing that can fully confirm nor deny this claim.

READ: 'The Last Of Us 2' spoilers: Neil Druckmann reveals theme behind title, Ellie to fight against her past

The only things that are for certain at this point are the details that creative director Neil Druckmann provided during the panel after the trailer’s debut. He confirmed that Ellie will be the leading protagonist for “The Last Of Us Part II” and that the theme will center around hate.