Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II boasted remarkable gameplay, but the story is what makes it so memorable. The characters, dialogue, and plot are what fans talk about time and time again, but there is more that makes a story great. The Last of Us makes use of symbolism that helps to enrich their story and connect the two games in more profound ways. Last of Us Part II does so almost immediately, with the image of a moth on the guitar Joel gives to Ellie. Ellie is often seen drawing the moth in her journal, but what does it even mean?
The moth is a symbol that helps tie this game to the previous one. The Last of Us had its own flying night insect symbol, the firefly. Fireflies were seen flying around during the first game's loading screen, but more importantly, they were the iconography of the Firefly faction in the game. The Fireflies were rebels whose mission was to end oppression in the quarantine zones and continue research on curing the cordyceps infection. It was the Fireflies that brought Joel and Ellie together, tasking Joel to deliver Ellie to their headquarters safely.
The connection between the two bugs goes a little bit further. Fireflies are bugs that create light and are often used in stories to illuminate the way ahead. This is why the Firefly faction used the slogan "look for the light." Look for the light that the Fireflies can offer the same way someone would look for the light at the end of a tunnel. The moth, on the other hand, is a creature drawn to the light. They are seen in the second games title screen swarming around a lamp. Fireflies make the light, and moths are attracted to it.
Moths who do make it to a light source are often burned by it, whether it be singing flames or the shock of a bug zapper. This makes the moth symbolism like Joel, burned in the end by the light they sought. The first game told the story of Joel's search for the Fireflies, traveling across the country for a single goal, only to betray that goal and slaughter the Fireflies who stood between him and his desire to save Ellie. His story ends in the second game when the Fireflies come back to kill him.
Moths are single-minded, driven to reach the light at any means necessary, repeatedly slamming themselves up against the glass thinking they could breakthrough. They try and try, but their efforts are useless. This makes Ellie like the moth in Joel's stead. Ellie confuses vengeance for justice when tracking down Abby. Ellie is too single-minded to see that she's running into a glass wall, and when it breaks, she will be burned.
Symbols are ways for writers to connect their stories to the outer world, yet they often go unnoticed. Something as simple as an insect can have so many deeper meanings. Small details like this show just how much thought was put into this game.