Just want to add to the conversation that throughout the game where Ellie kills hundredes of people... Nora is the only one she actually regrets. On top of that, the scene in question is pivotal in the way the player views Ellie. It's the tipping point where we start to realise that not only is Ellie dangerously hellbent on her quest for revenge, she might actually be just as bad as the villains.
It's one of the most important scenes in the game. Unpleasant? Absolutely. Important and necessary? Completely.
Nora is anything but a meaningless role.
You're not wrong, but I feel like people have a blind spot when it comes to this. I certainly did before reading through this thread. For instance, I really like the characters of Henry and Sam, and that emotional connection makes it harder to see the problem. Think about how many times a minority character in either LoU1 or LoU2 is used to either drive the plot forward, or used to drive the character development of a white main character:
often dying to drive the point home. Just because they are well written, or they are important to the plot, doesn't mean that there isn't a problem.
Riley (dies): helps Ellie awaken to her sexuality and becomes the driving force of her survivor's guilt throughout the first game
Henry and Sam (dies): used to mirror the relationship between Joel and Ellie, dying tragically to showcase 'what if this happened to us'
Marlene (dies): arguably without her involvement Joel and Ellie would never have met, and thus the entire plot wouldn't have happened. Has to die at the end to put Joel in a position where he has to make a choice, which is important for character development, plot and overall themes
Jesse (dies): provides child to Dina and Ellie, which becomes part of their relationship development and makes it harder for Ellie to leave to go kill Abby
Yara (dies): pushes Abby to be more protective of Lev, also drives the plot so that Abby has to go rescue them
Isaac (dies): used to put pressure on Abby, also used to highlight her path to redemption
Manny (dies): gets killed unceremoniously by Tommy to develop Abby
Nora (dies): you've already mentioned it in your post, her death is used to develop Ellie (look how much of a monster Ellie has become)
One of the few minority characters that doesn't die is Lev, and even then you could argue their inclusion is to redeem Abby. Although I actually really liked Lev, that being said.
Edit: I just also wanted to say that I really love both games, but there is clearly a pattern you notice throughout both of them.
