Two years after season 1 of The Last of Us was Certified Fresh at 96% on the Tomatometer — securing its spot as the gold standard for video game adaptations in the process — the Emmy-winning Max series is inviting brave fans back for another round of gut-wrenching, nerve-fraying fun.
Picking up five years after fungal-apocalypse survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal) made the difficult decision to potentially sacrifice all humanity in favor of saving his surrogate daughter Ellie (Bella Ramsey), the show’s second season kicks off the narrative first introduced in the 2020 PlayStation 4 follow-up, The Last of Us Part II.
While the next batch of episodes is indeed based on the game sequel, season 2 is also expected to not only, er, flesh out its source material, but build on it with fresh stories, characters, and surprises. Of course, you’d have a better chance besting a rampaging Bloater than securing all those juicy details.
That said, a ton of intel — from casting news and episode counts to release timing and hints on how many seasons remain — have been revealed. So whether you’re an eager, existing fan wondering how that spoilerific twist will impact the season, or a newcomer just looking to get up to speed, read on for everything we know about The Last of Us: Season 2.
[WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T PLAYED THE GAMES]
What Is The Last of Us: Season 2 About?
Like the game sequel, The Last of Us‘ second season picks up with Joel and Ellie in a very different place, literally and figuratively. It’s roughly four years after the former saved — and deceived — the latter, and they’re now living in a relatively safe settlement in Jackson, Wyoming.
If season 2 faithfully adapts the game’s main storylines — and its trailers suggest it will — viewers should brace themselves for a few incredibly shocking plot twists. First up, Ellie enters the story knowing the truth about the circumstances surrounding her rescue in the season 1 finale.
Discovering Joel lied to her — even after she earnestly asked him for the truth at the end of season 1 — puts a huge strain on their relationship. How exactly season 2 decides to drop this bombshell is unknown, but regardless of how it’s delivered, it’ll be a major reveal that significantly informs and shapes the entire season.
What impacts the narrative — and the pair’s already complex bond — even more, however, is the fact Joel is brutally murdered early on. This absolute gut punch of a plot twist sets the stage for Ellie’s revenge-fueled character arc, as well as the introduction of Abby, the military-trained girl responsible for Joel’s death. She kills Joel because he previously murdered her father, one of the doctors who was to perform Ellie’s lethal but potentially Cordyceps virus-curing procedure.
But Abby is no one-note baddie. In the game, she is a playable character — essentially a second protagonist — offering an alternative perspective. She has her own nuanced narrative arc, complete with her own friends, foes, and motivations that we’re meant to sympathize with.
It’s unclear how exactly the series will handle all this heavy emotional baggage, but if it sticks to the game’s storyline, several meaty flashbacks will be involved in Ellie calling out Joel’s lie, the latter’s stomach-turning murder, and Abby’s dedicated storyline. The likely use of flashbacks, as well as other narrative tricks, all but guarantees Joel with continue to be a big part of the season, even if he meets his untimely demise as early as episode 1.
But There Is So Much More to the Story
While these complicated main plot points pack enough emotionally charged storytelling to fill an entire season, they only scratch the surface of what’s in store. Between the trailers, casting announcements, and knowledge of the source material, we know season 2 will also focus on Ellie’s blossoming romance with fellow Jackson settlement resident Dina, as well as her friendship with patrol leader Jesse. These two new characters bring their own secrets, surprises, and spoilery twists that, while unconfirmed for the show, we can’t imagine not being a big part of season 2.
Two new factions introduced in The Last of Us Part II will also play a significant role in both Ellie and Abby’s arcs. First up is the Seattle-based Washington Liberation Front (WLF), a militant group made up of former Fireflies, including Abby. The show’s casting (which we dig into more below) confirms several of Abby’s WLF friends from the game will appear in season 2. It’s also a pretty good bet most of these allies will, at some point, be brutally killed by Ellie, just as they are in the source material.
The new season also welcomes the Seraphites, a deeply devout, cult-like group that’s at war with the WLF. The organization is part of a significant side storyline in the game, as one of its members — a transgender teen named Lev — is forced to flee the group with Abby’s help.
Lev’s older sister Yara and their Seraphite-loyal mother also play a big role. Given that season 1 dug pretty deep into side characters, like siblings Henry and Sam, and even evolved minor game plots — like Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank’s (Murray Bartlett) emotional tale — into entire episodes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see season 2 further explore these factions and their primary players, though we haven’t gotten any confirmation yet that Lev or Yara have been cast.
Of course, not all of the season’s side stories, flashbacks, and narrative asides will be downers. The Last of Us Part II included a number of heartwarming moments between Joel and Ellie, and it seems these too will migrate to the series. In fact, specific moments from the trailers — including Joel teaching Ellie to play guitar, and the pair visiting a space museum — appear to be ripped right from the game.
New Friends and Foes Join Season 2
While the season 2 trailers strongly hint at the inclusion of specific storylines and characters, its casting announcements have gone even further to confirm them. We know Kaitlyn Dever will assume the role of Abby, serving as a new, main antagonist for Ellie. As mentioned above, the role of Abby is a significant one in the game sequel, so we expect to see plenty of her in season 2. But a closer look at the casting sheet also reveals that a number of her allies, including Mel (Ariela Barer), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Manny (Danny Ramirez), and Owen (Spencer Lord), will make the leap from the source material to the series.
A more significant character among Abby’s camp, Issac Dixon, will be played by Jeffrey Wright. Interestingly, Dixon — the WLF’s ruthless leader and no friend of the Seraphites — was also played by Wright in The Last of Us Part II. Given the high-profile casting, we expect this character to get further fleshed out in the show.
Ellie’s also got some new friends in her corner, including her aforementioned love interest Dina and close friend Jesse. The former, who has a meaty role in the game, is played by Isabela Merced, while the latter is tackled by Young Mazino. While season 2 is stacked with fresh faces, some familiar folks will be returning to fight another day as well. Most notably, Joel’s brother Tommy and his wife Maria will again be played by Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley, respectively.
As with last season, the new episodes will also change things up to significantly deepen characters that were barely referenced in the game, as well as introduce entirely new ones. Joe Pantoliano’s Eugene fits firmly in the former category. A minor, cannabis-growing character that’s briefly mentioned in The Last of Us Part II, Eugene is expected to be further explored, possibly in the way Bill and Frank were in season 1.
In terms of totally original characters, the torch will be passed from last season’s Melanie Lynskey — whose baddie Kathleen was unceremoniously devoured by a fungally-infected child — to Catherine O’Hara‘s Gail. Unlike Lynskey’s love-to-hate turn, however, it appears O’Hara’s character won’t be so dark. On the contrary, based on the brief clip that’s been released, it appears the comedic actress will play a therapist-like character who is possibly trying to help Joel.
When Does The Last of Us: Season 2 Premiere, and How Many Episodes Will It Include?
The Last of Us Part II is a much longer game than its predecessor, but don’t expect that length to be reflected in the series’ second season. Where the debut season — which adapted the original 2013 game — consisted of nine episodes, the second season’s story will be spread across seven. As such, expect the series to run for at least three, possibly four seasons — a projection that’s been confirmed by its co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin.
Based on the footage so far released of the upcoming season, it seems as though the seven episodes will take fans up to about The Last of Us Part II‘s midpoint. Viewers can also expect another slow-burn season, as the seven episodes won’t drop all at once, but rather be released weekly beginning with the premiere, which airs on HBO and Max on April 13.
The Last of Us: Season 2
(2025)
premieres April 13, 2025 on HBO and Max.
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