ENTERTAINMENT'The Last of Us' Kills Off a Major Character — What Happens Now?
A major death in 'The Last of Us' Season 2 sent fans into a frenzy on social media. Will this be the last time the character appears?
April 27 2025, Published 7:33 p.m. ET
The internet is buzzing and fans are heartbroken as HBO's The Last of Us delivered a gut-punch that no one saw coming during the shocking Season 2, Episode 2 on April 20.
Will this character be written off the show? Buckle up, we're breaking it down!
This article contains spoilers from The Last of Us Season 2, episode 2.
Season 2, Episode 2 of 'The Last of Us' has fans reeling after a major character death.
Spoilers Ahead (Don't Say We Didn't Warn You!)
In this season's emotional premiere on April 13, we were introduced to Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever), a character on a vendetta to avenge her late father — an incident that turned the relationship between Abby and Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) into a ticking time bomb.
A brutal confrontation in Jackson, Wyo., signaled the demise of a beloved character.
Fast forward to episode 2, and Abby's revenge mission takes a horrifying turn.The tension reaches a boiling point when, during a routine patrol in Jackson, Wyo., Abby, desperate for vengeance, ambushes Joel.
The episode serves up a chilling sequence where Abby shoots Joel in the knee, and fans' hearts break as she brutally beats him with a golf club and ultimately delivers the fatal blow right before Ellie (Bella Ramsey) arrives to see what happened.
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Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel in the TV series, will still return in the form of flashbacks.
After such a crushing scene, it's no surprise viewers flooded social media, grappling with denial and hoping against hope that Joel might rise against all odds.
But before you spiral too much, the heart-wrenching truth is that, according to the source material from The Last of Us Part II video game and statements from showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Joel's demise is, regrettably, here to stay.
So, what's next for Pascal in this post-Joel world? Pascal isn't disappearing from the series. Both Mazin and Druckmann reassured viewers that Joel will still grace our screens in flashback scenes throughout the season.
"This is where the story starts in earnest," Druckmann revealed during "The Last of Us" podcast. "There are some mysteries, some gaps, in Ellie and Joel's relationships. This is not the last that we will see of Joel."
Meanwhile, Mazin revealed that fans can look forward to a "good amount" of scenes featuring Pascal and Ramsey together this season. "We do get to see them quite a bit together this season," he teased.
Despite Joel's death, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will still have scenes together.
Mazin concluded with a promise that Season 2 will delve deeper into their complex relationship: "In its own way, it's very simple. And this one is way more complicated — and, in its conclusion, just very resonant," Mazin said.
For all the Ramsey and Pascal stans out there, it looks like they'll both be navigating this tangled post-apocalyptic world together, with plenty more emotional fireworks on the horizon!
