HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation crossed a threshold this season that many fans of the video game have been awaiting – and dreading.
In the mid-April airing of Season 2 Episode 2 (“Through The Valley”), Joel (Pedro Pascal) inadvertently saves a girl who is secretly determined to assassinate him after he killed her father in the Season 1 finale. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) has no choice but to witness the entire incident, pushing the 19-year-old onto her own path of revenge throughout the season.
Complicating matters further, the relationship between Joel and Ellie had soured by the time of his death. Yet, Ellie is resolute in her promise to avenge him, regardless of the cost.
While many viewers anticipated Joel’s death at some point during Season 2, its occurrence earlier than expected caught some by surprise. Even Sean T. Collins from Decider highlighted this in his recap of the episode, stating, “That’s the biggest issue with The Last of Us deciding to kill Joel: the charisma void. With Pedro Pascal’s exit, there’s a noticeable absence where his star power once was… The show’s gravitational center seems to dissolve without him. It just isn’t the same.”
Of course, there is still plenty to explore with the characters Joel leaves behind in his wake. So, what else will happen in Season 2? And how many episodes are left in The Last Of Us Season 2? Here’s everything we know so far about what to expect on the hit HBO series.
How many episodes are left in The Last Of Us Season 2?
Season 2 comprises seven episodes. The Last Of Us Season 2 launched on Sunday, April 13, 2025, and the Season 2 finale will air on HBO on Sunday, May 25.
What time does The Last of Us air?
New episodes of The Last of Us air on Sunday evenings on HBO at 9/8c. They also release on Max at the same time.
Who is in the cast of The Last of Us Season 2?
The Last of Us Season 2 introduces many new faces, but its beloved lead stars deliver grounding performances as Joel and Ellie, who are desperate to survive this zombie apocalypse.
Gabriel Luna also returns as Joel’s brother, Tommy, and Rutina Wesley returns as Maria.
Season 2’s new cast includes Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Tati Gabrielle, Danny Ramirez, Jeffrey Wright, and Catherine O’Hara.
Will there be a Last of Us Season 3?
The Last of Us was already renewed for a third season ahead of the Season 2 premiere, which means HBO has a lot of hope for what’s to come from co-creators and executive producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.
And there’s apparently a lot more to come. The EPs have clarified that they do not plan on continuing past the storyline of the second game, as Game of Thrones famously did. But Mazin previously told Deadline the story may take more than just two more seasons to tell.
“We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons [2 and 3] because we’re taking our time and go down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in Season 1 too,” he said. ”We feel like it’s almost assuredly going to be the case that — as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television — Season 3 will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require Season 4.”
