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The Last of Us season 2 returns to HBO with an expanded roster of actors to bring to life the story inspired by one of the most popular video games. This new season will be based on the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are returning to their roles as Joel and Ellie.
But as the show expands its storyline with a 5-year time jump from the events in the season 1 finale, more prominent characters will be introduced. Along with new characters are additions to the cast like Kaitlyn Dever and Isabela Merced, whose characters will play a key role in Joele and Ellie's new life in Jackson, Wyoming.
The Last of Us season 2 premiered on HBO on April 13, 2025, with new episodes dropping every Sunday evening until the season finale on May 25, 2025. There are a total of seven episodes this season, which will also be streaming on Max, where the entire season 1 is currently available.
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Main cast and characters in The Last of Us season 2
1) Pedro Pascal as Joel
Chilean American actor Pedro Pascal reprises his role as Joel in The Last of Us season 2. His character will start the new season in Jackson, a safer place than where he was in The Last of Us season 1, but he carries the weight of the lies he told Ellie at the end of the first season. In hopes of making sense of his new life and relationships, Joel will see a therapist in Jackson.
Pascal played the title role in The Mandalorian and starred as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. He also plays prominent roles in a handful of projects in TV and film, including Narcos, Wonder Woman 1984, and Gladiator II.
2) Bella Ramsay as Ellie
Bella Ramsay returns to play Ellie, but while she was a pre-teen in the first season, she will be 19 years old in The Last of Us season 2. Ellie now lives a normal teenage life in Jackson, Wyoming, and forging new relationships in her new community will be one of her challenges.
Her breakout role was playing Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones. She also starred in the coming-of-age movie directed by Lena Dunham, Catherine Called Birdy, and a handful of TV shows like Time and His Dark Materials.
3) Kaitlyn Dever as Abby
Golden Globe nominee Kaitlyn Dever joins the cast of The Last of Us season 2 as Abby. She's going to be a key antagonist in the new season's storyline. HBO describes her character, per Entertainment Weekly, as "a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved."
Dever was reportedly slated to play Ellie in a movie adaptation of The Last of Us. But when it didn't materialize, the show's co-creator, Neil Druckmann, reportedly approached her to play Abby. Dever was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Hulu's Dopesick. She was also in Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar, Booksmart, and FX's Justified.
4) Isabela Merced as Dina
Another new character introduced in The Last of Us season 2 is Dina, played by Isabela Merced. She's a teenage resident of Jackson and the object of Ellie's affection. However, as the ex of Ellie's close friend, Jesse, Dina complicates things for her.
Merced made a name for herself when she starred in 100 Things to Do Before High School on Nickelodeon and in movies like Instant Family, Alien: Romulus, and Transformers: The Last Knight.
5) Gabriel Luna as Tommy
Another returning cast member in The Last of Us season 2 is Secret Level's Gabriel Luna, who plays Joel's brother, Tommy. He formerly joined the Fireflies but has since left that life to run a commune with his wife. Since settling in Jackson, he and his wife start season 2 with a new addition to their family, a young son.
Luna famously joined ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, where he played Robbie Reyes, aka Ghost Rider. His other notable works include FUBAR, True Detective, Prison Break, and Terminator: Dark Fate.
Other new cast members joining The Last of Us season 2
Besides Kaitlyn Dever and Isabela Merced, some new faces will be joining The Last of Us for season 2. Most of these new characters live in Jackson and will be part of a five-year time jump storyline. Some of these characters are directly from the video game, like Eugene, who will be getting an expanded role in The Last of Us season 2.
- Young Mazino as Jesse, a friend of Ellie and a fellow Jackson resident
- Catherine O'Hara as Gail, Jackson's resident psychotherapist, and Joel's therapist
- Jeffrey Wright as Isaac Dixon, the leader of the Wolves; Wright voiced Isaac in the video game
- Noah Lamanna as Kat, Ellie's former girlfriend and another Jackson resident
- Danny Ramirez as Manny, one of Isaac's soldiers who works with Abby on her missions
- Joe Pantoliano as Eugene, Gail's husband, whom Joel killed
- Tati Gabrielle as Nora, a military medic
- Spencer Lord as Owen, a close friend of Abby
- Ariela Barer as Mel, a young doctor and Owen's girlfriend
Besides these core characters, several other cast members will portray Jackson residents and the members of rival factions.
Who else is returning from season 1?
Another cast member returning to The Last of Us season 2 from the first season is Rutina Wesley as Maria, an assistant district attorney before becoming the leader of the Jackson commune. She runs it with her husband, Tommy. She's devoted to keeping Jackson safe and peaceful, so Joel's arrival increases her worries.
Wesley famously played Tara Thornton in HBO's vampire drama True Blood before appearing in Arrow, The Walking Dead, and Hannibal. She also starred as the activist and journalist Nova Bordelon in Queen Sugar.
The Last of Us season 2 is now streaming on Max.
