Heart-Stopping Secrets Revealed: Will Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie Survive the Brutal World of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2?
As The Last of Us Season 2 dives into the harrowing events inspired by The Last of Us Part II, fans are on edge, questioning whether beloved stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will face the same gut-wrenching fates as their video game counterparts in a story packed with vengeance, loss, and shocking twists. —Uncover Why This Life-or-Death Mystery Is Gripping Fans Everywhere! 
Discover the fates of Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie in The Last of Us season 2 and how it might impact the show’s storyline.
The Last of Us season 2 is finally here after waiting for over two years. Based on the narrative-driven post-apocalyptic video game, it stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in lead roles.
While it is good to see Joel and Ellie back together on the small screen, fans are worried their ‘duo’ might not last too long, given the events of the second video game in the franchise. One of the most controversial installments in the TLOU saga, it features a harrowing death that could disappoint fans once again if the HBO series is faithful to the source.
Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us | Credits: Naughty Dog
The Last of Us season 2 might kill off a central character
Joel in The Last of Us | Credits: HBO Max
Since its debut, The Last of Us has remained largely faithful to the video game it is based on, which earned it not only critical acclaim but rave reviews from fans as well. Given that the series is one of, if not the best, video game adaptations of all time, it is expected that the second season will likely be the same.
While the early reviews certainly say it is impeccable, the majority of fans are more worried about a character’s death in the season than they are about the quality. Apparently, in the second installment of the game, which is also the franchise’s most controversial, Joel is unexpectedly killed.
As his past catches up to him, Joel is found by Abby, who spends no time torturing and brutally murdering him at the start of the sequel itself. A major turning point in the plot, his death is crucial as it drives Ellie (portrayed by Bella Ramsey in the show) on a quest for revenge, while starting a new conflict.
Not only do fans mourn the loss of the character, but they also have to play as Joel’s killer, Abby, due to the game being narrative-driven. This made Joel’s death an even more wretched experience for fans.
Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal in the HBO series, is a fan-favorite actor and won several awards for his portrayal in season one. Given that the show has always been pretty faithful, fans are worried we might that they will lose Joel once again, and this time, the loss is going to be worse given how much fans adore Pascal.
Will Pedro Pascal’s Joel really die in The Last of Us season 2?
This is one question that fans have been thinking about the day The Last of Us premiered. Joel’s death in the second installment of the video game of the same name wasn’t entirely expected and left fans massively disappointed and hurt, with some even going on to harass the developers of the game.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us | Credit: HBO
As for whether Pedro Pascal’s character will meet the same fate, there is a large possibility that the unfortunate event might end up happening. Back in 2023, while discussing the same during an interview with Esquire, Pascal had stated:
It wouldn’t make sense to follow the first game so faithfully only to stray severely from the path… If that does take place in the show, I don’t know that I’m emotionally ready for it.
However, the showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed to Entertainment Weekly in the same year that season two will be different from Part II of the video games.
It will be different just as this season was different [from the first game]. Sometimes it will be different radically, and sometimes it will be [barely] different at all. But it’s going to be different and it will be its own thing. It won’t be exactly like the game.
While that gives us some hope since killing Joel was one of the most controversial things that The Last of Us video games ever did. Moreover, this time it won’t be just Joel dying but also Pedro Pascal leaving the show, which makes it even worse since fans have come to adore the actor in that role. Not only would this hurt twice as much, but there is also a possibility that a repeat of such a terrible decision might alienate fans.
The Last of Us season 2 episodes will premiere weekly on Sundays, on HBO and Max.
