The Last of Us Season 2 Cast: Who’s Returning, Who’s New

The Last of Us Season 2 casting rumors have been swirling, but we have the facts. We break down who’s confirmed to return, who’s new, and what’s still uncertain — all with sourced information.

Returning main cast from Season 1: 3 (Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna) ·
New cast members confirmed for Season 2: 3 (Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Kaitlyn Dever) ·
Based on video game: The Last of Us Part II ·
Season 2 premiere date announced: April 13, 2025 (per Rotten Tomatoes)

Five key facts about the production, one pattern: the creative team is pulling directly from the 2020 game while keeping the core cast intact.

The implication: HBO is sticking close to the source material, but the episode count and exact premiere date still have wiggle room — a sign the network is keeping options open for post-production timing.

Why did Pedro Pascal leave The Last of Us?

Is Pedro Pascal confirmed for Season 2?

• Pedro Pascal is confirmed to return as Joel Miller in Season 2, according to Wikipedia and HBO announcements.
• No official statement from HBO or Pascal indicates he is leaving the series.

What happened to Joel in the game?

• Joel dies early in The Last of Us Part II game, at the hands of Abby (The Last of Us Fandom wiki).
• HBO has not confirmed the exact episode of Joel’s death, but Pascal’s presence in Season 2 is expected to cover that storyline.

The catch: Rumors of Pascal leaving the show stem from confusion between the actor’s real-life schedule and the character’s in-game death. The series hasn’t recast Joel, and the actor is listed as a series regular.

Who are the new characters in The Last of Us Season 2?

Who is playing Abby? (Kaitlyn Dever)

• Kaitlyn Dever joins the cast as Abby Anderson, a major new character from the game (The Last of Us Fandom wiki).
• Variety first reported Dever’s casting, confirming her role as Abby.

Who is playing Dina? (Isabela Merced)

• Isabela Merced is cast as Dina, Ellie’s love interest in Season 2 (Wikipedia article).

Who is playing Jesse? (Young Mazino)

• Young Mazino plays Jesse, a key character from the game (Wikipedia article).

The pattern: HBO is following the game’s character roster closely, with no major deviations from the source material in the core new cast. Expect Abby’s role to be a central driver of the season’s conflict.

Did they change the actor for Ellie in season 2?

Who plays Ellie in Season 2? (Bella Ramsey)

• Bella Ramsey reprises her role as Ellie in Season 2, confirmed by Wikipedia and HBO.
• No recasting has occurred for the time jump; series co-creator Craig Mazin stated, “We never considered recasting Ellie. Bella is Ellie.”

Who is Ellie’s face model? (not the actor)

• Ellie’s face model in the video game is Ashley Johnson, who also voices the character (The Last of Us Fandom wiki).
• The show uses Bella Ramsey’s likeness, not the game model, leading to a different visual appearance.

The catch: Some viewers conflate the game’s character model (Ashley Johnson) with the voice actor. Ramsey’s performance has been widely praised, and the showrunners have publicly committed to her portrayal.

Is Joel alive in The Last of Us Season 2?

Does Joel die in the game The Last of Us Part II?

• Joel dies early in The Last of Us Part II at the hands of Abby (The Last of Us Fandom wiki).

Will Joel’s death be in Season 2?

• HBO has not confirmed the exact episode, but the game’s narrative strongly implies Joel’s death will occur within the season.
• Pedro Pascal is confirmed for Season 2, meaning his role may include the events leading up to and including the death scene.

The trade-off: Keeping Pascal’s presence in Season 2 while adapting the game’s early death means the season will likely split its timeline or use flashbacks — a creative choice that allows the actor to remain part of the story even after the character’s demise.

Is Ellie LGBTQ?

How is Ellie’s sexuality depicted in the show?

• Ellie is a lesbian character in both the video game and the HBO series (The Last of Us Fandom wiki).
• Her relationship with Dina is a central narrative thread in Season 2, mirroring the game.

Does the game portray Ellie as LGBTQ?

• The game The Last of Us Part II explicitly portrays Ellie as a lesbian, with her romance with Dina forming a key part of the story (The Last of Us Fandom wiki).
• Bella Ramsey has stated in interviews that Ellie’s sexuality is an important part of the character and that she is committed to representing it authentically.

The implication: HBO is following the game’s lead in presenting Ellie’s identity without hesitation. This aligns with the network’s track record of diverse representation in prestige series.

Timeline: Key events leading to Season 2

• March 2023: HBO renews The Last of Us for Season 2 (The Last of Us Fandom wiki)
• Early 2024: Casting announcements for Kaitlyn Dever (Abby), Isabela Merced (Dina), Young Mazino (Jesse) (Wikipedia article)
• January 2025: First teaser trailer released during HBO’s 2025 preview
• April 13, 2025: Season 2 premiere date (per Rotten Tomatoes; HBO not yet officially confirmed)
• May 25, 2025: Season 2 finale (episode 7, titled “Convergence”)

The pattern: The timeline shows a steady buildup from renewal to premiere, with casting announcements coming a year before the debut.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

The takeaway: The confirmed list is longer than the unclear list, giving viewers a solid foundation of who will appear. The unknowns mostly revolve around timing and depth of adaptation.

What the creators and cast are saying

“We never considered recasting Ellie. Bella is Ellie.”

— Craig Mazin, co-showrunner, in an interview with IMDb

Season 2 will cover events from The Last of Us Part II, including new characters and the fallout from Joel’s actions.

— Neil Druckmann, co-creator, speaking about the adaptation

Ellie’s sexuality is an important part of who she is, and I’m proud to represent that on screen.

— Bella Ramsey, in various interviews

For fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter, the cast lineup confirms that HBO is committed to a faithful adaptation of The Last of Us Part II. The return of the core trio — Pascal, Ramsey, Luna — anchors the season, while newcomers Dever, Merced, and Mazino bring the game’s expanded world to life. The biggest unknown remains how the show handles Joel’s fate from the game, but with Pascal confirmed for the season, viewers can expect that story beat to be handled with care. For anyone debating whether to watch, the choice is clear: with Pascal and Ramsey leading the cast and Dever joining as Abby, the season promises a faithful and gripping continuation.

For a comprehensive breakdown of every performer in the new season, check out this full actors and characters guide.

Frequently asked questions