The Last of Us Season 2: Cast and Character Guide for HBO’s Hit Series

The Last of Us Season 2: Who’s Who in Jackson and Beyond

The wait’s over—The Last of Us is back on HBO for its second season, and it’s not messing around. Starting April 13, 2025, fans are reunited with old favorites and a stack of new characters, all thrown into a world still picking up the pieces after Joel’s life-changing decision. This time, the drama kicks off five years after that jaw-dropping finale, and the cast is bigger, bolder, and ready to drag viewers through even darker corners of post-apocalyptic America.

Pedro Pascal returns to anchor the cast as Joel Miller, showing even more layers of grit and fatherly fear as he tries to keep his life—and Ellie—on track inside his brother’s commune. If you thought the first season put Joel through the wringer, just wait. Bella Ramsey is back as Ellie, now all grown up at 19, stuck in that weird limbo of safety and danger, still figuring out if she truly trusts Joel after everything that happened with the Fireflies.

We also see Gabriel Luna reprising his role as Tommy, Joel’s more optimistic brother, and Rutina Wesley returning as Maria, who helps run the Jackson settlement. Jackson is more than a safe zone—it’s a hotbed for secrets, shifting loyalties, and new heartbreaks.

The New Faces: Allies, Enemies, and Everything In Between

This season’s biggest shake-up comes from a vengeful new squad. Kaitlyn Dever steps in as Abby Anderson, a tough-as-nails fighter with every reason to hunt Joel. Abby isn’t rolling solo—she’s got Spencer Lord as Owen and Ariela Barer as Mel by her side, both skilled and scarred from their own battles. Their group has serious military chops, turning the mountains and forests outside Jackson into a deadly chessboard.

Ellie’s world is expanding too. Isabela Merced brings Dina to life as Ellie’s free-spirited partner. Their chemistry in the Jackson community keeps things grounded, even as the outside world grows more dangerous. Young Mazino joins as Jesse, the selfless friend always in the thick of it, giving Ellie and Dina someone to lean on when things go sideways.

There are also some intriguing wild cards: Catherine O’Hara and Robert John Burke appear as Gail and Seth. The show’s keeping details hush-hush about them for now, leaving fans hungry to see how they’ll shake things up.

Every episode promises new threats, shifting alliances, and tough calls that’ll haunt the characters long after the credits roll. The violence of the Fireflies’ betrayal isn’t fading away, and everyone in Jackson has something to lose.

Miss an episode? No worries. New chapters stream Sundays on HBO and Max, so you can keep up with every tense standoff and painful confession. As the story digs deeper into survival, revenge, and blurred lines between right and wrong, this season of The Last of Us isn’t just raising the stakes—it’s changing the game entirely.