The Last of Us quickly became HBO and Max’s most popular show after its premiere episode, “When You’re Lost in the Darkness.” In the span of nine episodes, viewers fell in love with the characters as they watched them struggle in a post-apocalyptic society, and cried when many of them died by the elements of the cruel world. Just as they did in the original video game, characters came and went on Joel and Ellie’s journey, leaving very few by the end. But since the series has been renewed for a second season, it only means new survivors for the duo to encounter.

The Last of Us primarily follows Joel, a rugged survivor grappling with grief from his past, and Ellie, an immune teenager who uses her wits as a shield of armor. The two are tasked by the freedom-fighting organization known as the Fireflies to travel across the country in order to create a vaccine for the Cordyceps infection. Every once in a while, Ellie and Joel take a backseat to give self-contained stories a chance to spotlight their characters. While The Last of Us always goes back to Joel and Ellie, the supporting characters have just as big a role to play.

Pedro Pascal Pushes Boundaries as Joel Miller

Pedro Pascal has gained a reputation for playing the “dad” role on television, thanks to The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. If his portrayal of Joel is indicative of anything, it’s that Pascal was born to play Joel. In the role, Pascal presents the same reserved coldness as Joel’s original actor, Troy Baker, which makes him intimidating at first glance. In the end, Pascal unveils Joel’s layers to reveal something even softer.

Before the apocalypse, Joel was a dad to Sarah, whom he lost on the first day of the outbreak. Over the next two decades, Joel morally digresses to survive and protect his brother, but his questionable actions tear the brothers apart. It wasn’t until he meets Ellie that he finds another light in his life again, and kills the majority of the Fireflies to save her life.

Bella Ramsey Nails Ellie Williams’ Perks and Flaws

Originally portrayed by Ashley Johnson in the video games, Bella Ramsey takes up the role as the 14-year-old Ellie in the television series. Ramsey is best known for their role as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, a series that their co-star Pascal also starred in. Ramsey brings to life Ellie’s spunky personality full of jokes and spirit, but also hits the undertoned notes of trauma and loneliness that Ellie has.

Ellie is the only known person who is immune to the Cordyceps infection, which was discovered after Ellie was bitten by a runner but never turned. Ellie’s hopes of having a purposeful life are crushed when Joel kills the Fireflies and lies to her, saying a cure was never possible. With Joel, Ellie will continue to play a major part in Season 2, now with her new friends, Dina and Jesse, at Jackson.

Nico Parker Has a Small, But Significant Role as Sarah Miller

Sarah Miller is Joel’s preteen daughter before the 20-year time jump in the pilot episode. Unlike the video game, Sarah has an extended story as the pre-apocalyptic storyline follows her through her day-to-day life on her father’s birthday. She’s portrayed as a young girl with a certain level of maturity that helps keep the house in check, as Joel is raising her as a single father.

Sarah is killed by a soldier after she and Joel try to escape the mayhem of a town that’s been overrun by infected. Her death leaves a hole in Joel’s life for years to come, and steers Joel down the wrong direction in life. Sarah is portrayed by Nico Parker in the HBO series and by Hanah Hayes in the video game.

Tommy Miller Is Joel’s Younger and Optimistic Brother

Joel and Tommy Miller appear to be brothers-in-crime before the apocalypse. But sometime after Sarah’s death, the brothers had disagreements about how to survive. Tommy was horrified at the idea of murdering people to survive — a thought that still haunts him to this day. As a former U.S. military soldier with heroic intentions, Tommy was swept away by the promise of the Fireflies restoring society, while Joel thought it was a pipe dream.

Between 2018 and 2023, Tommy met a woman named Maria and helped her build the community of Jackson in Wyoming. The two are married and are currently expecting their first child, which has left Tommy more protective of his community. Tommy is portrayed by Gabriel Luna in the HBO series and by Jeffrey Pierce in the video games.

Tess Servopoulos Urged Joel to Do the Right Thing

Anna Torv portrays Tess in the series, continuing the work of the late Annie Wersching, who originated the role in the video game. Tess was Joel’s closest companion in the Boston Quarantine Zone, and also his lover. Since Joel has a difficult time letting people in, Tess settled with a casual relationship between the two, even if she wanted more.

Tess and Joel worked together as smugglers in the city, breaking FEDRA rules to help each other survive. While she appeared hardened on the outside, she was vulnerable around Joel and enjoyed trivial things that reminded her of the past world. Tess accompanied Joel to take Ellie to the Capitol Building, but was bitten by infected on the trip. Her last request was that Joel finish what he started with Ellie, which acted as a grave motivator for the stoic man.

Merle Dandridge Reprised Her Role as Marlene in the Show

Merle Dandridge is the only actor in The Last of Us franchise to portray the same character in the show and the video games. Marlene was the leader of the Fireflies, better known as “queen Firefly” by Joel. Her goal was to not only create a cure for the Cordyceps infection, but to rebuild a fair American government that would help the entire world stabilize.

Marlene was a complicated individual, and one of the more intriguing characters in the series. Her intentions were commendable, but the execution of her plans was controversial. She was willing to kill Ellie to develop a cure, even betraying Ellie’s deceased mother’s (portrayed by Ashley Johnson) request to protect the teenager. Joel murders Marlene in the parking garage of the Firefly hospital.

Maria Is What Marlene Wished She Was

Maria is one of the co-founders of the Jackson, Wyoming community and serves on the community’s council. Before the apocalypse, she was an assistant district attorney in Nebraska and had a son named Kevin, who died three days after the outbreak. She married Tommy years later and is expecting her first child with him.

Maria was initially suspicious of Joel and Ellie’s arrival in the community due to past stories she heard from Tommy. Prior to the events of the series, Maria urged Tommy to stop communicating with Joel to protect the community’s location and secrecy. This put her and her brother-in-law at odds, but Maria shows compassion towards Ellie by helping her feel comfortable among strangers. Maria is portrayed by Rutina Wesley in the HBO series and by Ashley Scott in the video games.

Riley Abel Taught Ellie About Love and Death

Portrayed by Emmy Award-winning actor Storm Reid, Riley only appeared in flashbacks in “Left Behind.” She was Ellie’s only friend and crush while they were in Boston’s military school for orphans, and they built a bond like no other. However, they had a falling out when Riley unexpectedly left to join the Fireflies.

The best friends had one last night together in an abandoned mall where they played arcade games and explored a life they would never know. In a last ditch effort to prevent Riley from leaving, Ellie kissed her. But the sweet moment of innocent love was interrupted by a herd of infected that bit both of the girls. Ellie was forced to kill Riley after she succumbed to the infection.

Bill and Frank Experienced Rare Happiness in the Apocalypse

Bill and Frank’s love story is one for the books in the post-apocalyptic genre. Both of their characters go through exhaustive transformations in their singular episode that is notably different from their video game’s outcome. In the game, Bill is a bitter and lonely survivalist who drove off Frank. In the show, nothing could tear the two apart.

The show portrays Bill as a frantic prepper with little to no hope for the world, but Frank’s persistence kept the two together. They build a relatively peaceful life together as a married couple in their town. When Frank develops a degenerative disease that leaves him with limited mobility, they take lethal doses of sleeping tablets to die together.

Sam and Henry Were Joel and Ellie’s Friends for a Short Time

Henry and Sam Burrell were brothers who lived in the Kansas City Quarantine Zone. Sam, a deaf and artistic eight-year-old, was diagnosed with leukemia at a young age. Henry had to turn in rebels to FEDRA in order to get treatment for Sam, making him an enemy to Kathleen Coghlan and her resistance fighters.

Henry and Sam aid Ellie and Joel in escaping the Kansas City QZ, but their attempt was only partially successful. Sam was bitten by an infected individual during a herd outbreak and turned on the group the next morning. Feeling responsible for his brother’s death, Henry shot himself in the head. Henry and Sam were portrayed by Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Woodard in the HBO series, respectively, and by Brandon Scott and Nadji Jeter in the video game.

Melanie Lynskey Is a Terrifying Force as Kathleen Coghlan

Melanie Lynskey nails every role she’s given, and her leading part on Yellowjackets is evidence of that. But even in her two-episode role as Kathleen on The Last of Us, Lynskey certifies herself as a well-oiled contender for future villainous roles. An original character for the series, Kathleen was ruthless and frightening as a leader who tortured individuals to achieve an idyllic society.

Kathleen’s brother was Michael, the original orchestrator of the resistance, but with a forgiving vision. Michael was betrayed by Henry to receive Sam’s treatment and subsequently executed by FEDRA. Kathleen vowed to avenge Michael with the help of Perry (Jeffrey Pierce), but was ultimately killed by a child clicker while chasing Henry.

David Was Scarier Than Any Clicker or Bloater

Runners, clickers and bloaters are nasty creatures that will tear their victims to pieces. But they’re also mindless humans who aren’t in control of their bodies. The Last of Us‘ most horrendous villain, David, couldn’t say the same. He was an inarguable monster who preyed on the weak and used religion to excuse intolerable actions.

David was the leader of a struggling religious group whom Ellie encountered when Joel was injured. Unbeknownst to most of his people, David resorted to cannibalism to survive, feeding human beings to his own people. As if he wasn’t bad enough, David lures Ellie to rape her and make her one of his next victims. Ellie manages to kill David by stabbing him multiple times with a cleaver. David was portrayed by Scott Shepherd in the HBO series and by Nolan North in the video game.

Ellie Has New Allies With Dina and Jesse in Season 2

Season 2 will adapt some, if not all, of The Last of Us Part II‘s events, which means newer characters like Dina and Jesse will be introduced.Dina is a spirited individual who is extremely loyal to Ellie as her romantic love interest and best friend. Jesse is another member of Ellie’s close circle and Dina’s ex-partner. He’s a selfless person who would put his own life at risk for his friends.

Dina and Jesse both live in the Jackson community, where they’ve become highly-regarded patrol members who protect the community’s outskirts. In the game, Dina appears to be the only surviving member of her family as it’s hinted that her sister was killed, and Jesse’s parents are still alive. Dina and Jesse will be portrayed by Isabela Merced and Young Mazino respectively in the HBO series, and are portrayed by Shannon Woodward and Stephen Chang in the game, respectively.

Kaitlyn Dever Makes Her Last of Us Debut as Abby Anderson in Season 2

Abby is one The Last of Us‘ most controversial characters for her role in Joel’s final fate in the games. But she’s also The Last of Us Part II‘s most dynamic character who experiences one of the greatest developments in video game history. She acts as a mirror to Ellie as they both embark on their own missions of revenge.

Abby was raised by one of the Fireflies’ top surgeons, Jerry Anderson, alongside her friends. After Joel’s Firefly massacre, Abby and her friends join the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) in Seattle, where she becomes a hardened soldier blinded by hate. Abby will be portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever in the HBO series and is portrayed by Laura Bailey in the video game.

Abby’s WLF Companions Are Manny, Mel, Owen and Nora

Abby’s friend group plays an important role in her journey in the second season. While there are many of them, the four people she interacts with the most are her ex-boyfriend Owen, Owen’s girlfriend Mel, Manny and Nora. The group is known as the “Salt Lake crew” in the WLF and have each other’s backs at all costs.

Owen is a gentle soul who marches to the beat of his own drum, but is haunted by a war that the WLF are fighting. Mel is the same way, struggling to uphold her duties as a doctor while dealing with personal issues. On the flip side, Manny is Abby’s most loyal friend who tries to stay optimistic despite the war, while Mel wrestles with the cruel behavior of her past.