The most tragic plot twist that could happen in the second season of The Last of Us has already come and gone, but fans will have to live with it for quite some time. Episode two ended with the very thing everyone feared to see, and now Ellie must fight alone and search for ways to avenge those who killed Joel.
Although the showrunners have already assured everyone that Pedro Pascal isn’t going anywhere and will appear in two more episodes of The Last of Us, the show has formally said goodbye to the actor as well — and the updated opening credits make that clear.
Ellie Is Now Alone — Even in the Credits of The Last of Us
In the recently released third episode of season two, the action takes place three months after Joel’s death, focusing on Ellie and her emotional reckoning, which soon drives her toward a new journey to take revenge on Abby. Joel no longer appears in the episode — and neither does Pedro Pascal’s name, which had previously appeared before Bella Ramsey’s in the opening credits.
Additionally, fans noticed that the title sequence no longer features the two figures symbolising Ellie and Joel. Now there is only one, signaling that Ellie must now face the world on her own.
Pedro Pascal Knew About Joel’s Fate Before Filming Season One
The fact that Joel dies in the second part of the video game wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret — but TV adaptations often take creative liberties and stray from the original story. However, that hasn’t been the case with The Last of Us. Pascal recently revealed that he was aware of this plot development from the moment he signed on with HBO.
The actor shared that the creators were clear from the beginning that they would follow the game’s narrative closely, and that Pascal’s regular presence was only required for the first season, where his character has the most screen time.
