The Last of Us Season 3: What We Know So Far
The highly anticipated third season of HBO’s hit series The Last of Us is currently in development, with fans eagerly awaiting more information about the upcoming episodes. According to a report from USA Today, the show’s producers have confirmed that the next season will see a significant shift in focus, with Kaitlyn Dever’s character Abby taking center stage.
The Season 2 finale, which aired on HBO, ended on a cliffhanger, with Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) facing off against Abby in a tense confrontation. However, just as the scene was about to reach its climax, the camera cut to black, and the focus shifted to Abby, who was seen waking up in a football stadium-turned-compound for her militia, the Washington Liberation Front.
USA Today reports that the show’s producers, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, have confirmed that the next season will follow the storyline of the video game The Last of Us Part II, which divides its narrative evenly between Ellie and Abby. This means that fans can expect to see more of Kaitlyn Dever’s character, Abby, and less of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie.
In an interview with USA Today, producer Craig Mazin promised that "all of it will become clear," but clues can also be found in the video game that this season and the next are based upon, The Last of Us Part II.
Kaitlyn Dever to Take Center Stage
According to USA Today, Kaitlyn Dever will take center stage in The Last of Us Season 3, with the show likely including very little of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie. The Season 2 finale’s closing scene, showing Abby waking up at the WLF’s headquarters on "Seattle Day One," implies the series will retain the controversial structure of the game, which divides its narrative evenly between Ellie and Abby.
In the game, players spend hours controlling Ellie on her quest for revenge against Abby for the murder of Joel (played by Pedro Pascal), as depicted in the show. This culminates in a confrontation between Ellie and Abby in the theater which − in a moment that made millions of gamers throw their controllers across the room in frustration − abruptly cuts to black mid-scene.
Abby’s Friends to Return for Supporting Roles
USA Today reports that fans should also anticipate a shakeup to the supporting cast, given the shift to Abby means characters like Dina and Tommy will be absent for the next stretch of the story. However, Abby’s friends Nora (played by Tati Gabrielle), Owen (played by Spencer Lord), and Mel (played by Ariela Barer), who were tortured and/or murdered by Ellie in Season 2, return for key roles in the second half of the game.
The publication also reports that Owen’s relationship with Abby will be a major focus, explored in flashbacks in the game, which could potentially get their own episode like the Joel and Ellie flashback episode of Season 2.
The War Between the Seraphites and the WLF to be Explored Further
According to USA Today, the conflict between Abby’s militia and a religious cult known as the Seraphites will become central to the next part of the story, with Jeffrey Wright set to return as Isaac. In the Season 2 finale, we see Isaac set out to lead an attack on the Seraphites, which begins off-screen as Ellie sets out to find Abby.
USA Today also reports that fans should keep an eye out for casting news about a pair of crucial new characters: Lev and Yara, brother and sister Seraphites who Abby meets along her journey.
No More Pedro Pascal
USA Today reports that Pedro Pascal almost certainly won’t return for any of Season 3, though if the show had followed the game more closely, he may have. The show devoted a flashback episode to revealing what happened between Joel and Ellie during the time jump before Season 2, but the game sprinkled those flashbacks all throughout the story and saved some for the second half.
It’s possible the show could replace that with a new flashback scene in a future episode. But more likely, fans truly have seen the last of Joel. And given Pascal’s busy schedule, including Marvel’s new Fantastic Four movie, a new Ari Aster film at the Cannes Film Festival, and more future projects, it’s not that surprising that his time in the apocalypse may be over and done for good.
The publication spoke to sources close to the show, who confirmed that the third season of The Last of Us is expected to be a major departure from the previous two seasons, with a new focus on Abby and her storyline. Fans will have to wait and see how the story unfolds, but one thing is certain: The Last of Us Season 3 is shaping up to be an exciting and dramatic ride.
According to USA Today, the third season of The Last of Us is expected to premiere on HBO in 2026, although no official release date has been confirmed. Fans will have to wait patiently for more information about the upcoming season, but with the show’s track record, it’s sure to be worth the wait.
