“The Last of Us” Season 2 has finally arrived. This time, it is not just the series’ central two stars who are leading the way, either. Following the template set by its video game source material, the HBO series is returning with an expanded cast of recurring characters, which means there will be a lot of new names for viewers to learn across its forthcoming seven episodes.
Here are all the characters you need to know in “The Last of Us” Season 2, along with which actors play them and where you’ve seen them onscreen before.
Pedro Pascal as Joel
Pedro Pascal reprises his role as Joel Miller in “The Last of Us” Season 2. The season will pick up with Joel when he is an older, established member of his brother’s sanctuary-like community in Jackson, Wyoming. Pascal is best known for his turns as Oberyn Martell in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and Din Djarin in “The Mandalorian.”
He also starred last year in “Gladiator II” and is set to play Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, in Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
Bella Ramsey as Ellie
Bella Ramsey is back as Ellie, the immune girl whose relationship with Joel is in a rocky place when viewers catch back up with her. Viewers will remember Ramsey for their breakout, star-making turn as Lyanna Mormont in the later seasons of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” as well as their lead performance in the Lena Dunham-directed medieval coming-of-age film “Catherine Called Birdy.”
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby
Kaitlyn Dever plays “The Last of Us” Season 2’s most important new character, Abby, a young soldier with a personal mission that puts her on a path toward Ellie and Joel. Dever’s past TV credits include Netflix’s “Unbelievable,” ABC’s “Last Man Standing,” Hulu’s “Dopesick,” FX’s “Justified” and Netflix’s “Apple Cider Vinegar.” She has also turned in memorable film performances in 2019’s “Booksmart” and 2023’s “No One Will Save You.”
Isabela Merced as Dina
Isabela Merced stars in “The Last of Us” Season 2 as Dina, a young girl living in the same Jackson-based community as Joel and Ellie who emerges as a partner and romantic interest for the latter. Merced has spent the last decade steadily racking up film and TV credits, including roles in “Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” “Instant Family,” “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” “Madame Web” and “Turtles All the Way Down.” She was last seen giving a horror-movie scream for the ages in 2024’s “Alien: Romulus.”
Gabriel Luna as Tommy
Gabriel Luna returns as Tommy, the understated, similarly grizzled brother of Pascal’s Joel. Luna previously played Robbie Reyes, a.k.a. Ghost Rider, in Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the Rev-9 terminator in 2019’s “Terminator: Dark Fate.”
Rutina Wesley as Maria
Rutina Wesley is also back as Maria, Tommy’s wife and Joel’s sister-in-law. Wesley is best known for her roles as Tara Thornton in HBO’s “True Blood” and Nova Bordelon in the Ava DuVernay-created OWN drama “Queen Sugar.”
Young Mazino as Jesse
Another new face, Young Mazino stars in the HBO series’ new episodes as Jesse, a fellow Jackson resident and friend of Ramsey’s Ellie. Mazino achieved breakout success and recognition two years ago for his role as Paul Cho, the younger brother of Steven Yeun’s Danny Cho, in Netflix’s “Beef.”
Jeffrey Wright as Isaac
Jeffrey Wright stars in “The Last of Us” Season 2 as Isaac, the leader of a post-apocalyptic military faction that counts Dever’s Abby as one of its Seattle-based soldiers. Wright also played the video game version of Isaac in 2020’s “The Last of Us Part II.”
He is one of the most accomplished character actors of his generation. Viewers will likely recognize him for his roles as Henry Ogletree in “The Agency,” Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison in “American Fiction,” James Gordon in “The Batman” and Bernard Lowe in HBO’s “Westworld.”
Catherine O’Hara as Gail
Speaking of accomplished performers, Catherine O’Hara portrays Gail, a grieving widow and therapist. A living comedy titan, O’Hara famously played Kate, the mother of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McAllister, in “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
She won an Emmy for her performance as Moira Rose in “Schitt’s Creek” and she is also currently starring as Patty Leigh, a recently fired Hollywood producer, opposite Seth Rogen in Apple TV+’s “The Studio.”
Danny Ramirez as Manny
Hot off his recent turn as Joaquin Torres in Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” Danny Ramirez is set to play Manny, one member of a group of soldiers led by Dever’s Abby. Outside of his work in “Brave New World” and its Disney+ predecessor, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” Ramirez also played Lt. Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia in 2021’s “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Tati Gabrielle as Nora
No stranger to projects created by video game developer Naughty Dog, Tati Gabrielle stars in “The Last of Us” Season 2 as Nora, another member of Abby’s posse. She previously played Prudence Night in Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” Marienne Bellamy in “You” and Jo Braddock in the 2022 Tom Holland-led film adaptation of another Naughty Dog franchise, “Uncharted.”
Gabrielle is also set to play lead bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun in “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet,” Naughty Dog’s long-awaited video game follow-up to “The Last of Us Part II.”
Spencer Lord as Owen
Spencer Lord portrays Owen, another soldier in Abby’s group of hunters. Lord’s past TV credits include his recurring roles as Nathan Pryce Jr. in “Heartland” and Aiden in “Family Law.”
Ariela Barer as Mel
Ariela Barer plays Mel, the final member of Abby’s gang of determined soldiers. Barer is best known for playing Gertrude Yorkes in Marvel’s “Runaways” and Xochitl, a fearless environmental activist, in the 2023 thriller “How to Blow Up a Pipeline.”
“The Last of Us” Season 2 premieres Sunday, April 13 on HBO and Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
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