HBO's The Last of Us, which is based on Naughty Dog's acclaimed game franchise, is set to debut on January 15, 2023. The story is centered on the post-apocalyptic cross-country odyssey of Joel and Ellie, who must survive against all odds in a world decimated by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus which has created a far-reaching infection that transforms humans into raving monsters.
Whether you're a fan of the games -- 2013's The Last of US and 2020's The Last of Us Part II -- or new to the tale completely, we've got a breakdown of the show's characters for you so that you can get prepped for the series ahead of time. Most characters are from The Last of Us game but some are new, as the 10-episode first season adapts the game while also containing chapters that "deviate greatly" from the original narrative.
Here's a closer look at the many characters we'll meet in TLOU: Season 1, as the fate of humankind rests in a bitter, jaded man's escort mission, trying to transport an orphaned girl who may be able to unlock the secrets to a worldwide cure.
Pedro Pascal is Joel
Game of Thrones/The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal stars as Joel, a man who suffered an incalculable loss at the outset of the fungipocalypse. Now a morose, closed-off shell of his former self, Joel is tasked with escaping his tyrannically-strict Quarantine Zone in order to smuggle a young girl, Ellie, across the United States to a medical facility run by a rebel militia called the Fireflies. Tormented by his past, Joel reluctantly accepts the mission when he discovers why Ellie is so special to the resistance movement. In the games, Joel is portrayed by Troy Baker.
Bella Ramsey as Ellie
Game of Thrones' Bella Ramsey plays Ellie, a feisty, defiant a 14-year-old girl who is just as shocked as everyone else to discover she's immune to the Cordyceps brain infection. Could she be the cure to uncovering a full society-saving vaccine? There's only one way to find out. One of the best smugglers in the business, Joel, becomes her reluctant chaperone as the two head out into the badlands, traveling from Massachusetts to Colorado. In the games, Ellie is portrayed by Ashley Johnson.
Gabriel Luna as Tommy
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD/Terminator: Dark Fate's Gabriel Luna plays Tommy, Joel's younger idealistic brother. A former soldier, Tommy joins up with the Fireflies in an effort to try and make this post-apocalyptic world a better place. He is more proactive than his sullen older bro. In the games, Tommy is portrayed by Jeffrey Pierce.
Anna Torv as Tess
Fringe and Mindhunter's Anna Torv recurs as Tess, a hardened survivor of the new world (played by Annie Wersching in the game). Tess is Joel's smuggling partner, both gritty and capable, doing what she has to in order to get by in the ravaged hellscape.
Jeffrey Pierce as Perry
We don't know much about the character of Perry except that he's an original character for the series, a rebel in a Quarantine Zone, and played by Tommy voice actor Jeffrey Pierce. And Pierce is not the only voice actor from the games to be given a live-action role on the series.
Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen
Another original character for the show is Kathleen, play by Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey. According to reports, Kathleen is the leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City. It's not clear right now if this means she's a higher-up in the ranks of the Fireflies, as that's the main rebel organization in the game's story.
Lamar Johnson as Henry
The Hate U Give's Lamar Johnson plays Henry, a role filled by Brandon Scott in the game. Henry and his younger brother Sam are hiding from Kathleen's revolutionary group in Kansas City and meet up with Joel and Ellie along the way. In the game these events take place in Pittsburgh.
Keivonn Woodard as Sam
Sam is a deaf child who is hunted by violent revolutionaries alongside his brother Henry. Keivonn Woodard plays him on the series while Nadji Jeter (Spider-Man: Miles Morales) played Sam in the game. It's worth noting that Sam isn't deaf in the game, and is a bit older than actor Keivonn Woodard, so the Henry/Sam dynamic may have changed significantly.
Graham Greene as Marlon
Living in the Wyoming wilderness is Marlon, an original show character played by Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves, Die Hard with a Vengeance). Not much else is known about Marlon except that in the trailer he gives Joel and Ellie a warning about continuing on their journey.
Elaine Miles as Florence
Marlon's wife is Florence, played by Northern Exposure's Elaine Miles. Marlon and Florence are a good example of how the show might extend Joel and Ellie's travels, as they are both new folks they encounter along the way.
Ashley Johnson as Anna
Original game franchise Ellie, Ashley Johnson, was spotted by eagle-eyed fans in the trailer as, seemingly, Ellie's mom. If in fact the baby in the shot is Ellie, in a flashback.
Merle Dandridge as Marlene
Sons of Anarchy and Star-Crossed's Merle Dandridge plays commanding Firefly leader Marlene...just like she did in the game! Yup, we've got the game performer coming in and reprising the role in live-action. Marlene, as the leader of the Fireflies, hopes to wrest military occupation of the Quarantine Zones and restore government control. In the game, Marlene was tasked by Ellie's mother, a close friend of hers, to look out for her daughter.
Nick Offerman as Bill
Bill, played by Parks and Rec's Nick Offerman (who replaced the originally cast Con O'Neill), is a survivalist who lives in an isolated, trap-filled town near Joel. Bill is a game character, originally played by Deadwood's W. Earl Brown, who may have had his role beefed up a bit for the sake of the series. On the show, Bill lives with Frank, though in the game Frank is already Bill's former partner and is only briefly seen.
Murray Bartlett as Frank
The White Lotus' Murray Bartlett is Frank, a survivalist who lives with Nick Offerman's Bill. Frank is a game character, though in the game he's spoken about more than seen. The fact that Bartlett got his own Frank poster seems to suggest a bigger presence for the guy on the HBO series.
Scott Shepherd as David? Troy Baker as James
Dark Phoenix's Scott Shepherd hasn't been officially announced as game character David, though those who've seen the trailer will recognize his scenes as being supremely David-y. Without giving too much away, David is a dangerous antagonistic force that Joel and Ellie encounter on their journey. In the game, David is played by famed voice actor Nolan North (Nathan Drake in Naughty Dog's Uncharted).
And yup, in this trailer screen grab you'll see Joel voice actor Troy Baker in Scott Shepherd's armed gang. That's James, who was voiced by Reuben Langdon (Dante in the Devil May Cry series) in the game. James is described as a "senior member of a group of settlers." While that's true, it's clear they're out to cause some damage.
Rutina Wesley as Maria?
True Blood/Hannibal's Rutina Wesley is also on the series, though her role hasn't been confirmed yet. Rumors are strong though that she plays Maria, who would be the wife of Gabriel Luna's Tommy. Together they would run a settlement in Wyoming. In the game, Maria was portrayed by Jericho/UnREAL's Ashley Scott
Brad Leland as Mr. Adler
We don't know he's playing just yet, aside from having the character name of "Mr. Adler, but Friday Night Lights' Brad Leland is on the HBO series.
Storm Reid as Riley Abel
Riley is a game character, specifically from the acclaimed Last of Us DLC "Left Behind," who will be played by Euphoria/A Wrinkle in Time's Storm Reid. Like Ellie, Riley is an orphaned girl who is growing up in post-apocalyptic Boston. Left Behind, which was released after the Last of Us, acted as a quasi-prequel story.
Nico Parker as Sarah
Nico Parker (Tim Burton's Dumbo) will portray the pivotal role of Sarah, Joel's daughter. When the world started quickly falling apart, due to crazed infected humans causing murder and mayhem, Joel and Sarah, living in Austin, are taken by surprise, causing Joel to do everything in his power to protect his family. Hanah Hayes (The Grinder) played the role in the game.
For more on TLOU, read an explainer on The Last of Us Fireflies, dig in on a game to show comparison from Episode 1, catch up on the latest The Last of Us cast and character info, ponder whether or not TLOU can bring the zombie genre back to life, or consider how the TV series makes its opening even more heartbreaking.
