If Joel's Death Wasn't Sad Enough, The Last Of Us Will Remind Us At The Start Of Every Episode

It has only been one episode since Joel's death, and The Last of Us already made a major change to the show that will never let us forget about the heart-wrenching event. Whether we accept it or not, Joel is really dead in The Last of Us, having been killed by Abby in an act of revenge for the murder of her own father. The big twist took place in The Last of Us season 2, episode 2, meaning the HBO show will mostly be without Pedro Pascal for the rest of its run.

The Last of Us season 2, episode 3 shows the immediate aftermath of Joel's death and the attack on Jackson. However, the episode, titled "The Path," then jumps three months ahead, showing Ellie's determination to go after Abby. Though the Jackson council voted no on sending a team to get justice for Joel, Ellie and Dina decide to take matters into their own hands. The show is heading into new territory without Pascal's Joel, and interestingly, the episode features a subtle detail signifying the changes ahead.

Joel's Silhouette Next To Ellie Was Removed From The Last Of Us' Opening Credits Following His Death

The Last Of Us Has Said Goodbye To Joel

The Last of Us season 2, episode 3, is the first episode to take place following Joel's death. The tragedy marks a major turning point in the show, but there's still a lot of story left to be told. To mark the new era of the series, The Last of Us made a change to its opening credits sequence during "The Path" episode. Previously, the credits highlighted fungus growth to represent the Cordyceps spread, and in the latter half of the sequence, a visual of the fungus served as silhouettes of Joel and Ellie, until now.

Joel's silhouette in fungus form is now missing alongside Ellie in The Last of Us season 2's opening credits. Like her arc in the show, Ellie now stands alone in the world ravaged by The Last of Us' Cordyceps infection. The loss of Pascal's character will be tough to get used to, and now the changed credits for The Last of Us will serve as a constant reminder about what happened to Joel. While the change seems to indicate a lonely future for Ellie, she at least has Dina by her side for the next chapter of her life.

Pedro Pascal's Name Also Isn't In The Opening Credits, But He Will Return In The Last Of Us Season 2

We Haven't Seen The Last Of Joel Just Yet

If removing Joel's silhouette from The Last of Us' opening credits isn't bad enough, the show also took off Pedro Pascal's name in "The Path." The removal makes sense, considering the actor is no longer a core member of the cast. That said, it doesn't mean we've seen the last of Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us season 2. Based on the season 2 trailer and story details from The Last of Us Part II game, we know Pascal will return as Joel in The Last of Us.

Joel is set appear in flashbacks with Ellie in future episodes of The Last of Us. Though any return of Joel will be bittersweet due to his eventual fate, showing him and Ellie together could provide insight into how their relationship became so strained over the years. By The Last of Us season 2's premiere, Ellie was very mad at Joel, but he was killed off before they had a chance to truly patch up the relationship. As Ellie continues to process the loss of Joel, fans will also have to adapt to the changes.