Jeffrey Wright’s Last Of Us Season 2 Character Explained: Game Backstory & Abby Connection

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us Part II, which very well may lead to spoilers for The Last of Us season 2.Following the release of the first full trailer for The Last of Us season 2, Max has unveiled Jeffrey Wright's Isaac Dixon, a character from The Last of Us Part II with a close connection to Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever). Wright's Isaac is a character who's new to HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us, with season 2 picking up just after the events of The Last of Us' season 1 ending. Audiences were left with the weight of Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal)'s lie to Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) about what really happened to the Fireflies at the hospital.

Wright and his character Isaac are entering a rich yet daring time in The Last of Us' storytelling. The Last of Us Part II is known for its uptick in brutality and violence, particularly with its core themes of vengeance and forgiveness. The TV show's next installment will continue in that same vein, as evidenced by what has been shown thus far in The Last of Us season 2's trailer. Here's how Wright and his character fit into the story, as well as how he connects to one of the story's most essential characters, Abby Anderson.

Isaac Dixon Is A Minor Antagonist In The Last Of Us Part II

The Brutal Leader Of The Wolves

Isaac Dixon is no glorious hero in The Last of Us Part II. Years after serving in the United States Marine Corps, Isaac began to use his military experience to resist FEDRA's unjust takeover of Seattle. His efforts to do so became more and more extreme, leading him and a few others to become the founding members of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), also known as the Wolves. Isaac's share in the resistance at first mainly dealt with anti-FEDRA propaganda and robbery, but everything intensified after the WLF's leaders were killed by FEDRA.

Isaac became a brutal and unrelenting leader of the Wolves, encouraging many to join the effort even as his tactics became more ruthless. He didn't stop until he regained control of Seattle from FEDRA, and even then, he very much maintained an attitude that the people would either listen to him or be killed. Though this would save their lives in a few cases, it was still an extreme way of leading them. Isaac remained like this as they entered a war with the Seraphites, a group of people who neighbored their own territory. This war utterly consumed Isaac.

Jeffrey Wright Is Reprising His Game Role As Isaac In The Last Of Us Season 2

The Acclaimed Actor Returns

Wright is one of the few voice actors from the original The Last of Us video games to reprise his role in HBO's adaptation, which no doubt already promises an elevated performance from the accomplished actor. Even as an antagonist, Wright's Isaac is an extremely compelling part of The Last of Us Part II, making his continued involvement in The Last of Us season 2 even more thrilling. Those who aren't familiar with the video games, however, will be more familiar with Wright's roles outside The Last of Us Part II.

Perhaps best known in the action world as Lieutenant James Gordon in 2022's The Batman and Felix Leiter in 2021's No Time to Die, Wright has built a career on his affinity for both physical and voice acting. One of his more notable voice roles is that of The Watcher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's What If...? animated series. Wright's tenure in the dystopian The Hunger Games franchise as Beetee is what likely helped to set him up for a role in The Last of Us' post-apocalyptic world, amongst many of his other impressive roles.

How Isaac Dixon’s Story Ties Into Abby’s In The Last Of Us Season 2

He's A Major Part Of Her Story

Isaac is the leader of the Wolves at the time Abby Anderson joins them. This occurs after Joel Miller kills her father, the head surgeon who was meant to operate on Ellie for the Cordyceps cure. Formerly a Firefly along with her father, the disintegration of the group following Joel's massacre leads to Isaac accepting Abby and various other Fireflies into the WLF. Fueled by her rage and hunger for revenge, Abby becomes one of Isaac's favorite soldiers, earning her a leadership position in time. His brutal tactics no doubt rubbed off on her along the way.

The two aren't always amicable. Later on in the story, Abby makes decisions that Isaac doesn't agree with, and she even dares to defy his orders. This molds him into even more of a dangerous antagonist in The Last of Us Part II, especially as his actions as the leader of the Wolves during the war with the Seraphites become more and more extreme.

Isaac May Have A Bigger Role In The Last Of Us Season 2 Than In The Game

His Casting Will Be Capitalized On

Given Wright's acclaim as an actor, however, his return to the role of Isaac alone seems to promise that the character will be given an elevated role in The Last of Us season 2 that surpasses Isaac's status as a minor antagonist in the video game sequel. Wright is no small name to be added to this cast; when news broke about his casting in the TV show, it was nothing short of major for both those who know the video games and those who don't. The TV show has to capitalize on having Wright as a cast member.

How exactly this will happen is as yet unknown. There isn't much given away in any of the teasers or trailers, and The Last of Us season 2 would likely struggle to benefit from constantly dwelling upon the backstory he's given in the video game. This could mean that there's brand-new story material written for Isaac, or that it will simply be expanding upon moments and story arcs that already take place for him. Either way, there's no doubt that Wright's Isaac is going to be a key player in The Last of Us season 2, especially in Abby's story.