What Happens To Joel In The Last Of Us

The Last of Us season 2, episode 2 features Joel's shocking death, and here is what happened and why it happened. Joel is the protagonist of The Last of Us season 1, with him and Ellie bonding throughout their shared journey to Salt Lake City. The Last of Us season 2 was shaping up to be another adventure starring Joel and Ellie, with many fans excited to see more of Pedro Pascal's character. However, one The Last of Us season 2 character had different plans, with Joel facing a horrible fate in the second episode.

The Last of Us season 2, episode 1 brought back HBO's hit adaptation of the PlayStation video game series, with it adapting the divisive sequel, The Last of Us Part II. However, the season premiere implied that the game would be receiving a lot of adaptational changes, with tons of new scenes and storylines being added. This gave some fans of The Last of Us hope that season 2 would change Joel's fate from the video game. Unfortunately, this wasn't in the cards for Joel, with newcomers and franchise fans alike being shocked at his death.

Abby Kills Joel In The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 2

After He Saves Her Life

The Last of Us season 2, episode 2 features the show's biggest death yet, as is features Abby killing Joel. In the episode, Joel and Dina go on patrol, with Ellie and Jesse going on a different patrol. While away from Jackson, Joel and Dina find a girl stuck under a fence, with her almost being attacked by Infected. Luckily, the duo saves her, learning that her name is Abby. They travel to a nearby ski lodge with Abby, where they meet Abby's friends. Tragically, this turns out to be a ruse, with Abby and the gang attacking Joel upon their arrival.

As is revealed in The Last of Us season 2 premiere, Abby has been hunting Joel down ever since The Last of Us season 1 finale. In this episode, Joel killed a hospital full of Fireflies in an attempt to save Ellie. Abby's father was a doctor who was killed by Joel, leading her to seek revenge. Abby arrived in Jackson while looking for Joel, although her mission was almost cut short by the Infected horde. After getting to the ski lodge, Abby hears Dina say Joel's name, making her realize that her savior is also the man who she has been hunting for years.

Abby's friends grab Dina, holding her hostage until Joel disarms. After some words are exchanged, Abby shoots Joel in the leg with a shotgun. Abby then beats Joel with a broken golf club before stabbing him with it. Abby and her friends then leave the ski lodge. Unfortunately, Ellie arrived during the killing, leaving her with Dina and the dead body of Joel.

How Joel's Death In The Last Of Us Show Compares To The Game

There Is One Massive Difference

Overall, the manner in which Joel is killed in the HBO series is incredibly similar to his death in The Last of Us Part II. In both iterations, Joel rescues Abby, goes back to her ski lodge, she learns that he is Joel, and then kills him with a golf club. The biggest difference has to do with who Joel is with. In the video game, Joel is on patrol with Tommy when they find Abby. In the HBO series, Joel is on patrol with Dina, as Tommy is back in Jackson defending from an Infected horde. This means that Dina is present all throughout Joel's death, which wasn't the case in the game.

Another change has to do with how Joel is discovered. One of the most controversial parts of The Last of Us Part II is that Joel simply told Abby his name, something that seemed out of character to many viewers. Likely due to these criticisms, Joel doesn't tell Abby his name in the HBO show. Instead, Dina accidentally says it when referring to Joel. This clues Abby in to who she is dealing with, leading her to kill Joel. This approach does make a bit more sense, as Joel does seem too trusting in The Last of Us Part II.

Joel Returns In The Last Of Us Through Flashbacks

Like In The Video Game

Although Joel may be dead at the end of The Last of Us season 2, episode 2, that doesn't mean he is gone forever. Pedro Pascal's character will return in the show, although not in the present timeline. The Last of Us Part II has flashback scenes scattered through it, showing what Joel and Ellie got up to in the years after their first adventure. The trailers for The Last of Us season 2 have already shown clips of Pedro Pascal from some scenes that haven't been shown yet. Presumably, these are the flashback scenes, with them playing in later episodes.

Since there is a five-year time jump between The Last of Us seasons 1 and 2, there is plenty of Joel and Ellie to show. These flashbacks will likely highlight the falling out that occurred between the two characters, as is explained in the season 2 premiere. The flashbacks may also be pulled straight from the game, adapting some of the sequel's most iconic scenes.

Ellie Sets Out To Find Abby & Avenge Joel's Death

Kicking Off Season 2's Story

Joel's death at the hands of Abby is the inciting incident of The Last of Us season 2, kicking off Ellie's next journey. In The Last of Us Part II, Joel's death causes Ellie to set out on a quest for revenge, with her going after Abby. In the years since leaving Salt Lake City, Abby and her friends joined the Washington Liberation Front, with them moving to Seattle. Thus, the bulk of The Last of Us season 2 will see Ellie and Dina attempting to track them down, with Ellie wanting nothing more than to kill Joel's murderer.

Ellie's quest for revenge may also be motivated by guilt, with Ellie knowing that she wasn't on good terms with Joel when he died. She could know that she wasted her last years with Joel, the person who loves her most. Ellie is now feeling what Abby felt after her father was killed, setting up the complex themes and story of The Last of Us season 2.