If you’ve spent any time on the internet lately, you’ve probably seen the chaos. People are losing their minds over Joel. Specifically, everyone wants to know: does Pedro Pascal die in The Last of Us? It's a heavy question. If you’re a fan of the show but haven’t touched the games, the answer is... complicated. Sorta.
Actually, no, it's pretty straightforward if we're talking about the plot, but it’s the way it happens that sticks in your throat.
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The Short Answer (And the Heartbreak)
Yes. Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, does die in The Last of Us. If you were hoping for a miracle or a fake-out, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you. In the second episode of Season 2, titled "Through the Valley," the show finally went there. It followed the path laid out by the 2020 video game, The Last of Us Part II, almost to a T—though with some nasty little tweaks that made it feel even more personal.
He didn't go out in a blaze of glory. There was no heroic sacrifice where he saved the world. Instead, he was cornered in a snowy lodge by a group of strangers. A girl named Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever, was the one who pulled the trigger—well, technically, she used a golf club. It was brutal. It was fast. And for a lot of people who hadn't played the game, it was a total sucker punch.
Why Did It Happen So Fast?
A lot of fans expected Pedro Pascal to stick around for the whole season. I mean, he’s the face of the show! But the creators, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, decided to rip the Band-Aid off early.
In the show, Joel and Dina (Ellie’s girlfriend) save Abby from a massive horde of infected. They think they’re just being good Samaritans. They follow her back to a lodge where her friends are staying, thinking they've found safety. Instead, they walked right into a trap.
Abby wasn't just some random survivor. She was the daughter of the surgeon Joel killed at the end of Season 1—the guy who was going to operate on Ellie to find a cure. She had been hunting Joel for years. Once she realized who he was, she didn't hesitate. She shot him in the leg, beat him with a golf club, and eventually delivered the final blow while Ellie was forced to watch, pinned to the floor.
It’s a "law of consequences" thing. Joel saved Ellie, but he killed a lot of people to do it. One of those people had a daughter who was just as capable of violence as he was.
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Is Pedro Pascal Actually Leaving the Show?
This is where things get interesting. Even though Joel is dead in the "current" timeline, Pedro Pascal isn't gone.
The show uses flashbacks constantly. It’s basically the DNA of the story now. Because Season 2 is only covering a portion of the second game, there is a ton of ground to cover regarding the five years between the first and second seasons.
- The Museum Trip: There’s a huge, fan-favorite scene where Joel takes Ellie to an old museum for her birthday. It's one of the few moments of pure joy in this miserable world.
- The Fall-Out: We see more of the tension between them as Ellie starts to realize Joel lied to her about what happened with the Fireflies.
- The Last Conversation: There are pivotal scenes that haven't even aired yet that show how they were trying to mend their relationship right before he was killed.
So, while Joel is "dead," Pedro Pascal is still a lead actor. He appeared in four out of the seven episodes in Season 2. You’ll see him in memories, in dreams, and in those quiet, heartbreaking moments that explain why Ellie is so hell-bent on revenge.
How the Show Changed the Death Scene
If you're a gamer, you probably noticed the show shifted things around. In the game, Joel is with his brother Tommy when he dies. In the show, it's Dina.
Why change it? Honestly, it makes the trauma even more shared between Ellie and Dina. It ties them together in a way that fuels the rest of the season. Also, the show made the death feel a bit more "final." In the game, Abby uses the golf club for the whole thing. In the show, the club actually breaks because she hits him so hard, so she finishes him off by stabbing him in the neck with the broken shaft.
It was gnarly. It was also a way for the show to prove that no one—not even the most beloved character in the world—is safe.
What Happens to Ellie Now?
The rest of the story is no longer about Joel and Ellie’s road trip. It’s about Ellie’s descent into madness. She leaves Jackson and heads to Seattle to hunt down every single person who was in that room when Joel died.
It's a revenge story, but it’s a messy one. You start to realize that Ellie is becoming exactly what she hated. She’s killing people who have their own families, their own stories, and their own reasons for being there. The show asks a really tough question: is Joel’s life worth the dozens of lives Ellie takes to "avenge" him?
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Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're reeling from the loss of Joel, here is how you should approach the rest of the series:
- Don't skip the "slow" episodes. Many people think the flashbacks are just filler. They aren't. They contain the emotional core of the show and are the only way you get to see Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey together again.
- Pay attention to Abby's side. The show is going to start showing you her perspective. It’s tempting to hate her, but the writers want you to see that she isn't a "villain" in her own story. She’s just another version of Ellie.
- Expect more Joel in Season 3. Since the creators are splitting the second game into multiple seasons, Pedro Pascal will likely be filming flashback scenes for years to come. He’s not "done" with the franchise by a long shot.
- Watch the "Inside the Episode" segments. Craig Mazin usually explains the logic behind these big swings, and it helps process the grief of losing a character like Joel.
Losing Joel is the point of the story. It’s meant to hurt. It’s meant to make you feel as angry as Ellie does. Just remember that even though he’s gone, his influence—and Pedro's performance—isn't going anywhere yet.
Next Steps for You:
- If you're struggling with the gore, look up "The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 Parental Guide" to see exactly what to skip.
- Check out the official The Last of Us podcast for deeper dives into why the golf club scene was changed for TV.
- Follow Pedro Pascal’s upcoming projects like Fantastic Four to see him in a much less depressing role.