Pedro Pascal makes his big return to ‘The Last of Us' after shocking death
Pedro Pascal returns to 'The Last of Us' in the promo for the sixth episode, airing this Sunday.
This comes after the second episode of Season 2 brutally murdered his character, Joel.
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It's in line with what series co-creator Craig Mazin told The Post, as he said that even though Joel died, Joel and Ellie 'spend quite a bit of time together in this season…more than people might think.'
He's not coming back as a zombie or a ghost – the episode will show flashbacks of his time with Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in between Seasons 1 and 2.
6 Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal attend HBO's 'The Last of Us' Season Two Los Angeles Premiere at TCL Chinese Theater on March 24, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
FilmMagic for HBO
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6 Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us' Season 2.
Liane Hentscher/HBO
Based on a popular video game of the same name, 'The Last of Us' is set in a dystopian future where society has broken down, there are zombie-like creatures, and gruff smuggler Joel has formed a pseudo father/daughter relationship with teen girl Ellie.
In the second episode of Season 2, Joel was killed by the new Season 2 character, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).
He had previously killed Abby's father during his efforts to protect Ellie. So, Abby killed Joel as revenge.
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After Joel saved her life, she viciously beat him nearly to death with a golf club and then stabbed him in the neck while Ellie watched, crying.
Ironically, since Abby slayed Joel as revenge for him killing her dad, her bloody action pushed Ellie into a similar revenge journey. Ellie has been searching for Abby, intending to kill her to avenge Joel.
6 Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us' Season 2.
Liane Hentscher/HBO
6 Kaitlyn Dever and Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us' Season 2.
Liane Hentscher/HBO
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There was a five-year time jump from Season 1 to Season 2, as Ellie was 14 in Season 1 and is now 19.
The preview of the sixth episode shows the time in between, when Joel and Ellie were still a family.
A scene in the trailer shows the duo walking in the woods holding guns, as he tells her, 'Remember what I taught you.'
6 Pedro Pascal attends the Los Angeles premiere of the HBO original series 'The Last of Us' Season 2 at TCL Chinese Theater on March 24, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
Getty Images
Mazin exclusively told The Post that Joel's death was similar to when Ned Stark (Sean Bean) got killed on 'Game of Thrones.'
'If you look at 'Game of Thrones,' like everybody, I was so shocked when Ned Stark got his head chopped off. I couldn't believe it,' he said.
'That incident never goes away,' he added.
6 Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in 'The Last of Us.'
HBO
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Joel's death was similar to Ned's because Ned's 'character is there, over everything from that first season [of 'Game of Thrones'], all the way to the final moments of the last one – because that informs everything. It changes everyone, and people keep coming back to that story over and over.'
'The Last of Us' airs Sundays (9 p.m.) on HBO and Max.
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