SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers for both seasons of The Last Of Us.

HBO’s adaptation of the acclaimed Sony Playstation game The Last Of Us took notable creative liberties in Season 1, guided by the vision of Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann, the mastermind behind the award-winning game.

As Season 2 unfolds, it continues to diverge from The Last of Us Part II, the sequel RPG game that serves as its foundation.

Below is a detailed analysis of the significant narrative changes in the television adaptation.

Season 2

Abby’s Physique & Motive

Viewers quickly noted that Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Abby in HBO’s adaptation, does not match the character’s physicality from the game. However, Druckmann has clarified that Dever’s physique was not a primary concern during casting.

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“We need someone who can truly embody the essence of these characters. We don’t prioritize whether they look exactly like the character in terms of physical features. While it’s not completely off the table, it takes a backseat to other important factors,” he previously shared with Entertainment Weekly.

Another significant alteration from The Last of Us Part II is the early revelation that Abby was once part of the Fireflies, the militia group Joel is trying to reach with Ellie in the first game/season to find a cure for her immunity. In the Season 2 premiere, viewers discover Abby has a personal vendetta against Joel due to a loved one he killed during his desperate attempt to save Ellie. In the game, Abby’s motivations and backstory are revealed much later, often requiring players to control her without fully understanding her character.

Joel’s Death

In the second episode, Joel goes on patrol with Dina and, while seeking shelter from a snowstorm, they encounter Abby being pursued by a horde of Infected. This scene differs slightly from the game, where Tommy accompanies Joel instead of Dina. However, the subsequent events remain largely faithful to the game.

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Abby invites them to take shelter in her lodge. Once inside, she introduces her companions and proceeds to incapacitate Dina (in the game, it’s Tommy) before brutally killing Joel. As Abby beats Joel to death, Ellie walks in and is forced to witness the horrific act.

The Horde of Infected Resurrecting From Snow

In the game, Abby is saved by Joel while being chased by a horde of Infected. This scenario is mirrored in the series, but the horde later attacks Jackson, breaching the town.

Season 1

Pilot Episode’s Talk Show Opening

The pilot episode of The Last Of Us opens with a talk show featuring two doctors discussing a potential pandemic related to cordyceps, a scene exclusive to the series. The video game begins with the early days of the infection, but the show takes it further back to a fictional 1968 program where a researcher warns about the risks of a fungal infection exacerbated by global warming.

The Timeline

The timeline in the pilot episode differs slightly from the game. The game starts in 2013 and jumps to a post-apocalyptic future in 2033, while the show begins in 2003 and transitions to a post-pandemic 2023, coinciding with the launch of its first season.

Sarah’s Story Is More Prominent

The series dedicates more time to Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) daughter, Sarah, showcasing her efforts to repair his watch and celebrate his birthday, which is just before Outbreak Day on September 26.

Tess & Joel’s Relationship

In the game, the relationship between Tess (Anna Torv) and Joel is less romantic. However, the show hints at a deeper connection, featuring a scene where Tess embraces Joel in bed and a letter from Bill (Nick Offerman) urging Joel to protect Tess.

The Way Cordyceps Spreads

In the game, spores pose a significant threat, as inhaling them can lead to infection. The show emphasizes direct contact, particularly through bites, as the primary means of infection.

Craig Mazin, who co-developed the series with Druckmann, explained that removing spores was a practical decision. In reality, spores would spread rapidly, necessitating masks for uninfected individuals, which would detract from the storytelling.

Tommy’s Absence

In the show, Joel has lost contact with Tommy after they previously communicated regularly via radio while he was in Wyoming. In the game, their separation is portrayed as a result of their growing distance.

The Scientist In Jakarta

Christine Hakim’s Dr. Ratna Pertiwi, who is summoned by the Indonesian government to identify a cordyceps-infected woman, is introduced in Episode 2. This context is absent from the game, which focuses on the outbreak in the U.S. The show suggests Jakarta as the origin of the infection, where Patient Zero bit the deceased woman.

Ellie’s Immunity

In the game, Tess and Joel believe Ellie is immune because she inhaled spores without falling ill. The show shifts this narrative, showing Ellie with a bite and scars from an earlier encounter with an Infected, reinforcing her immunity. The series further explores this backstory in the finale.

Tess’ Death

In the game, Tess is killed by FEDRA agents tracking the trio outside the quarantine zone. In the show, she sacrifices herself against a horde of Infected, knowing she is infected and has limited time left.

Ellie’s Love of Mortal Kombat

In the video game, Ellie discovers an arcade cabinet for The Turning, hinting at her fondness for Mortal Kombat II.

Bill & Frank’s Love Story

The third episode of Season 1, which explores the relationship between Bill and Frank, significantly diverges from the game. In the game, Bill is alive when Joel and Ellie reach him, and he has already separated from Frank.

Kansas City

Instead of Kansas City, as depicted in the show, the game has Joel and Ellie traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after their time at Bill’s compound. The character Kathleen, played by Melanie Lynskey, does not exist in the game; her character amalgamates various roles from the game.

The underground pit of Infected in Kansas City is also absent from the game, although the show features a sequence where a pack of Infected overruns Pittsburgh. This moment introduces a Bloater, a type of Infected covered in cordyceps mushrooms, which first appears in Bill’s section of the game.

Ellie’s “First” Kill

In the video game, Ellie kills a raider attacking Joel. In the show, she stabs a raider whom Joel ultimately kills.

Henry and Sam

Ellie and Joel encounter Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam Burrell (Keivonn Woodard) on the street in Pittsburgh, while in the game, the brothers sneak up on them while they sleep.

Sam’s deafness, prominently depicted in the show, is less defined in the game. Additionally, Henry’s backstory as a FEDRA informant is unique to the show, as is the absence of Infected in the Kansas City tunnels the group navigates. Ellie’s application of her blood to Sam’s infected wound is also not present in the game.

Wyoming

The couple Ellie and Joel meet at the beginning of Episode 6 in The Last of Us Season 1 does not appear in the video game.

When Ellie and Joel find Tommy and his wife Maria (Rutina Wesley) at their compound in Jackson, Wyoming, Tommy reveals that Maria is pregnant, a detail not present in the game.

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Joel does not experience panic attacks in the game as he does in the show while in Wyoming.

Ellie’s Response to Joel Asking Tommy to Escort Her the Rest of the Way West

In the game, when Ellie overhears the brothers discussing passing her off to Tommy for the remainder of her journey with Joel, she runs away.

Joel’s Wound at Eastern Colorado Campus

In the game, Joel sustains a near-fatal puncture wound from falling onto a metal rod, while in the show, he is stabbed by a raider.

Ellie and Riley’s Backstory

In Episode 7 of The Last of Us Season 1, Ellie recalls how she was bitten by an Infected in an abandoned mall. In the game, this flashback occurs when Ellie scavenges for supplies to heal Joel’s wound in a different mall. The show alters this sequence, showing her finding a needle and thread in an abandoned house.

The series also expands on Ellie’s time at the FEDRA academy, where she meets Riley. In the game, they attempt to play The Turning in the mall, while in the show, they play Mortal Kombat II. Riley’s affiliation with the Fireflies is clearer in the show, as she is stationed there during their mall visit.

The encounter with a single Infected in the show contrasts with the horde they face in the game.

Ellie’s Birth

The show reveals the circumstances of Ellie’s birth, including her mother Anna (Ashley Johnson, who voices Ellie in the game) giving birth while being bitten by an Infected. This detail expands on the lore surrounding Ellie’s immunity, suggesting that the cordyceps in her system developed alongside her from birth. As Marlene (Merle Dandridge) explains in the show, a doctor believes Ellie’s immunity stems from this unique circumstance, allowing her to fend off the infection that affects others.

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