The Last of Us Part 3 could still be a few years off, and there is no telling where the writers will take those who survived the traumatic experience of the controversial sequel. Characters come and go, and this is something director Neil Druckmann has no issue with doing. It is evident that he has the guts to make the hard decision of killing certain characters with no clear paths or potential storylines; however, his methods are more brutal than fans expect.
With that being said, let’s take a look at every major character featured in The Last of Us and assess if they could make it into the upcoming sequel.
The Last of Us Part I
The Last of Us Part I had a simple premise and a smaller cast. It follows the adventures of a smuggler and a young girl who is probably humanity’s last hope of restoring order. Throughout the game, players fell in love and became attached to these characters and the story made them remember what it’s like to love in a world devoid of it.
Joel Miller
Joel Miller became a PlayStation mascot overnight in 2013 after the gaming community fell in love with his story and characterization. As a single father, Joel worked hard to be there for his daughter and give her a good life. Unfortunately, the world had other plans after it collapsed a few hours after his birthday, known as Outbreak Day. 20 years later, Joel lost every shred of humanity he had left by becoming a Hunter until he settled in Boston as a smuggler where he was contracted to escort Ellie to the Fireflies.
Together with Ellie, they travelled across a post-apocalyptic America to reach their destination until Joel snapped and undid all their effort by killing the doctors to spare Ellie’s life. Joel single-handedly destroyed humanity’s last hope in exchange for his chance of being a good father and human. 5 years after killing the Fireflies, Joel met his untimely demise at the hands of Abby.
While his story has unceremoniously ended, there is a strong likelihood that he will appear in The Last of Us Part 3 in a flashback. It is worth noting that Troy Baker and Neil Druckmann have a strong working relationship and are extremely protective of the character.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: Yes
Sarah Miller
Sarah was Joel’s daughter and was the first playable character in the series. She was sweet and gentle, and would not last long in the world her father and uncle lived in. Sarah dies during Outbreak Day as Joel pleads with her to hold on after a gutshot wound. While she only had a few minutes of screentime, there is no reason for Naughty Dog to bring her back in Part 3, especially after Joel’s death.
Status: Dead
Like to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Tommy Miller
Tommy is Joel’s younger brother and an expert marksman. He and his brother would work in construction before the fall of humanity and resorted to a life of robbing and killing innocent people. Tommy always had a different perspective in life than his brother and set out on his own to become a Firefly. Tommy realized the life of killing FEDRA soldiers is not for him and he too abandoned that life and fell in love with Maria. The two settled in Jackson and became pillars of the community.
During the events of the first game, Joel sought out Tommy’s help to get Ellie off of his hands. The brothers were still at odds but were always on point, especially against raiders. The two moved past their grievances and Tommy offered them a home in Jackson after their mission. Joel and Ellie returned to Jackson and contributed greatly to the community by patrolling the grounds. Joel confided in Tommy and revealed what he did, which left his younger brother speechless.
Tommy understood Joel’s reasoning and promised to keep his secret when they got home. A few years later, Joel and Tommy rescued Abby from a horde of Infected, but their kindness was their undoing. Abby and the WLF tortured and murdered Joel while Tommy was knocked out. Unwilling to let his brother’s death go unpunished, Tommy tracked Abby’s friends and killed plenty in Seattle until he got shot in the head.
A few years later, Tommy is bitter about what happened in Seattle and can’t move like he used to thanks to his injuries. He may not be the man he used to be, but odds are he will return in Part 3.
Status: Alive
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: Yes
Marlene
After a gunshot wound to the stomach, Marlene couldn’t handle it herself and entrusted Ellie to Joel and Tess. Marlene was the leader of the Fireflies in Boston and was a close friend of Anna, Ellie’s biological mother. She has the support of her people and is often pitted against a rock and a hard place. After she recovered from her injuries, she made it to Salt Lake City just in time for Ellie and Joel to show up. She discussed with Jerry Anderson, the surgeon, and Abby’s father, about other options to extract Ellie’s brain.
She eventually gave the signal to kill Ellie for the greater good, which led to the deaths of countless Fireflies, including herself by the hands of Joel. Joel went on a rampage and killed every Firefly between him and Ellie. At the parking lot, she held Joel at gunpoint but moved her gun away to try and convince him to do the right thing. Joel was ready and shot her in the stomach, and she begged for her life until Joel finished her off. While she had a brief cameo in Part 2, it seems there is nothing more to do with this character.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Tess Servopoulos
Tess was a smuggler and Joel’s partner in Boston. She views the world the same way as Joel, but when she finds out about Ellie’s immunity, she did her part to get her to where she needs to be at the cost of her own life. Tess got bitten and her infection was Joel’s proof that Ellie was immune and could be the key to winning the war against the Infected. FEDRA soldiers were on their tail and she used the last of her strength to fend them off and was gunned down shortly.
Tess wasn’t mentioned once in Part 2, but Ellie took on a similar look to honor her memory. She was among the people who died in Ellie’s name and there is no reason for her character to return in Part 3.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Ellie Williams
Ellie is the only person immune to the Cordyceps virus and was mentored by Joel. Fans fell in love with her strong personality and have the mouth of a sailor that could get a YouTube video demonetized like there is no tomorrow. At a young age, Marlene placed Ellie under FEDRA’s care in an orphanage that trains orphans into soldiers. Eventually, she and her friend Riley, snuck out and got infected. Riley succumbs to the infection, but not Ellie, which made her go to Marlene.
Marlene and the Fireflies realized she could be the key to restoring humanity and entrusted her to Joel’s care. She learned how the world works the hard way after dodging countless infected variants and hunters. She took down David’s group of cannibals and this was her trial of becoming a true survivor. She was unconscious for the most part at the Firefly hospital and had no idea of Joel’s rampage until she figured out the truth years later from a recorder. She cuts ties with Joel until she realized why he did it.
5 years later, Ellie is the playable character and witnessed Joel’s gruesome death as she pleads Abby to stop. This lit a fuse within her and sent her down a dark path full of blood and vengeance. Ellie spent 3 days tracking Abby, but found most of her companions and slaughtered them like animals until Abby caught up with her and left her for dead. A few months later, Tommy came for a social call and informed them of Abby’s whereabouts. Initially reluctant, Ellie went anyway because she believed her PTSD would go away.
After freeing Abby and forcing her to fight at the Rattler’s camp, she gave up and lost her fingers in the process. There is no telling where Ellie went after she visited Dina’s farm at the end of Part 2, but one thing is certain: Ellie will return in The Last of Us Part 3 in some capacity.
Status: Alive
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: Yes
Riley Abel
Riley is another orphan from Boston, and Ellie’s first girlfriend. She invited Ellie to sneak out at night when they were both bitten before she leaves for another city, and to be stationed by the Fireflies. She was a bit older than Ellie, but was still a kid at heart, which made her fate unfortunate. After fending off a horde of runners, Riley gets bitten and turns shortly, then Ellie had to put her out of her misery.
Riley was mentioned in the first game and was featured in The Left Behind DLC. Naughty Dog utilized this character to tell Ellie’s story and there is no reason for her to appear in Part 3.’
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Bill
After the Outbreak, Bill fortified his hometown of Lincoln and lived with Frank who became his partner. He is a hardened survivor with poor people skills, but always finds something worth trading with Joel and Tess. Bill is scrappy, resourceful, loud, and rude, but he has what it takes to survive. Players get to spend a few hours with him during Bill’s Town, which was the extent of his limited screentime.
Ellie subtly mentioned Bill in Part 2, and his live-action counterpart died with Frank, but this doesn’t mean Naughty Dog can’t bring this character back in Part 3, even for a small role or cameo.
Status: Alive
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: Yes
Henry and Sam
These brothers will cross paths with Ellie and Joel during the Pittsburgh section, but their stories are one of the darkest and saddest ever told in any medium. Henry grew up in the apocalypse and took it upon himself to raise Sam, then sought to join the Fireflies to live a life of meaning. Unfortunately, Sam was bitten during their escape from the hunters, and turned overnight. Henry gunned down his brother and committed suicide in front of Joel and Ellie.
These two may have a limited screen time, but they made an impression on the player base and the survivors. Ellie carried the toy robot Sam wanted to honor his memory, and there is little to no reason for the developers to bring these two characters back beyond the grave.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Maria Miller
Maria is the daughter of the founder of the Jackson community and is one of their leaders. She and Tommy fell in love and settled down as community leaders, providing shelter, aid, food, and second chances to other survivors. While she can be open and kind, she has a cold side and doesn’t trust easily. She knew of Joel and Tommy’s past and knows her way around a gun. She had a small role in the first game and a few scenes in the sequel, making her return in Part 3 a guarantee.
Status: Alive
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: Yes
David
David was the leader of the cannibal group that ambushed Joel and Ellie at the University. He later made his first appearance during the Winter section where he convinced Ellie to trade some of the deer meat in exchange for medicine to help Joel recover. While he kept his word and fended a horde with Ellie, his true colors showed when he revealed he and his people eat others to stay alive.
He wanted Ellie to join him, but Ellie wouldn’t budge. His death was one of the satisfying kills in the franchise and Ellie made short work of him with his blade. He was a major antagonist in the first game and the odds of his return in Part 3 are low.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Jerry Anderson
Initially a nameless surgeon and the last man standing between Joel and Ellie, Jerry Anderson was the only Firefly surgeon and the hope of a cure died with him. He raised his daughter, Abby, as part of the group and had a compassionate side. Unfortunately, Jerry was willing to let Ellie die for humanity to survive, which didn’t sit right with most players, especially in medicine. Perhaps he could have a quick cameo in a flashback with Abby in Part 3.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
The Last of Us Part 2
Set 5 years after the events of the first game, this story expanded beyond Joel and Ellie’s simple tale of survival. This game is much darker and grittier, especially once players get entangled with the new characters. Different factions with different agendas offering their perspectives of how the world should work since the fall.
Abby Anderson
Abby is the daughter of Jerry Anderson and made it her life’s mission to hunt and kill Joel. She grew up with the Fireflies and the other kids became her family. The Salt Lake crew managed to stay together after her Firefly cell collapsed and joined Isaac’s WLF at Seattle. Abby used her time with the WLF to build her physique and successfully lured him and Tommy after they rescued her from a horde.
After killing Joel, Abby returned to Seattle and had a tough time figuring out what she was meant to do in life. As a glorified soldier for the WLF, she was renowned for her high kill count for Scars and Infected alongside her friend, Manny. Her relationships with her friends deteriorated after they realized she was no better than her father’s killer and sought out ways to atone for her sins by helping a few Scar kids, Yara and Lev.
After betraying her people and nearly killing Ellie, Tommy, and Dina, she decided to let them live despite what they did to her friends. A few months later, Abby and Lev found a lead about the Fireflies regrouping at Santa Barbara, but were captured by the Rattlers. Ellie followed her tracks, freed her and forced her to fight despite Abby’s reluctance. Abby fought in self-defense and was about to drown until Ellie gave up and allowed her and Lev to flee.
At the end of Part 2, players can see her boat docked on a sunny beach indicating she and Lev reached the Fireflies, and this pretty much confirms her return in Part 3.
Status: Alive
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: Yes
Owen Moore
Owen was a Firefly soldier assigned to guard Jerry during their stay at Salt Lake City. After the collapse of their cell, he joined the WLF alongside Abby, but had some reservations about her mission to take revenge on Joel. He had a moral compass and doesn’t want to kill anyone who doesn’t need to die. Eventually, he and Abby fell out and he got together with Mel and got her pregnant. Owen was assigned with Danny on patrol, but couldn’t kill an elderly Scar, which made Danny brand him a traitor.
Owen attacked Danny in self-defense and fled to the aquarium, where Abby finds him ready to set sail to the Fireflies at Santa Barbara. A few days later, Ellie caught up with him and Mel in the aquarium and intended to siphon some information but ended up killing them both in self-defense. The chances of him appearing in Part 3 are low.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Mel
Mel was Abby’s childhood best friend and Jerry’s top student. She was trained as a medic and had enough combat training to be on the field against Infected and Scars, but was unceremoniously killed by Ellie during her revenge quest. Mel became a casualty in this tragic tale and the developers have no reason to bring her back in Part 3.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Nora Harris
Nora was a former Firefly and joined the WLF with Abby after the collapse of the Salt Lake cell. She was present during Joel’s death and was killed by Ellie through slow torturing and inhalation of spores during Seattle Day 2. Chances of her returning in Part 3, even in a flashback, are low.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Manny Alvarez
Manny was a former Firefly and Isaac’s top dog alongside Abby in the WLF. He is a loyal friend to Abby and one of the soldiers the Scars feared the most. Manny dies after Tommy shoots him at the back of the head and is another casualty of this revenge tale. He was a supporting character and had no reason to return in Part 3.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Jordan
Jordan was a friend of Abby and was involved in Joel’s death. He was the first person Ellie meets in Seattle and kills him with her switchblade to his jugular, killing him instantly. The likelihood of him appearing in Part 3 is low.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Isaac Dixon
Isaac was the leader of the Washington Liberation Front, and was responsible for taking down FEDRA in Seattle. He is ruthless, cold, and a brilliant strategist as he managed to hold a good portion of the city away from the Seraphite cult. He took in Abby and her friends after the Fireflies collapsed and met his end as Yara pulled one last trick and shot him in the back. The WLF panicked after their leader’s death and he is not returning in Part 3.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Yara
Yara was a Seraphite warrior rescued by Abby and is good with a bow, despite not seeing it in the game, but Lev repeatedly mentioned their sister’s skill. Despite losing an arm, she is still capable in combat and a product of Seraphite training. She was willing to leave Seattle and join Owen until she was riddled with bullets by the WLF as they escaped the island. Yara was a casualty of war between the Scars and WLF, and could potentially be mentioned by Lev in Part 3.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Lev
Lev is Yara’s younger brother and became Abby’s redemption by guiding and protecting him from the world. Raised in the Seraphite cult, Lev is combat capable and good with a bow. After Yara’s death and encounter with Ellie at the theater, Lev became Abby’s moral compass to remind her to do the right thing. A few months later, she and Abby found a lead about the Fireflies in Santa Barbara, but were captured by the Rattlers.
He and Abby were hung on the beach pillars until Ellie freed them and threatened his life to provoke Abby. Despite his weakened state, he is alive and well and will likely return in Part 3.
Status: Alive
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: Yes
Jesse
Jesse was a resident in the Jackson community, an excellent leader, Dina’s ex-boyfriend, and a good friend of Ellie’s. After Ellie and Dina left for Seattle, he followed their lead and wanted to help bring Abby to justice, but was unceremoniously killed in Day 3. While he may not be in Part 3, his son, JJ, will likely have a bigger role.
Status: Dead
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: No
Dina
Dina was Jesse’s ex-girlfriend and Ellie’s current partner. Her lighthearted demeanor could dissuade others of her being a threat, but she has proved that she can inflict a world of pain on anyone who wronged her or her friends. After telling Ellie she was pregnant with Jesse’s child in Seattle Day 1, she stayed at their hideout and marked where their targets could be. She nearly died by Abby’s hands but was spared and was able to give birth to JJ.
A few months later, she and Ellie lived on a farm away from Jackson and begged Ellie to let her quest go and live a life together. Dina couldn’t go through the process of revenge and decided to move away as Ellie hunted Abby in Santa Barbara. While we don’t know where she and JJ went after Part 2, the chances of her return in Part 3 are high.
Status: Alive
Likely to Appear in The Last of Us Part 3: Yes
Will The Last of Us Part 3 Feature New Characters?
Characters come and go, especially in a long-running franchise. The first game primarily featured the adventures of Joel and Ellie until Naughty Dog grew ambitious and added more characters into the mix. It can be hard to compete with established characters, especially after the gaming community spent years falling in love with them. While not everyone was a fan of how Part 2 ended, the developers still have plenty of opportunities to explore with surviving characters and with new faces.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our complete timeline of The Last of Us, and why Part 3 could take a while.
Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
