They say there are only two things inevitable in life: Death and paying taxes. Luckily for the people populating the post-apocyalyptic world ofThe Last of Us, the latter is out of the picture for them. But that's because they have much more to worry about, namely the chance of dying via the hordes of infected via the cordyceps pandemic. But the danger isn't just contained to those with fungi sprouting out of their heads. As Season 2 of the hit HBO drama proved, there is plenty of bloodshed that can occur not from the infected, but other humans. Fans were reminded harshly of this fact in Episode 2 of this most recent season, which saw the shocking death of one of the series' main protagonists Joel (Pedro Pascal) at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who was looking to get revenge for her father's death five years ago. But as things came to a close forThe Last of UsSeason 2, and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) sought out her own revenge story, plenty of blood was spilled, both friend and foe. And, if the season's ending is any indication, there's much more to come. Here's a spoiler-filled recap of everyone who died in tonight's Season 2 finale ofThe Last of Us. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 In the Season 2 finale, Ellie was finally able to ascertain the location of Abby, who she had traveled into Seattle to find. However, upon reaching the aquarium, she was disappointed to instead see two members of the "Salt Lake City crew," the group that joined her in exacting her revenge against Joel. One of them is Owen (Spencer Lord), who, during the brief time we spent with him in Season 2, was personified as one of the cooler heads of the crew.As he reminds Ellie while she holds him at gunpoint, he was the one that let her live, convincing Abby to back down after Ellie was forced to watch her father figure's drawn-out death in front of her. Ellie does not soften her stance, however, tersely telling him to point out Abby's location on a nearby map. Despite Owen's soft skills, he takes a hard stance when he feints for the map, instead grabbing a gun. And it ends up being a life-ending error, as Ellie reflexively shoots him through the neck, immediately killing him. However, given the final moments of Season 2, which flashes back to Abby's perspective when Ellie and Dina first arrive in Seattle, there's a good chance we'll get to know more about Owen prior to his death in Season 3. Tragically, Owen is not alone when Ellie encounters him, nor is he alone in crossing over to the other side. From the brief time we saw of Mel (Ariela Barer) prior to the finale, she was by far the most hesitant member of the Salt Lake City crew. Her character description reads that she's "a doctor in the WLF, committed to her role while struggling with the realities of war, reluctant to hurt others." Indeed, when Ellie comes upon her and Owen, they're arguing as to whether he should possibly be going behind enemy lines in search of Abby, as she does not want him to put himself in mortal danger.And, as we find out soon enough, there's a good reason for that. While Ellie only meant to take out Owen, she soon realizes the bullet passed through him into a nearby locker. What's more, it nicked Mel's neck, as she hits the ground, profusely bleeding out. It's then Ellie – and the audience – has a devastating revelation: Mel is pregnant. In her final moments, Mel tries to get Ellie to rescue her baby, talking her through how to conduct an impromptu C-section with a knife. But, whether out of abject shock, or continuing her insatiable bloodlust, Ellie does not grant that request. And so Mel, and her child, both die. Much like Owen, it's assumed that we'll get more of Mel through flashbacks in the beginning of Season 3. Related:Former Nickelodeon Star Shocks in Surprise Cameo on 'The Last of Us' With two of the Salt Lake City crew dead, it was only natural that Abby would continue to seek to even the numbers. And the variable in that equation, sadly, ended up being Jesse (Young Mazino). Since being introduced in the Season 2 premiere, Jesse has been looked upon as a pillar of the Jackson community, a force of stability in line to be the next leader. On top of that, he had built almost a sibling-like dynamic with Ellie, as well as an on-again, off-again relationship with Dina (Isabela Merced).The finale shone a major spotlight on Jesse, after it was revealed in Episode 5 that him and Tommy (Gabriel Luna) had snuck away to Seattle to retrieve Ellie and Dina. He discovered that Dina was pregnant with his child, and insisted to Ellie that he couldn't die in order to be a future father. He admonished what he felt was Ellie's "selfish" choice to go to Seattle, relating to his own experience where he chose not to run away with a woman he fell in love with to serve his role in Jackson. However, despite disapproving her decision to pursue Abby, he does come and retrieve her after Owen and Mel's deaths. Decompressing in their makeshift hideout, Jesse admitted to Ellie, "If I was out there, lost and in trouble, you would set the world on fire to save me." And it seems like Ellie will have yet another piece of kindling to add to that fire as, after things came to a head for the character, he was shot in the head on his way to investigate what was ultimately Abby's arrival. Joel's death catapulted Dina into becoming Ellie's most important connection in this world, and theThe Last of Us' secondary protagonist for Season 2. Her own close relationship with Joel led to Dina joining Ellie on her trip to Seattle. Along the way, we found out much about the new character, including the tragic loss of her family, her pregnancy and, most importantly, her feelings for Ellie. The two declared their love for one another upon arriving in Washington, though that was quickly sidelined with the arrival of Jesse, who took Dina back to their hideout after she took an arrow in the leg.Due to Dina's injury, she is largely sidelined in the finale. One notable moment, however, comes in the beginning of the episode, as she treats Ellie's wounds following the sequence of events in Episode 5. We've now discovered Ellie knows about Joel's "big lie," that he had actually killed all of the Fireflies five years ago to save her life, and prevent the world from getting a possibly cordyceps cure. And Ellie chose to tell Dina, something that gives her pause. Despite how "ride or die" Dina has been to the mission, finding out the extent of what Joel did – and why Abby was seeking revenge – seems to have changed her mind, as she responds by telling Ellie they need to go home.That does not seem to be a possibility at the moment, with Abby holding our heroes hostage. What's notable, however, is that final scene in the theater does not have any sign of Dina in it. For many reasons, it wouldn't make sense to give Dina an off-screen death, given both her prominence in the show, as well as her importance to Ellie's story. But, considering she's not being held at gunpoint alongside Tommy, it does give us pause as to where she might be in the fray. Related:Pedro Pascal Reacts to Shocking 'Last of Us' Episode Look, it is ridiculous to believe that the seemingly only person immune from cordyceps would get killed off by a gunshot in the season finale? Yes. It is even more ludicrous of an idea from a show perspective, considering that, with Joel's death, Ellie is left as the main character of the series? Absolutely.Still, given the way the episode ends, we have to entertain the possibility. After Jesse's death, Ellie finds Abby holding Tommy hostage, as she erroneously believes that he killed Owen and Mel. But Ellie tells her the truth, saying, "I was looking for you. I didn't mean to hurt them. I know why you killed Joel. He did what he did to save me. I'm the one that you want."A shocked Abby responds, "I let you live. And you wasted it." She fires the gun, and the screen cuts to black.Whether you know the video game source material or not, it's safe to say there is a very slim chance that Abby has killed Ellie. If anything, what Season 3 might consist of is actually a possibleteam-upbetween the two tortured young women. As we find out in the finale, Abby seems to have gone AWOL from a big WLF mission. We don't know the extent of her actions, but there's a chance she might want to try to enlist Ellie's help for her own plans, be it against the Seraphites or even the WLF itself. Despite what the cliffhanger may indicate, it's safe to say we'll be in store for plenty more Ellie wheneverThe Last of Usreturns for Season 3. Related: HBO Confirms First 6 Cast Members of 'Harry Potter' TV Show Who Died in 'The Last of Us' Season 2 Finale Tonight?first appeared on Parade on May 26, 2025
