Who does Troy Baker play in HBO’s The Last of Us?

We’re closing in on the endgame for The Last of Us season 1, and things are about to get intense. The trailer for Episode 8 introduced David and his band of cannibal raiders, teasing a whole lot of action and difficult times ahead for Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal).

It also gave us our first look at Troy Baker’s character, which quickly sent fans of The Last of Us games into a frenzy. Baker played Joel in Naughty Dog’s video game series, and has been a presence throughout the television show as the host of its companion podcast where he talks shop about each episode with showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman. But next week, Baker will be stepping into the show itself in a very different role from the one he played in the video game.

Who is Troy Baker playing in The Last of Us TV show?

In HBO’s The Last of Us, Troy Baker will be playing a character named James, who serves as the second-in-command to David (Scott Shepherd). David and James lead a group of raiders who have survived the apocalypse by turning to cannibalism, so don’t expect a heroic turn from Baker this time around.

While The Last of Us has had no problem inventing new characters when needed, such as with Kathleen in the Kansas City QZ, James actually is a character from the game. He’s also David’s right-hand man there as well.

While fans of the 2013 The Last of Us video game may have a decent idea of what to expect from the next episode, there are sure to still be plenty of surprises ahead. The Last of Us premieres new episodes Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.

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