4 moments coming on The Last of Us that we're not ready for

The first season of The Last of Us released on HBO and Max is one of the most faithful adaptations we've seen of a video game to date, if not the most faithful. So of course, expectations are at an all-time high for the second season to do justice to its source material, Naughty Dog's video game The Last of Us Part II. And if that turns out to be the case, then there are multiple moments that audiences are simply not ready for.

Whether you've already played the Naughty Dog games or are experiencing the story for the first time in the HBO series, these upcoming moments will break your heart and raise your heartbeat beyond what's recommended. So it's time to break them all down! But before we begin, it's important to note that potential SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2 and beyond will follow. So if you don't want anything ruined, we'd recommend bookmarking this page, waiting for the second season's release sometime in 2025, and coming back after you've watched it to see how we did!

Still here? Great! Then let's dive into four moments coming in The Last of Us series that we're not ready for!

1. The franchise's biggest death

Nothing — and I mean absolutely nothing — could've prepared us for this heart-wrenching moment when playing The Last of Us Part II (except maybe from the unfortunate leaks prior to the game's release). While many theorized Joel would meet his end in the second entry of the beloved Naughty Dog saga, few could've guessed it would come at the beginning of the game. Worse of all; it was impossible to know how it would unfold.

Joel and Ellie became some of gaming's most iconic characters after The Last Of Us was released in 2013. So players expected the former to have a big heroic moment before dying. Perhaps he could've sacrificed himself to save Ellie, or maybe he could've gone down while taking a big horde of clickers with him. But none of that happened. Turns out his passing came without any bigger meaning or purpose. After a few minutes of playing the sequel, he was just shockingly gone after being beaten to death with a golf club.

At this point, many viewers of the HBO adaptation know this heart-breaking moment is coming. But even then, we're not ready to watch it happen in live-action. Especially when Pedro Pascal will be the one biting the dust.

2. Here comes the Rat King

While all events from the first Last of Us video game were adapted in the show's first season, the same won't happen for season 2. It's still unclear which events from the second game we'll get to watch next year and which will be saved for season 3 and beyond. However, one thing's for certain: someday we'll get to watch the unnerving introduction of the Rat King on the small screen.

Let me ask you a quick question: What's worse than having to fight against clickers, stalkers, and bloaters? Well, a single monster combining all of those horrible creatures, of course! If you've played through The Last of Us Part II you know how terrifying the Rat King truly is. Worst of all: he's incredibly difficult to fight. So chances are the HBO adaptation realizes the great potential of this monster and makes something special of its introduction. But be warned: his appearance won't be for the faint of heart.

3. Ellie kills Mel and Owen

The Last of Us saga is plagued with morally ambiguous moments. One perfect example is how Joel decided to condemn the entire world in order to save the life of just one little girl, only to later lie to her about what truly happened. Every character we meet in Naughty Dog's saga is forced to make difficult (and often wrong) decisions to either survive or fulfill their own personal vendetta. Ellie is no exception.

Perhaps one of tensest moments came when she purposefully killed Mel — a pregnant woman — along with the father of her child, Owen. It was a brutal scene to watch unfold. Harvey Dent said it best: "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

Listen, it's totally understandable why Ellie wants to get revenge on Abby, a character we will all come to know and have complicated feelings about in season 2. After all, the latter is responsible for Joel's death. But wrongfully taking the lives of others believing it will accomplish that goal just felt...wrong. That moment proved there aren't heroes in the world of The Last of Us, and we're not prepared to watch it in live action.

4. Dina abandons Ellie

The Last of Us is a heartbreaking saga. Just when its lead characters seem to find some semblance of comfort, everything goes terribly wrong. That scenario recurs many times, such as when Henry and Sam die, when Joel dies, and...well, when many other characters die. But perhaps the best example is when Ellie's girlfriend Dina abandons Ellie near the end of The Last of Us Part II.

There's no happy ending in the apocalypse, but perhaps Ellie found something close in the form of a family with Dina. They both share a house and even raise a kid together. It seemed to be a simple yet wonderful life... until it wasn't. When Ellie revealed her commitment to finish what she started and kill Abby once and for all, Dina couldn't take it anymore. After all, it would've been excruciating to wait for the return of Ellie — her loved one — without knowing if she was alive or not. Why risk the family they built together? It didn't seem worth it. So with tears in her eyes, Dina decided she wouldn't wait for Ellie anymore.

That sequence was heartbreaking to watch unfold in the video game, and chances are it will break our hearts once again in the TV series. Yeah, we're definitely not ready to relive that.

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