Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 1 and The Last of Us Part II video game!The Last of Us season 2 will bring new characters into the story, and The Last of Us Part II video game means a few crucial ones are on the way. HBO's hit series and the video games it is based on focus primarily on the relationship between Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey). The duo teamed up for a cross-country trip battling the infected and humanity to potentially help find a cure for the Cordyceps virus. The Last of Us season 1 ended with them failing to follow through with this mission, as Joel stopped Firefly doctors from killing Ellie in their effort to create a cure.
After using major characters like Tess, Tommy, Bill, Frank, Kathleen, and Marleen in season 1, there will be plenty of new characters in The Last of Us season 2. This is largely due to the plan from series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann to adapt The Last of Us Part II. The expansive video game sequel story will require multiple seasons of television to be done properly, as it broadened the scope. The video game provides a good blueprint for which new characters The Last of Us season 2 will introduce, as the dual narrative, new locations, and possible time jump bring new people into Joel and Ellie's lives.
6 Abby Anderson
The biggest new character The Last of Us season 2 will introduce is Abby Anderson. She debuted in The Last of Us Part II as the co-lead and villain of the story. The setup for Abby's role in The Last of Us show has already happened thanks to the season 1 finale. The episode included Joel killing an unnamed Firefly doctor to save Ellie. However, the surgeon is actually Abby's father. His death sends Abby on a mission to get revenge on the people responsible, bringing her into conflict with Joel and Ellie throughout The Last of Us Part II. Since The Last of Us season 2 is adapting the game's story, Abby Anderson must be involved.
To say that Abby will have a significant impact on The Last of Us season 2 is putting it mildly. Her introduction in the game originally introduces her as the doctor's daughter before showing her journey to Jackson. This leads to a surprise encounter with Joel and Tommy and the revelation that Abby and her group have been looking for them. It is only after Ellie finds them that The Last of Us Part II's shocking moment where Abby kills Joel happens. The Last of Us season 2 could include multiple episodes solely focused on Abby to set up her story before delivering the devastating twist for Pedro Pascal's character.
5 Dina
Viewers are also likely to see Dina introduced as another new character in The Last of Us season 2. Dina plays a crucial role in The Last of Us Part II, as she is introduced as Ellie's new love interest. She goes along with Ellie on her quest to get revenge on Abby. The time they spend together allows the shared romantic interest to grow. As another local in Jackson, the beginning of Dina and Ellie's friendship and the development of their mutual crushes on the other should be a focal point of The Last of Us season 2.
There is some speculation that The Last of Us already secretly introduced Dina ahead of her bigger role in season 2. During The Last of Us episode 6, a girl repeatedly is shown to be staring at Ellie after she arrives in Jackson. The show did not outright confirm the identity of Ellie's admirer, and its creators have elected to keep this as an ambiguous tease instead of confirming or debunking the theories. That does leave the possibility that season 2 will reveal if The Last of Us episode 6's girl is Dina after all.
4 Jesse
Jesse should be another new character in The Last of Us season 2. He is a member of the Jackson community and becomes the patrol leader over time. He is a friend to Ellie, but they also work together through the patrol team. Jesse joins Ellie on her trip to get revenge for Joel's death, which allows their friendship to get stronger. One of the other big components of Jesse's story is his on-and-off relationship with Dina. While the two are not likely to be together during The Last of Us season 2, The Last of Us Part II added a twist to their relationship by revealing that Dina was pregnant with his child.
3 Yara
The Last of Us season 2's new characters should also include Yara. She is a teenager introduced in The Last of Us Part II as a former member of the Seraphites or Scars, a cult that goes to war with the Washington Liberation Front. Yara is raised in the Seraphite cult and designated to be a warrior for them. She eventually defects from the community to aid her sibling, Lev. This leads to an encounter with Abby, who was captured by the cult and ordered for execution. Yara's arm is broken by another Seraphite, leading to a team-up between her, Lev, and Abby to escape.
2 Lev
Yara's sibling Lev will join The Last of Us season 2 as another new character. Lev is a 13-year-old who has long questioned the traditions of the Seraphites. He is a transgender boy who becomes ostracized by the cult after he stops identifying as a girl once they attempt to make him become an Elder's wife instead of a warrior. Lev and Abby develop a strong bond after he helps free The Last of Us season 2's villain, as they go on various adventures together. Considering the role that Lev plays in The Last of Us Part II's ending, he is among the most crucial characters season 2 will introduce.
1 Owen
The addition of Abby's storyline in The Last of Us season 2 also means new characters like Owen Moore will join the show. He is Abby's former boyfriend and a fellow member of the Washington Liberation Front with her. Owen works closely with Abby throughout The Last of Us Part II, but his romantic relationship is with Mel, who is pregnant with his child. Owen is the one responsible for finding Jackson once he, Abby, and others go on the journey to find Joel and Tommy. As he essentially serves as Abby's right-hand guy, Owen will play a major role in The Last of Us season 2.