The Last of Us Season 3: Shifting Perspectives and the Road Ahead

HBO’s The Last of Us ended Season 2 with a literal and figurative shot in the dark — Abby kills Jesse, aims her gun at Ellie, and fires. Then the screen cuts to black. But instead of picking up where that moment left off, the scene rewinds and reorients us. It’s now Seattle: Day One, but from Abby’s point of view.

This change marks a massive narrative shift. Season 3 will lean heavily into Abby’s arc and the consequences of the war between the WLF and the Seraphites. This isn’t just speculation — it’s coming straight from the showrunners and cast.

“We haven’t seen the last of…” — Who’s returning, who’s fading out

In an interview on Variety, Co-showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed that while the third season is still in early development, a few things are already certain:

“We haven’t seen the last of Kaitlyn Dever, and we haven’t seen the last of Bella Ramsey, and we haven’t seen the last of Isabela Merced, and we haven’t seen the last of a lot of people who are currently dead in the story,” Mazin said during a press conference, per Variety.

That’s the most direct hint we’re going to get about how the show will handle flashbacks and nonlinear storytelling. Characters like Joel, whose death was central to Season 2, might still appear in the timeline, just not in the way fans expect.

Druckmann echoed this possibility:

“I wouldn’t have guessed we would have a short story about Joel’s dad before we wrote the season, so there you go,” he said. “You can’t predict these things.”

No one’s ever really “gone” in The Last of Us. The show continues to use flashbacks, memories, and backstory episodes as vital storytelling tools. Expect more of that. We also mentioned season three and its central character earlier. Will the entire third season be about Abby? It will be a little clearer on that later in the text.

Abby is front and centre

By refocusing the story on Abby and her environment, including her complicated role within the WLF, Season 3 follows the structure of The Last of Us Part II more closely. The show has already introduced the sprawling WLF base in a repurposed football stadium, and that’s where viewers will spend a significant chunk of next season.

“How did that war start? Why? How did the Seraphites start? Who is their prophet? What happened to her? What does Isaac want?” Mazin listed. “What’s happening at the end of Episode 7? What is this explosion? All of it will become clear.”

That’s a strong promise. Season 3 will expand the lore significantly, digging into the political, religious, and survival dynamics of the factions introduced so far.

Season 2 was about grief. Season 3 is going to be about conflict.

Ellie’s screen time? It might shrink.

Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, gave an honest take during the Variety interview. While she hasn’t seen the scripts yet, she does expect to appear less than in previous seasons.

“I think that I’m going to be there, but not a whole bunch,” Ramsey said. “We've had conversations about that. I sort of have a rough idea of what it's going to be, but I can't tell you.”

This makes sense if you’re familiar with the game’s structure. The second half of Part II heavily emphasised Abby’s arc, letting the audience experience the consequences of revenge through her eyes.

For fans hoping for more Ellie-Dina moments or resolution to the relationship threads laid in Season 2, be prepared for a wait — or a possible emotional payoff in Season 4.

How long will the series go?

There’s a bigger logistical question here: just how many seasons will The Last of Us need to cover Part II?

Mazin didn’t shy away from that. Both he and Druckmann agree that the story can’t be crammed into a single season. A third is confirmed. A fourth is highly likely.

“It’s more than one season,” Mazin told Variety. “We will be doing more than just one more season. It won’t be The Last of Us: Season 3 and done.”

That puts the adaptation on track for at least four seasons, depending on whether HBO renews it further. But if the critical and fan acclaim for Season 2 is anything to go by, that greenlight feels almost guaranteed.

What about Joel?

Pedro Pascal’s Joel might be gone in the story’s present, but both showrunners hinted at his potential return through memory sequences or flashbacks — the same way Tess and Joel’s father were used earlier.

This opens the door for deeper exploration of Joel's relationship with Ellie, Abby, or even Tommy. Nothing is confirmed, but don’t be surprised if Pascal returns in emotional, tightly focused scenes designed to deepen character arcs.

Summary

Season 3 of The Last of Us will place greater focus on Abby, the WLF faction, and their conflict with the Seraphites. Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, will appear less frequently than before, while flashbacks—potentially involving Joel—are expected to play a significant role in the narrative. The upcoming season will also expand the story’s lore, delving into unresolved threads from Season 2. Importantly, this will not be the final chapter; a fourth season is already in development, indicating that the series’ story arc remains far from complete.