The Last of Us Season 2: How, Why, and When did Joel die?

Anyone who has played The Last of Us: Part II video game knows what happens to Joel in it. In fact, what happened to him was so shocking that word spread and even just-show-watchers now know what happened. Before The Last of Us season 2 premiered, there were a lot of speculations about whether the show will adapt that part. 

Many fans wished and prayed that the creators of the show would keep Joel alive. But alas, that didn’t happen, and what happened in the game happened in the HBO series as well—Joel (Pedro Pascal) is dead. Just like in the show, he gets murdered by Abby. But why, how, and when did it happen? In this article, we will discuss just that. 

How was Joel Killed in The Last of Us Season 2?

Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) lures Joel and Dina to the house where the rest of her group is. Even though Joel almost heads back to Jackson to warn them of the infected, Abby convinces him and Dina (Isabela Merced) to accompany her to the lodge where her group is, as that’s closer. Once there, her team injects Dina with a sedative to knock her out. 

Then she first shoots Joel in the knee and uses golf clubs to hit him in the place where he was shot. Then she punches him, and this entire torture routine makes Joel weak from his injuries. Although Ellie does reach there, she is tackled to the ground. She pleads with Joel to get up, but Abby picks up one half of the golf club that had snapped in half and stabs Joel in the neck, killing him. 

Why does Joel die in The Last of Us?

When Abby lures Dina and Joel to the house where her team is, she tells him that he killed 18 soldiers and one doctor- her father, when he eradicated the Fireflies at Salt Lake City while trying to save Ellie. 

Abby reveals that she was 19 when this happened, and this made her join the militia group, WLF, in Seattle. Even though her commander taught her not to kill anyone unable to defend themselves, she decides to break that code to settle the score. 

So, like pieces of dominos falling, it was Joel killing the doctor to save Ellie that ultimately makes him lose his life at the hands of that man’s daughter. 

When does Joel die in The Last of Us Season 2?

In The Last of Us season 2, Joel dies in the second episode while patrolling with Dina. During an attack by a horde of infected, Joel saves Abby and takes her to an abandoned warehouse where he and Dina are hiding. They have lost communication with the base at Jackson and are desperate to send the message about the attack. This is when Abby lures Joel to his death. 

What will Happen Next?

Now that Ellie has witnessed her father-figure being brutally murdered right in front of her eyes, she will surely want to get revenge and go after Abby, thus continuing this circle of death. But will she actually go through with killing her? The game says yes, but will the show do something different? That will be interesting to see. 

Where can you Stream The Last of Us Season 2?

The Last of Us season two is now streaming on HBO and Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays. The third episode will premiere on Apr. 27, 2025. If you want to refresh your memory, we have recaps of Episode 1 and Episode 2.