Everything you need to know about The Last of Us

On September 26th, 2003, a deadly parasitic virus swept across the globe, turning normal people into violent beings. Governments collapse, millions die, and the military sweeps in to take control.

Fasting forward 20 years, season one follows the story of 56-year-old Joel and 14-year-old Ellie as they make an unlikely team while travelling across the country in a bid to find safety.

Most notably, they could hold the key to the end of the virus – as Ellie is immune to the disease.

As the series progresses, the pair encounter a string of deadly obstacles – whether they be monsters born from the virus, or even more terrifyingly, humans who have lost their humanity in their fight to survive.

But their decisions come with their own consequences, with enemies made quickly in this new world, and where trust is too rare a commodity.

Based on the beloved video game of the same name, The Last of Us first launched in 2023 to massive acclaim, becoming a multi-award winner.

Season two dropped in 2025, expanding the cast and world even further as it moved five years into the future.

Watch the season 2 teaser trailer

**Who stars in The Last of Us?**

The key cast members in the first two seasons of The Last of Us are:

Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, Gladiator II) as Joel
Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones, Catherine Called Birdy) as Ellie
Gabriel Luna (Agents of SHIELD, Terminator: Dark Fate) as Tommy
Kaitlyn Dever (Apple Cider Vinegar, Booksmart) as Abby
Isabela Merced (Instant Family, Madame Web) as Dina
Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek, Beetlejuice) as Gail
Young Mazino (Beef, Opus) as Jesse
Jeffrey Wright (Westworld, American Fiction) as Isaac
Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) as Kathleen
Merle Dandridge (Station 19, Truth Be Told) as Marlene
Jeffrey Pierce (Castle Rock, Bosch) as Perry
Anna Torv (Fringe, The Newsreader) as Tess

**What is the age rating of The Last of Us?**

The official rating for The Last of Us in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 15.

This is due to:

Intense scenes of peril and threat
Depiction of dead bodies and decay
Frequent use of guns
Creative and violent kills
Scenes of intense horror that some may find disturbing
Male and female nudity (of both those alive and dead)
Scenes of a sexual nature
Some use of profane language
Scenes of attempted sexual assault

**How many episodes of The Last of Us are there?**

Currently, The Last of Us has run for two seasons, totalling 16 episodes.

Season one ran for nine episodes, while season two consists of seven.

**Will there be a season three of The Last of Us?**

Yes, there will be. Days ahead of the second series airing in April 2025, a post on social media simply read: "It can't be for nothing. Season 3 is coming."

And talking to the Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Craig Mazin said: "We approached season 2 with the goal of creating something we could be proud of.

"The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with season 3."

**Will there be further seasons of The Last of Us?**

According to the series co-creators, executive producers, showrunners and directors Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, fans could be treated to at least two more seasons after the 2025 run.

Craig said: "We don’t think that we’re going to be able to tell the story even within two seasons because we’re taking our time and going down interesting pathways which we did a little bit in season one too.

“We feel like it’s almost assuredly going to be the case that — as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television — season three will be significantly larger. And indeed, the story may require season four.”

**How many awards has The Last of Us won?**

As of May 28 2025, the first season of The Last of Us has received 196 nominations and secured 81 wins. This includes:

BAFTAs: 6 nominations, 1 win

Emmys: 24 nominations, 8 wins including Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Golden Globes: 3 nominations

SAG: 4 nominations, 2 wins including Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama series and Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

**Will I still be able to watch The Last of Us on Sky with HBO Max launching?**

Yes!

If you’re already a Sky subscriber, you will get complete continuity of the service at no extra cost via the Max app. The new deal means Sky and NOW customers benefit from more content through bundled access to the streaming service that will exclusively feature new HBO Original and Max Original shows and more.

And in the case of The Last of Us and a range of other series, as part of Sky’s new deal with HBO, customers will continue to find shows such as House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us, and any new series aired before the end of 2025, on Sky Atlantic and through Sky’s On Demand service.

Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Sky Studios and chief content officer of Sky, said: “What’s really good about the deal that we struck is that if you’re a Sky subscriber, at no additional cost, you will have access to the Max app within your Sky platform. So if you’re already a Sky subscriber, you have complete continuity of service. Actually, you probably have more because Max will have more content than what we have today with the HBO shows and the Warner Bros. films.

“It’s going to be completely seamless for those customers, so you’ll have a really rich experience, and that’s at no additional cost.

“Any show that we’ve had historically on our channels you’ll continue to get on the channels, including future seasons of The Last of Us and The White Lotus.”

And what about NOW TV?

In addition, NOW UK and Ireland Entertainment members will also receive bundled access to the ad-supported version of Max, seamlessly integrated into the NOW experience alongside other premium content. They will also continue to get the existing series which were available on Sky as part of their subscription.