The Last of Us episode 6 adds a key character from the second game

20 Feb 2023

digitalspy.com

The Last of Us episode 6 spoilers follow.

The Last of Us has been adapting the first game across its runtime so far, taking detours into telling the back stories of characters you don't get to play as along the way. However, the latest episode actually introduced a character from the second game. We think.

In the episode 'Kin', Joel and Ellie make their way to a settlement in Jackson, Wyoming, where we meet Joel's brother Tommy. All pretty familiar stuff to players of the game, but then, as our protagonists sit down to eat food, we see a mysterious girl staring at Ellie.

She runs off as soon as Ellie notices her, and is only listed as 'Strange Girl' in the credits. However, fans would easily recognise her as Dina, Ellie's love interest from The Last of Us Part II.

the last of us tv show, a girl who might be dina hides behind a wooden pillar

HBO

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Over on the show's official podcast, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann don't outright state that it's Dina, but they referred to the moment as an "Easter egg" and go on to mention that the character's behaviour is very reminiscent of a story Dina tells in the game: that she was so overwhelmed during her first week at the settlement she couldn't talk to anyone.

"That doesn't mean it's Dina. That doesn't mean it's not," they tease. Unless it's a long-lost and never mentioned twin sister, we'd say it's a pretty safe bet that a very important character has just made her TV debut early.

Interestingly, the episode also adds another sequel element: Ellie's fascination with space travel, which is featured in one of the second game's more memorable flashbacks.

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Mazin explained that the second game hadn't come out when he was working on the show, but was he invited to developer Naughty Dog for the first time and got a sneak peek at the flashback scene, and incorporated it into the show as a way to further show Joel and Ellie's bond.

The Last of Us airs on HBO in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK.

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