Joel and Ellie’s separation in The Last of Us Season 2 was a “painful” experience, according to series stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.

Scheduled to premiere on HBO on April 13, 2025, the highly anticipated second season of the post-apocalyptic drama series will see Pascal and Ramsey reprise their roles as Joel and Ellie, respectively.

What did Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey say about The Last of Us Season 2?

Both Pascal and Ramsey had the same experience about their character’s estrangement during Season 2, with Pascal describing it as a “cruel separation.”

“While Bella and I are forever joined, to not have them near me for every part of Season 2 felt like a cruel separation,” Pascal told Variety. “Good for my co-dependent nature, bad for my heart.”

Ramsey added, “It felt like Ellie maturing and growing up. Me and Pedro were with each other literally through everything all the time the whole [first] season. This season was much more of an isolated one for Ellie. It was a lonelier experience, but I don’t say that in a negative way.”

Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us follows the unlikely bond between strangers Joel and Ellie, both of whom are forced to survive the parasitic fungal-infected world. The second season will be set five years after the events of Season 1.

The Last of Us Season 2 will also see the return of Gabriel Luna as Joel’s younger brother Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Maria. They will be joined by newcomers Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Young Mazino as Jesse, Isabela Merced as Dina, Danny Ramirez as Manny, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Jeffrey Wright as Isaac Dixon, and Catherine O’Hara in a still-undisclosed role.

Newly announced cast members include Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos), Alanna Ubach (Euphoria), Ben Ahlers (The Gilded Age), Hettienne Park (Hannibal), Robert John Burke (Gossip Girl), and Noah Lamanna (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds).

The Last of Us Season 2 will premiere on HBO on April 13.