The Last of Us season 2 trailer brings the heart and the horror back to Joel and Ellie

Clicker and Ellie
(Image credit: Max)

A new trailer for The Last of Us season 2 is here, and it's as horrifying and emotionally harrowing as we've come to expect from both the groundbreaking video game franchise and the award-gobbling first season that adapted the first title.

The Last of Us season 2 sees the return of Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, while Kaitlyn Dever joins the cast as Abby, along with Isabela Merced as Dina and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac.

The Last of Us Season 2 | Official Trailer | Max - YouTube The Last of Us Season 2 | Official Trailer | Max - YouTube
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Ensuring to keep its infected cards close to its chest, the new trailer gives us a glimpse at the relationship between Joel and Ellie after the cross-country trip they took, which ended in a rescue mission and a lie that Joel could never go back on.

Now, some time later, and as revealed in the closing moments of the preview, the secret is out ("You swore," a tearful Ellie says to Joel), and the bond that had been built through danger and despair is at risk of being broken. If that's not bad enough, there's the added danger of infected and outsiders closing in to make tougher than they've ever been.

Don't expect season 2 to be the exact same as the game, though. "I love the changes that we've made," co-creator Neil Druckmann said recently. "It's a different version of that story, but its DNA is in there. Maybe more than excited, I'm really curious what their reaction will be."

We know this won't be the last season, either – though it's unclear at the moment how many more installments could remain. "We don’t have a complete or final plan, but I think it’s looking like four seasons," Francesca Orsi, EVP and head of drama at HBO, said earlier this year. That means another two series could potentially be on the way after season 2 wraps up.

The Last of Us season 2 arrives on HBO this April 13. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming shows to fill out your watchlist.

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Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

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