HBO's adaptation of the 2013 game The Last of Us is a deep-dive into the complexities of the Cordyceps fungus and its impact on humanity. The show features Joel and Ellie who undertake a cross-country journey in search of the Fireflies. Together the protagonist duo battle unprecedented challenges with resilience and determination.
While The Last of Us remains largely faithful to the source material, it also differs in certain aspects. It features new character inclusions to provide an understanding of the ramifications of the fungal apocalypse. From the Adlers to Kathleen and her right-hand man, here are the character additions to the live-action TV series.
Warning! Spoilers ahead.
9 Nana
Joel and Sarah's neighbor, Nana featured in The Last of Us season 1, episode 1, "When You're Lost in the Darkness." She's a wheelchair-bound woman who lives with her daughter and son-in-law, and she needs constant care.
The show subtly hints at the beginning of the outbreak through Nana's character. She's first seen sitting on the front lawn with Danny, who feeds her homemade biscuits. Nana consumes foods made of contaminated flour and sugar right from the morning of the outbreak day and the infection gets hold of her. Her inclusion in the HBO show provides a peek into how the Cordyceps infection started in the first place.
8 Danny Adler
HBO's The Last of Us added a minor character named Danny Adler to its cast. He's Joel and Sarah's neighbor, the head of the Adler household, and lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and her mother.
Danny meets one of the saddest deaths in The Last of Us at the hands of the infected, Nana. She bites him on the shoulder, due to which he bleeds profusely and turns into a Runner. Danny is last seen charging at Tommy and Joel's pickup truck and then attacking another neighbor named Denise.
7 Connie Adler
Connie's character is an addition to HBO's adaptation. Her role, like her husband, is to provide a deeper context to the mayhem of the outbreak day.
Connie shares a wholesome relationship with Danny. They have a family dog named Mercy, and together they tend to Nana. Connie is infected by her mother immediately after Danny. Once she turns into a Runner, she too charges at Tommy's truck, forcing him to run over her and flee. Connie's tragic fate is one of the most devastating aspects of The Last of Us premiere.
6 Denise
HBO's The Last of Us adds a character named Denise to provide more context on the life Joel lived before the Cordyceps outbreak.
Denise lives across the street from Joel and his teenage daughter. Ignoring Joel's warning to get inside, Denise rushes to check up on Connie after the latter is hit by Tommy's truck on outbreak day. She's mauled and infected by Danny Adler and is presumed to have been dead in the series.
5 Kathleen
Melanie Lynskey's Kathleen is the bloodthirsty Kansas City resistance leader in HBO's The Last of Us. After her group successfully deposes the tyrannical FEDRA in KC, she orders a citywide manhunt for a former collaborator who is guilty of selling out her brother.
Kathleen is mauled to death by an Infected towards the end of The Last of Us season 1, episode 5 "Endure and Survive." Her character is not seen in the game, and she was created for the HBO show. Her presence provides a comprehensive insight into the political cost of the fungal apocalypse.
4 Perry
Kathleen's right-hand man, Perry (Jeffrey Pierce) follows her orders, albeit with slight protest. He's also loyal to her and admires her leadership qualities. Perry sacrifices himself to an infected - Bloater in order to save Kathleen at the end of The Last of Us episode 5. He asks her to run for her life and takes the Bloater head-on.
Like Kathleen, Perry too is created for the show. He's also seen in The Last of Us season 1, episode 4 "Please Hold to My Hand." His presence enriches both episodes and provides the rebel faction with more depth.
3 Dr. Edelstein
Dr. Edelstein is also an original character created for the show and one that adds dimension to political mayhem in Kansas City. He's caught in the tiff between the resistance and the tyrannical, FEDRA.
Dr. Edelstein was a FEDRA collaborator and enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle under its rule. He delivered Kathleen and in the end was killed by her for refusing to divulge information about the hated collaborator named, Henry.
2 Marlon
Marlon is the name of a man who is seen in The Last of Us season 1, episode 6, "Kin," three months after the tragic deaths of Henry and Sam. Holding dead rabbits, he's making his way toward his wood cabin situated in the wilderness of Wyoming. Just as Marlon opens his door, he's held at gunpoint by Joel.
Joel immediately clarifies he's looking for his brother and asks Marlon if he has heard the name "Tommy" or seen him. Marlon says no and warns Joel to avoid the west and to "go east." He's been living in the wilderness before the outbreak because he wanted to get away from everybody. He's never seen again, but his brief presence enriches the episode.
1 Florence
Florence is the name of a survivor who lives with her husband, Marlon. She's seen right at the beginning of The Last of Us season 1, episode 6, sitting by the fireplace in her log cabin, waiting for her husband to arrive.
Florence is calm and at ease, despite the fact that she's in the company of two intruders, Joel and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey). She makes them soup and is slightly bemused by Ellie's sharp tongue. Florence believes Tommy is dead, and she informs Joel that if his brother was anywhere west of the river, he's most certainly gone.