- The Last of Us is returning for season 3.
- The series was nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards for it second season.
- The third season will explore the second half of the second game, The Last of Us Part II.
Raise your hand if you were emotionally wrecked by The Last of Us season 2. Ok, so... all of us? Well, buckle up because the show is coming back for a third season, which means, once again, we're all willingly signing up for crushing heartbreak disguised as premium television. Last we saw, the fungus is mutating, the clickers are becoming more advanced, and oh, yeah—there was that whole potentially lethal cliffhanger between Ellie and Abby that we were left on.
I think it's safe to say season 3 will be just as tense...so when exactly will it come out and what will it cover? Here's everything we know so far about The Last of Us season 3.
When will The Last of Us season 3 be released?
We don't have an official release date yet for the third season of The Last of Us, but that doesn't mean we don't have a rough idea of when we can look forward to it. Casey Bloys, the CEO of HBO, told Variety that the third season is "definitely planned for 2027," so at least there's that. We also heard from showrunner Craig Mazin during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that season 3 is going to be longer than season 2 (which was seven episodes), so we know we'll get to enjoy it for a few extra weeks.
What will season 3 be about?
If you're somehow still unaware, The Last of Us is based on a video game, so if you want to know exactly what's going to happen in season 3, there are plenty of spoilers to be found. (Although the show writers are known for throwing in a few things that aren't in the games, like the attack on Jackson, so you won't be able to find out every little detail.) Without giving too much away, season 3 will draw from The Last of Us Part II, which is played from Abby's perspective. Season 2 ended with Abby waking up on "Seattle Day 1," so it looks like we'll be jumping back and going through her experience in this wild fungi-fueled apocalypse.
In that same interview, Bloys said they weren't sure yet whether they're going to split the remaining story into two seasons or keep it as one longer season, so exactly how much of Abby's story season 3 covers remains to be seen. The anticipation is killing me faster than those spores ever would!
What cast members will return for The Last of Us season 3?
With Abby being the big star of season 3, we're obviously going to be seeing Kaitlyn Dever on our screens quite a bit. But don't worry, Bella Ramsey will be there too as Ellie, just not as the main focus.
Last season, we had to painfully say goodbye to Joel after Abby brutally murdered him (a plot point that nearly had me boycotting the show), but that doesn't necessarily mean we'll be Pedro Pascal-less. We've seen Joel again since his death through a few flashbacks, so fingers crossed there will be plenty more of those to come in season 3.
