Despite a series of delays, hype for The Last of Us 2 is still at an all-time high. The game launches towards the end of May and fans have a handful of cinematic trailers and gameplay reveals to study and analyze until they can get their hands on it themselves. Although there was a demo available at PAX East, many details about the game's story are still shrouded in mystery - including which characters will be returning.
One thing we know for sure is that the game will be Ellie-centric. She is the primary protagonist and playable character in all of the footage that Naughty Dog has shared so far. The original game, DLC, and comics introduced a pretty large cast of characters as Ellie and Joel ventured across the country; so it seems likely that a handful of those familiar faces are going to be returning in The Last of Us 2.
At this point, many characters who were alive at the end of The Last of Us still haven't appeared in marketing materials or revealed gameplay footage. There are a handful of new characters who have shown up, but not quite as many returning faces as some fans were expecting. Even Joel's role seems to be shrouded in mystery, despite a few brief appearances during the trailers.
At this point, a handful of characters have been confirmed, so we can break down a handful of things that fans already know about the game at this point. Fair warning, there are no spoilers in this article, but fans who don't even want to know things that are revealed in the official cinematic trailers should stop reading here if they want to go into the game fully unsullied.
Ellie
Here is the obvious one. Ellie is the central character in The Last of Us 2 and has been present in every trailer, cinematic, and gameplay demo. The driving narrative of the game seems to follow her down a path of vengeance after someone she cares deeply about is harmed (and likely killed) but a new faction of human enemies.
Joel
The primary protagonist for the majority of the first game will be back in the sequel in some form or another. Originally there were a lot of theories that Joel had died in the five years since the first game and the character we see in the original teaser trailer is a ghost or a memory that Ellie is experiencing.
The exact nature of Joel's role in the game hasn't been confirmed yet, but he's now shown up in multiple trailers and seems to be involved in the game's narrative. After the lie that is told at the end of The Last of Us, it seems like it would only make sense to allow this game room to explore the fallout of that and what it means to Joel and Ellie's relationship. A solid prediction could be made that Ellie discovers the truth between games (or very early in this game) and wants nothing to do with Joel anymore. After she begins her path of revenge, may show up to help her stay alive and try to guide her back to the path of goodness.
Tommy
Joel's brother Tommy has a short, but pretty vital role in the original game. He is a former Firefly and helps run a fairly safe and successful community that has been rebuilding a peaceful way of life in the aftermath of the outbreak. Although he and Joel at least partially resolve their character arcs in the first game, one of the early trailers for The Last of Us 2 hints that Tommy will be returning.
In the trailer, Joel's brother offers Ellie was warnings and advice as she is planning to set off and begin her journey.
Unconfirmed Characters
So far, no trailers or interviews have hinted at appearances or flashbacks that involve Riley, Ellie's mother, Bill, or anyone else from the franchise's existing lore. Although some of those characters are no longer in the realm of the living, it still wouldn't be surprising to see them pop up in flashbacks or dream sequences.
The original game dropped some interesting hints about Ellie's mother's story, but mostly left that side of things unexplored. As Ellie faces new grief and loss, it seems likely that players may learn more about what exactly happened to the rest of Ellie's family. The original game was largely about Joel facing his emotions about the loss of his daughter, who he saw a lot of in Ellie. As we might see Ellie start to lash out against her new parental figure, Joel, it would make sense for the character to also begin to process some of the feelings that relate to losing her biological parents.
New Characters
In addition to the confirmed and unconfirmed cast of characters from the first game, there are going to be a lot of new faces in The Last of Us 2 for gamers to either befriend or strike out against. Dina, who appears to be Ellie's love interest at the start of the game, will likely play a primary role. There are some concerns from fans that she is going to be fridged, just like Riley, but time will tell what is actually in store for the character.
Be sure to check back in the near future for more The Last of Us 2 news, updates, and strategy guides.
The Last of Us 2 will release on Playstation 4 on May 29, 2020.