The second season of the critically acclaimed HBO series The Last of Us
, starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, has come to an end. After two years of relentless anticipation, season two brought much more than viewers asked for, despite a thinning episode count in contrast to the first installment. The Last of Us
season 2 was picked up five years after the events of season 1, based on the first half of the 2020 game.
Now that season 2 is done and dusted, let us take a look at the episode count to figure out what it means for season 3.
What is the episode count of The Last of Us season 2? How does it link to season 3?
The Last of Us season
2 concluded with 7 episodes, ending with Convergence
. In contrast, the first season of The Last of Us
was released with 9 episodes. In a conversation with Deadline in June 2024, series co-creators, executive producers, showrunners, and directors Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said
that the material they had for part II of the game was more extensive than the material they had in the first part. So, part of their delirium was deciding how to tell the story across seasons.
If I ever were to lose you… #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/1lgtQ2hxDs
— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) May 20, 2025
“When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints,”
Mazin said. In season 2, the breakpoint was after seven episodes. Mazin explained they were still uncertain whether they would be able to complete The Last of Us
within 3 seasons.
But “as long as people keep watching and we can keep making more television — Season 3 will be significantly larger,”
Mazin stated. HBO renewed The Last of Us
for season 3 on April 9, 2025, ahead of season 2’s release.
According to Mazin and Druckmann, The Last of Us
might even require a season 4 to finish it all. And the less episode count in season 2 is a move to make space for more.
The Last of Us season 2 episode count is strategic in developing season 3 & beyond
In their 2024 conversation with Deadline, The Last of Us
co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann dispelled every fan concern surrounding the story with season 2’s seven episodes. “We just want to put people’s minds at ease that the idea that this season coming up is a little bit shorter than the first one is not because we’re taking less time to tell the stories, it’s because we want to take more time,”
Mazin stated.
All eyes on her. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/060MEYGWx2
— HBO (@HBO) May 26, 2025
The story the creators have been telling is far bigger than season 1, and with so much going on, they want fans to feel that each episode is a blockbuster on its own. Although it is hard to say how many episodes The Last of Us
season 3 might have, considering the possibility of season 4 is also not ruled out, it is still a long way for viewers till the end of the series.
Us
season 2 finale already paved the way for more
, and all fans can do now is wait for season 3.
Are you excited for The Last of Us
season 3? Let us know in the comments below!