By Michael Colwander
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Why The Last Of Us Might End With Season 3
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The Show Could Become A De-Facto Part III
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The Last Of Us Can Continue Through Spinoffs
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The Last Of Us Could Go On Hiatus Until Part III
The second season of HBO's The Last of Us is drawing near. As one of the most anticipated shows of 2025, The Last of Us has its work cut out to top the critically acclaimed first season. Luckily, the game the show was based on also had a critically acclaimed sequel in The Last of Us: Part II, which the second season will begin adapting. The adaptation of The Last of Us: Part II will continue through at least Season 3, which will start filming shortlyafter Season 2 ends and could premiere as early as 2026.
However, a recent announcement from Naughty Dog, the creators of The Last of Us games, may signal the show could end as early as the upcoming third season. Should it, though? Can The Last of Us continue beyond its third season? If so, what would that look like?
Why The Last Of Us Might End With Season 3
Naughty Dog's Announcement Leaves The Last Of Us: Part III In Limbo

Media | Release Date |
---|---|
The Last of Us (PS3) | June 14, 2013 |
The Last of Us: Left Behind (DLC) | February 14, 2014 |
The Last of Us Remastered (PS4) | July 29, 2014 |
The Last of Us Part II (PS4) | June 19, 2020 |
The Last of Us: Part I (PS5) | September 2, 2022 |
The Last of Us: Season 1 (TV) | January 15, 2023 |
The Last of Us: Part II Remastered (PS5) | January 19, 2024 |
The Last of Us: Season 2 (TV) | TBD 2025 |
read more
At its heart, The Last of Us is an adaptation of two highly regarded video games. That means the show only has so much material to work with before heading into uncharted territory. Fans of both the show and the games have been eagerly anticipating what Naughty Dog is hard at work on. Heading toward the end of 2024, an announcement felt near as it's been four and a half years since Part II's release. Naughty Dog did make their announcement at The Game Awards 2024 in early December 2024. To the surprise of many, it wasn't the expected The Last of Us: Part III.
Naughty Dog announced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a sci-fi game starring Tati Gabrielle who starred in the live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog's other popular franchise, Uncharted, and will have a role in Season 2 of The Last of Us. She will also star as Jade in the upcoming Mortal Kombat sequel. Even though Part III wasn't announced, there's always the possibility that Naughty Dog is also working on Part III, but wanted to give their new I.P. some time in the spotlight. It's also possible Part III hasn't begun development and will have to wait for Intergalactic. Regardless of what is going on behind the scenes, it looks like the wait for Part III is going to be a long one.
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With HBO working quickly to produce Season 3, minimizing the wait time between Season 2 and Season 3, it's highly likely the show's adaptation of Part II will conclude even before Intergalactic's release. This may even be the case if HBO stretches Part II into a fourth season, which is risky in itself as it could drag the 24-hour game too thin. If Part III is nowhere to be seen, then it's safe to assume The Last of Us will end after Part II's adaptation, which is still a suitable and complete ending for both the show and the game franchise. Despite this, there are pathways for The Last of Us to continue beyond this.
The Show Could Become A De-Facto Part III
Neil Druckmann's Vision For Part III Could Come To HBO First

Pros of a TV-First Part III | Cons of a TV-First Part III |
---|---|
Less wait for Part III or even a Part IV. | Backlash from game fans. |
Druckmann's likely involvement. | Forcing a continuation could produce a weaker story. |
Unconstrained due to no source material. | Game of Thrones anxiety. |
Can make a Part III game better. | A Part III game could've made the show better. |
Just because The Last of Us will have no more material to adapt doesn't mean it can't continue. Neil Druckmann, who co-created the gaming franchise with Bruce Straley, is still one of the showrunners alongside Craig Mazin. Druckmann is also still involved in the writing process for Season 2 while also bringing in Halley Gross, who co-wrote Part II with Druckmann and also wrote two episodes of Westworld in 2016.
If Druckmann maintains his involvement with the show, this creates an opportunity for him to continue his vision of the story without a third game. Effectively turning later seasons of the show into Part III. Of course, this could cause an uproar for fans of the games as The Last of Us is a game-first franchise as it stands now. At the same time, the high cost and time commitment that goes into game development may lead to the television format becoming a cost-effective way to provide more The Last of Us content at an increased pace.
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This may also cause anxiety with Game of Thrones fans who watched as their beloved show surpassed George R.R. Martin's books resulting in a frustrating final two seasons. While those two seasons didn't tank interest in Westeros, as House of the Dragon was successful in terms of viewership, it's difficult to bring up Game of Thrones nowadays without bitterness taking over. The current mismanagement of House of the Dragon, whose story in writing is completed, could also make a continuation of The Last of Us a tougher pill to swallow.
Those anxieties can be quelled if Druckmann remains heavily involved in the show and becomes the head narrative decision-maker for this uncharted territory. In this case, this path would be a viable option for a continuation. Aspects of Part II's story and its ending can be modified to open the door for a seamless continuation. Not to mention the story beyond Part II would still almost completely come from the minds who've told the story so far, unlike Game of Thrones. The show would just have to contend with the disappointment that would come from the millions who wished to have played these stories first before watching, which would be difficult to navigate.
The Last Of Us Can Continue Through Spinoffs
The Walking Dead Has Managed To Stay Relevant Far Past Its Main Series Conclusion
Characters That Can Star In A Last Of Us Spinoff/Prequel:
- Joel & Tess
- Tommy & Maria
- Henry & Sam
- Bill & Frank
- David
- Marlene & Anna
read more
Alternatively, The Last of Us can continue through spinoffs. The world of The Last of Us provides endless opportunities for storytelling that can extend far beyond Joel and Ellie. As an example, after "Long, Long Time" aired during the first season, many fans of the show wanted more of Bill and Frank. HBO could develop a series focusing more on the period of Bill and Frank's story. A series with Henry and Sam could also be a viable option, and the same goes for Joel, Tommy, and Tess. Even antagonists like David's group could make for an interesting story. That's just with characters viewers are already familiar with.
There's another post-apocalyptic zombie-infested franchise that has taken full advantage of spinoffs: The Walking Dead. The main Walking Dead show is based on the comic series written by Robert Kirkman, who also created Invincible. While The Walking Dead show took some liberties with the comics, sometimes having no choice, it managed to grow and expand The Walking Dead universe far more than possibly even Kirkman envisioned when his comic's adaptation first began.
The Walking Dead has told stories starring beloved characters and even boldly told stories with a fresh slate of characters. It tells stories set before the main show begins and moves beyond it. It's taken characters everywhere from the West Coast of the United States to France. While the reception of these Walking Dead spinoffs is all over the place, it has managed to keep the franchise alive and relevant over 20 years after the first issue of the comic, nearly 15 years after the first episode of the show premiered, and over two years after the finale of the main show.
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If The Walking Dead can get this much mileage out of its post-apocalyptic universe, The Last of Us can as well. Given the high likelihood Last of Us spinoffs will happen given the success of the show, HBO will need to ensure each potential spinoff has genuine value and weight. "The Last of Us Universe" can't get bloated making it overwhelming to catch up on, even if it's good television like some of The Walking Dead spinoffs. Ideally, each spinoff would stand well enough on its own as a standalone, which Fear the Walking Dead did before it started getting heavy-handed with the main series crossovers. On top of that, The Walking Dead's series finale had numerous nods to upcoming spinoffs, making it weird to watch in isolation. The spinoff(s) also can't tee up intriguing plot points only for future spinoffs to ignore them almost completely, which was the case for The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
Spinoffs are risky, and there are a lot of lessons to learn from other TV universes, but the potential is there with The Last of Us regardless of the medium. If the main series doesn't continue beyond Part II's story, then it's tough to imagine HBO wouldn't look to build upon The Last of Us' success in other ways with spinoffs being an obvious choice.
The Last Of Us Could Go On Hiatus Until Part III
Legacy Sequels Have Become Incredibly Popular

Notable Upcoming TV Revivals, Reboots, and Spinoffs:
- Suits: LA
- King of the Hill
- Prison Break
- Scrubs
- Phineas and Ferb
- One Tree Hill
read more
Lastly, HBO could simply wait forPart IIIto release. This may be another ten or so years, but it wouldn't be unheard of. Legacy sequels are becoming incredibly popular. Many attribute this to Hollywood running out of ideas and nostalgia pandering, but it's tough to deny how successful the strategy has become.
It's not just films that have pushed legacy sequels, but television has as well. Numerous series have seen revivals in recent years such as CSI, Criminal Minds, Dexter, The X-Files, Dragon Ball, Boy Meets World, That 70's Show, Fraiser, Law and Order, and so many more. These either took the form of more seasons tacked onto the original run or a new sequel series.
The Last of Us can always go this route. While few ever ask for a hiatus, especially given the increasingly long gaps in-between seasons of many hit shows already, it would provide Druckmann enough time to release a continuation without the pressure of getting it out there as soon as possible. It will allow fans of the games to experience Part III first and allow Druckmann to receive feedback, which could be used for an even better adaptation. This hiatus could also play into the narrative of Part III, which could take place ten or more years after Part II, which already takes place five years after Part I. There could be a natural progression of time.
The caveat to this is that there's no telling when Part III will be released. Game of Thrones fans are still waiting for The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, which could inspire a continuation of that show, possibly producing an ending fans embrace. The same goes for Part III, which is why it's important for the Part II adaptation to end in a similar enough way as the game if the plan doesn't call for Part III to be a TV-first story. To ensure there's at least a firm intended ending in the case a Part III never happens. Plus, interest can always wane, which is where spinoffs could come in in hopes of keeping the seat warm.
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25 Best Quotes In The Last Of Us
Ranging from heartfelt discussions to hilarious quips, Joel and Ellie delivered many of the best lines in HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us.
Suffice it to say, the future of The Last of Us is very much up in the air. With Naughty Dog appearing to leave The Last of Us games behind for the time being, it seems the show will conclude as early as Season 3 with likely a similar ending to Part II. There are multiple pathways for The Last of Us to continue, and each comes with its pros and cons. Whatever HBO and Druckmann decide, The Last of Us is a wonderful show that when all is said and done should have a place among TV's greatest shows.

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The Last Of Us
Drama
Horror
Adventure
Sci-Fi
Thriller
Action
After a global pandemic destroys civilization, a hardened survivor takes charge of a 14-year-old girl who may be humanity's last hope.
- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Cast
- Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Anna Torv, lamar johnson, Jeffrey Pierce, Keivonn Woodard, John Getz, Olivier Ross-Parent, Samuel Hoeksema, Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, Nico Parker, Melanie Lynskey, John Hannah, Josh Brener, Christopher Heyerdahl, Brad Leland, Marcia Bennett, Brendan Fletcher, Jerry Wasserman, Wendy Gorling, Jessica Belbin, Haysam Kadri, Sarah Himadeh, Caitlin Howden, Max Montesi, Natasha Mumba, Gina Louise Phillips, Taylor St. Pierre, Ryan D. Clarke, Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, Logan Pierce
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Rating
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator
- Story By
- Neil Druckmann, Bruce Straley
- Writers
- Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
- Network
- HBO Max
- Streaming Service(s)
- MAX
- Franchise(s)
- The Last of Us
- Directors
- Craig Mazin
- Showrunner
- Craig Mazin
- Character(s)
- Joel Miller, Ellie Williams, Tess, Henry Burrell, Perry, Sam Burrell, Dr. Edelstein, Clicker, Museum Clicker, Tommy Miller, Marlene, Sarah Miller, Kathleen Coghlan, Dr. Newman - Scientist #2, Murray, Dr. Schoenheiss, Mr. Adler, Mrs. Adler, Robert, Abe, Nana, Mrs. Lauterstein, Nasir, Tahira, Denise, Lee, Kim, Medic, Buzzcut, Soldier, Kind FEDRA Soldier, The Boy
- TV
- The Last Of Us
- The Last of Us Part II
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