Editor's note: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II video game — storylines that may or may not be featured on The Last of Us season 2 on HBO.
Are you ready for more Ellie and Joel?
The Last of Us is about to return to TV for its second season, where it will begin adapting the video game The Last of Us Part II.
One of the most anticipated additions to the show for the second season is the character of Dina, played by Isabela Merced. In the games, Dina is the romantic partner of Ellie.
Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, has already expressed their excitement at getting to explore their character's lesbian identity in season 2.
"I'm really excited, to be honest, for the Ellie/Dina story. I've watched a cut together, someone's made a phenomenal — I don’t know how they do it — like an amazing edit of just the gameplay, like Ellie and Dina’s love story. So I'm excited to play that out," they said on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz.
The Last of Us season 2 premieres Sunday, April 13 on Max.
Who is Ellie in The Last of Us'?
Ellie, along with Joel (played by Pedro Pascal in the TV show), is one of the two main characters of the TV show and video game The Last of Us and its sequel.
In the video games, she is voiced by Ashley Johnson, and in the show, she is played by queer actor Bella Ramsey. She is a teenage lesbian living in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States where a fungal infection has turned most of the population into violent zombies. Ellie is unique in that she has an immunity to the infection.
Does Ellie have lesbian relationships in 'The Last of Us' TV show so far?
In episode 7 of season 1, viewers got to see a flashback story of Ellie and her best friend (and first kiss) Riley, played by Emmy-winner Storm Reid, based on the downloadable content The Last of Us: Left Behind.
In the episode, and in the DLC, Ellie and Riley form a deep connection after meeting in a military-controlled camp during the apocalypse. One night, they sneak out of the camp and go to an abandoned mall where they play video games, dance, and share a first kiss.
Unfortunately, both of the girls were bitten by the Infected, and Riley dies and Ellie learns she is immune.
Who is Ellie's girlfriend in 'The Last of Us Part II'?
In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie is living a peaceful life in a Wyoming settlement and has settled down with another girl, named Dina. The relationship between Ellie and Dina is cited as "the emotional centerpiece" of the game, per The Gamer.
"While they encounter bigotry in the form of older generations and outdated ideals across the narrative, the happiness both of them gain from a same-sex relationship is never in doubt. The two are in love, and the moments shared together are glimmers of hope in a world long doomed to ruin," an article at The Gamer says.
Ellie and Dina even move to a farm to start a life together and raise a baby at one point in the game, however, their peace is interrupted.
How do Ellie and Dina end up in 'The Last of Us Part II'?
Late in the game, Ellie and Dina have moved to a farm where they are raising the baby that Dina had with her ex-boyfriend. Ellie is suffering from PTSD, and when she finds out the location of Abby, the woman who killed Joel, she decides to go get revenge, knowing it will upset Dina.
After finding and confronting Abby, Ellie returns to the farm, only to discover that Dina and the baby are gone, leaving her alone once again.
Who plays Ellie's girlfriend in 'The Last of Us' TV show?
Dina will be played by Madame Web star Isabela Merced in season two of The Last of Us. She's already expressed her excitement at playing the role and getting to portray a queer love story.
"I'm beyond, I already did one day of shooting, it was technically day 0, but the chemistry that Bella [Ramsey] and I have is so, so palpable and it's really nice to be able to work with someone like that,' she told ET.
Will season two of 'The Last of Us' follow the plot of the video game?
Like season one, season two of the show is expected to directly adapt some parts of the video game, expand on others, and invent new stories and situations.
"[Season 2] will be different just as this season was different," series co-creator Craig Mazin said. "Sometimes it will be different radically, and sometimes it [won't] be fairly different at all, but it's going to be different. It will be its own thing. It won't be exactly like the game."
