Okay, The Last of Us fans, I’m not okay. The latest episode of Season 2, “The Path,” which hit HBO on April 27, 2025, snuck in a tiny change to the opening credits that’s got me sobbing harder than I did during that scene in Episode 2. It’s subtle, it’s brutal, and it’s got everyone freaking out over what it means for Ellie’s journey. If you thought Joel and Ellie’s story couldn’t hurt more, this tweak is like a Clicker chomping on your soul. Let’s talk about what’s different, why it’s wrecking us, and why I’m a mess over this.
They Changed That Shot, and I’m Ruined
You know the The Last of Us opening credits—pure art, right? That creepy cordyceps web creeping through ruined cities, names like Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey popping up, all set to Gustavo Santaolalla’s music that makes you wanna cry before the episode even starts. The best part? That final shot of two silhouettes—Joel and Ellie—standing together in the fungal chaos, like they’re the last ones left in this broken world. It’s been the vibe since Season 1, screaming “these two against it all.”
But in Episode 3, HBO went and broke my heart. According to Mashable and GamesRadar+, Joel’s silhouette is gone. It’s just Ellie’s smaller figure, standing alone in that fungal mess. Oh, and Pedro Pascal’s name? Vanished from the opening credits’ cast list. I’m talking full-on devastation in like 10 seconds of screen time. X is a warzone of tears, with @obiwanidala tweeting, “OH THEY DIDNT OMFG ..... ellie being alone in the end of the intro now .” @nerdist called it a “small but HEARTBREAKING change,” and I’m just sitting here, staring at my TV, wondering why HBO hates me.
Why It’s Hitting So Hard
To get why this hurts like a Stalker attack, we gotta go back to Episode 2, “Through the Valley.” That’s when The Last of Us Season 2 ripped our hearts out. Joel Miller, our grumpy dad played by Pedro Pascal, got brutally killed by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who’s out for blood because Joel took out her dad, a Firefly surgeon, back in Season 1’s hospital massacre. The scene, straight from The Last of Us Part II, had Abby smashing Joel with a golf club while Ellie watched, screaming. The Guardian called it “hellish and bloodthirsty,” and I was a wreck for days.
The new credits in Episode 3 make it real: Joel’s not coming back. TheTab.com put it perfectly: “The smaller silhouette, Ellie, stands alone. It’s a subtle but devastating visual cue: Joel is gone. Ellie is now truly on her own in a brutal, broken world.” That empty spot where Joel’s silhouette used to be? It’s like a hole in my chest, mirroring Ellie’s grief. X user @screenrant nailed it: “Not even passed the opening credits and The Last of Us already has me in my feels.” It’s all about Ellie now, and I’m not ready for her to face this world alone.
It’s a Game Nod, But It Still Stings
If you played The Last of Us Part II, you knew Joel’s death was coming, but the show’s mixing things up to keep us on our toes. GamesRadar+ pointed out that Season 2 tweaks the game’s timeline—like putting Dina on Joel’s doomed patrol instead of Tommy—but the credits change is pure Part II energy. In the game, Joel’s death is the spark for Ellie’s revenge quest, and showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are using the credits to scream, “Ellie’s the star now.” Dexerto said it best: “Ellie’s story now, not Joel’s.”
What’s killing me is how this ties to Ellie’s biggest fear. Remember Season 1, when she told Sam she’s scared of ending up alone? GAMINGbible brought that up, saying the new credits “break my heart into millions of pieces” because they make that fear come true. But for now, seeing Ellie’s lone figure in that fungal hell is like a punch I didn’t see coming.
X Is Crying, and Pedro’s Not Helping
X is basically a The Last of Us therapy session right now. @DiscussingFilm dropped a side-by-side of the old and new credits with, “They already updated the opening credits for S2 of THE LAST OF US ,” and it’s got thousands of likes and sad reacts. @GeekandSundry tweeted, “The Last of Us season two made one small but HEARTBREAKING change to its intro credits,” and fans are replying with crying gifs and clips of Ellie’s breakdown. We’re all hurting, and it’s because Joel and Ellie’s bond was everything.
Pedro Pascal’s feeling it too. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, he said he knew Joel’s fate from day one but admitted, “I’m in active denial… I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over.” Fans are praying for flashbacks—trailers show Joel in some scenes—but the credits are like, “Nope, he’s gone.” The Independent quoted a fan saying, “Ouch, opening credits of The Last of Us season two episode three,” and that’s the whole mood on X.
Why It’s So Damn Smart
This credits change isn’t just here to make us cry—it’s storytelling genius. Yardbarker called it “poignant and elegant,” saying the fungal silhouettes used to show Joel and Ellie “overcoming the odds” together. Now, Ellie’s solo figure in the cordyceps mess is all about loss and survival, tying into the show’s big themes. SoapCentral.com said it’s a “reality check” for Ellie and us, shifting the focus to her fight without Joel. It’s such a small move, but it carries so much weight, and I’m low-key obsessed with how Mazin and Druckmann did this.
It’s also setting up Ellie’s arc like nobody’s business. TheTab.com hit the nail on the head: “That final lonely image hammers home what season two is all about: Grief, survival, and forging your own path when your world collapses.” With Dina (Isabela Merced) by her side and a messy Seattle trip coming, Ellie’s about to go through it, and the credits are getting us ready for the pain. I’m hyped but also terrified.
Why I’m Falling Apart
This The Last of Us Season 2 credits change has me ugly-crying. Joel and Ellie were the heart and soul of Season 1, and seeing their silhouette duo disappear is like losing a piece of me. The fungal vibes, the empty space, the way it screams Ellie’s fear of being alone—it’s too much. X is right there with me, with @HBO posting cryptic stuff like “Redefining their last moment” alongside the new credits, making me relive the hurt all over again.
New episodes drop Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max, and with Season 3 already locked in (and a fourth planned), I’m gearing up for more heartbreak. GamesRadar+ even teased another credits change for Season 3, based on Part II’s later twists, and I’m not ready. Right now, I’m just trying to deal with Ellie’s lone silhouette in that fungal nightmare. “Credits hit harder than the episode,” one X user wrote, and I’m nodding through my tears. The Last of Us Season 2 is out to destroy us, and this change is just the start.
