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HBO Max‘s The Last of Us series takes on the popular video game storyline in a world where a viral pandemic has whipped out most of the population. The lead character, Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, is at the heart of the series. But before diving into his brooding role for the series, fans learn about his tragic past that broke his heart. The Last of Us begins with the death of his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker), and it stays in tune with the video game.
[WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us.]
Sarah, Joel, and Tommy try to escape the viral outbreak in ‘The Last of Us’
Like the video game, The Last of Us takes place in Austin, Texas, before the outbreak. Fans meet single father Joel and his daughter Sarah. Sarah planned to make pancakes for her father’s birthday but discovered her father never bought flour. While having an impromptu breakfast, Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriela Luna) arrives to take them to work and hears the radio talk about trouble in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The day goes on as usual, but there is something wrong. Sarah is urged to go home when she goes to a local shop to fix her father’s watch. Later that night, Joel arrives, forgets to buy a birthday cake, and watches a movie with Sarah. When Joel gets a call from Tommy, he leaves Sarah sleeping.
Sarah wakes up to explosions and her neighbor’s dog at her door. She investigates and finds her male neighbor dying from a severe neck wound. On the kitchen floor is his wife being eaten by her mother, who has become a ravenous infected monster. Sarah flees and is saved by her dad and uncle. They escape to safety but find the army blocking the main roads and the town being overrun by infected.
After the car crash, Tommy stays behind to ward them off while Joel carries his daughter to safety. An infected chases after them until an army soldier shoots it dead. But the soldier holds them at gunpoint and asks for orders over his radio. Joel screams that they are not infected. The soldier utters his apology and opens fire until Tommy shoots him dead. But it is too late. Sarah was shot in the abdomen and dies in her father’s arms.
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Sarah’s death in ‘The Last of Us’ was kept the same as in the video game
Sarah’s death in The Last of Us happens precisely as in the video game. Minor things were changed, like Joel and Sarah not watching a ninja movie for his birthday. Joel does not get a phone call from Tommy from jail. But Sarah does wake up to explosions but receives a call from a frantic Tommy asking to speak to Joel. The infected that attacks them is their male neighbor, not the elderly woman.
The rest of the backstory scene is the same, leading up to Sarah’s tragic death in The Last of Us. Joel and Sarah run to safety until they cross paths with the army soldier. Like the series, the soldier tries to reason with his higher-ups not to kill them as a child is present. But having to follow orders, he opened fire. As he goes to kill Joel, Tommy arrives and kills the soldier.
Joel soon realizes Sarah has been fatally wounded in the abdomen. He tries to calm down his daughter but is faced with the inevitable truth that she will not survive. Sarah dies in his arms.
Will fans see Sarah again in the HBO Max series?
As fans know, Sarah is not the main character of The Last of Us. Instead, there is a time jump to 20 years into the future when the viral infection has killed a majority of the population. A hardened Joel is now a smuggler and finds himself tasked with taking Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to safety outside the quarantine zone. Joel will develop a father-daughter bond with Ellie over time. But will fans see Sarah again in The Last of Us?
According to IMDb, The Last of Us actor Nico Parker is credited with two episodes in the series. It can be speculated that she will return in an old memory or flashback. Sarah’s death had a massive impact on Joel, who he has become 20 years later, and how he will approach the journey with Ellie.
