Pedro Pascal comments on Joel's death in The Last of Us and compares it to Game of Thrones

It's not today that Pedro Pascal understands the weight of a brutal death in successful series. After having his head crushed as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, the actor once again dealt with painful farewells — and now it was time to say goodbye to Joel, his character in The Last of Us.

In a special video published by Entertainment Weekly, alongside Kaitlyn Dever and Bella Ramsey, Pascal commented on the iconic scene from Episode 2 of Season 2 of the series, where Joel is brutally murdered by Abby (played by Dever), while Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is forced to watch, unable to do anything.

In a humorous way, Pascal didn't miss the chance to joke about his own fate:

"I already knew he would die when I received the invitation. They said: don't worry, you will die. So I said: okay, I accept it", he said, eliciting laughter from colleagues and fans who followed the special.

Despite the lighthearted tone, the atmosphere on set during filming was, as expected, filled with emotion. Still, Pedro Pascal reveals that everyone tried to approach the day with a little more lightness:

"I don't think any of us were like: wow, today is the day. We didn't want to make everything even more tense", he explained.

However, the change in the environment was inevitable, especially when the actor arrived on set dressed with realistic devices simulating his serious injuries:

"Everyone was on set chatting, normal, chatting, then suddenly I enter with all that and you feel the mood change. Everyone with a broken heart", Pascal recalled, highlighting how heavy the moment was for the entire team.

The Last of Us, one of HBO's and streaming service Max's big bets, continues with its second season bringing strong emotions for fans — and, as many already predicted, Joel's death, faithful to the original material of The Last of Us Part II from Naughty Dog, was inevitable. Just like in Game of Thrones, the production seems unafraid to shock the audience — and, as Pedro Pascal himself compared:

"This death I think reminds me a lot of Game of Thrones. I see the audience really pondering about it".

The good news for fans who are not yet ready to definitively say goodbye to Joel is that, yes, he will continue to appear in various moments of the season. Below, check out the complete schedule of the upcoming episodes:

Schedule of Season 2 of The Last of Us:

Episode 1 – April 13, at 10pm – Already available on the streaming platform

Episode 2 – April 20, at 10pm – Already available on the streaming platform

Episode 3 – April 27, at 10pm

Episode 4 – May 4, at 10pm

Episode 5 – May 11, at 10pm

Episode 6 – May 18, at 10pm

Episode 7 (Season Finale) – May 25, at 10pm

Therefore, even with the long-awaited (and feared) farewell, fans will still have some episodes to remember Joel through flashbacks and remaining scenes.

And of course, the expectation now is to know: how will the series continue without its main protagonist? After the success of the first season and the impact of this second year, The Last of Us continues to prove that game adaptations, when done with respect and narrative courage, can reach very high levels of quality — even if it hurts the hearts of those who watch.