Joel Miller's death in The Last of Us analysed as fans question if he survived

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers from The Last of Us season 2, episode 2

This week's episode of The Last of Us delivered a heart-wrenching blow with the savage killing of Joel Miller (portrayed by Pedro Pascal).

Devotees of the Naughty Dog video game were prepared for this grim turn of events, while those unfamiliar with the game were left reeling.

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Now, some fans are speculating whether this truly marks the end for Joel, or if there's a chance he might have miraculously survived.

Here's everything you need to know about Joel's demise and the possibility of his return, reports .

Who killed Joel in The Last of Us?

The ex-smuggler met his end at the hands of Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever) in a drawn-out and gruesome assault involving a club.

Joel had just rescued Abby when she flipped the script and exacted her revenge, hoping it would alleviate the sorrow of her father's passing.

Joel was subjected to horrific torture before being killed, with Abby's allies witnessing the act in pure horror and revulsion.

Abby had sworn vengeance on Joel after he killed her surgeon father, who was set to perform a lethal brain operation on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to cure the Cordyceps virus.

Joel unleashed carnage at the hospital upon learning that Ellie could die if the surgery proceeded.

Despite finally taking Joel's life, Abby didn't appear to find any peace in her actions.

Craig Mazin, the co-creator of The Last of Us, opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about a pivotal moment in the series: "We felt that the point we needed to get across was that Abby was not in control of herself. That despite her reasoned, carefully articulated point to Joel, that this is not rational. She's going too far."

He delved deeper into Abby's psyche, explaining, "There is a rage in her that I think we should understand is not the kind of anger that goes away simply because you killed someone. That's the irony, or, I guess, the tragedy really of being consumed by something like this - there is no way to fix it except to somehow make your peace with it and let it go."

Mazin also highlighted the moral complexities of Abby's actions: "Killing Joel isn't going to fix this for her. She's doing something wrong. And we needed to show how lost she was and we needed to show that other people in the room are horrified by this."

Is Joel really dead?

As for the fate of Joel, the answer is unequivocally clear. Just as in the video game, Joel has indeed met his end.

The narrative now shifts to Ellie's quest for vengeance, raising questions about whether she will succumb to a similar cycle of retribution as Abby, or if she can rise above it.

For fans of Pedro Pascal, who portrays Joel, there's good news: his presence in the series isn't over yet.

Season two trailers have already teased that Joel will return in flashbacks, offering viewers a glimpse into his past interactions, including the events leading up to Eugene's fatal confrontation with him.

For those still reeling from Joel's demise and in need of a mood lift, Pascal can be seen in a number of fresh ventures, including The Mandalorian and Grogu, Materialists and The Fantastic Four.

The Last of Us season 2 airs on Sundays on HBO in the USA and on NOW and Sky Atlantic on Mondays in the UK