7 Shocking Moments from 'The Last of Us'

Cover image edited by Sportskeeda (Image via Apple TV)
Cover image edited by Sportskeeda (Image via Apple TV)

The Last of Us stands as one of television's most chilling post-apocalyptic dramas. This HBO series brings the popular video game to life with spectacular detail. The show follows Ellie Williams and Joe Miller as they navigate a world destroyed by a deadly fungal infection. Ten years after the outbreak, survivors struggled in quarantine zones while infected creatures roamed the wasteland.

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The Last of Us creates a rough reality where humanity fights for survival. Joel becomes Ellie's protector on a dangerous cross-country journey. She may hold the key to saving what is left of civilization. The series masterfully blends deep emotional storytelling and horror.

Every episode delivers the moments that leave audiences breathless and stunned. These chilling scenes define why The Last of Us became a cultural phenomenon that captivates audiences worldwide.

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7 most shocking moments from The Last of Us

1) Joel's brutal hospital massacre

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

The first season one finale of The Last of Us delivers its most dramatic moment. Joel arrives at the Firefly hospital, where doctors plan to extract a cure for Ellie's brain. This procedure would kill her in the process. Joel cannot accept losing another daughter figure. He goes on a violent rampage through the medical unit.

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Armed guards fall one by one as Joel fights his way to Ellie. The sequence displays Joel's protective instincts and desperation. He kills every Firefly member without hesitation. These moments split viewers on Joel's moral ambiguity.

Some witness a loving father protecting his child. Others view it as the self-destruction of humanity's hope. The Last of Us presents this scene without right answers about right and wrong.


2) Sarah's heartbreaking death

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

The Last of Us starts with one of television's most devastating sequences. The pilot episode portrays the outbreak's first night through the eyes of young Sarah.

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Joel's daughter becomes an innocent victim of the trouble. Military soldiers receive orders to eliminate all civilians in infected zones. Joel and Sarah try to escape the burning city. A soldier spots them and opens fire without any notice.

Sarah takes a brutal bullet while escaping with her father. Joel holds his dying daughter as she breathes her last moments. This sequence establishes the series's emotional stakes from the very start.

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Sarah takes a fatal bullet while running with her father. Joel holds his dying daughter as she takes her final breaths. Sarah's death haunts Joel throughout the whole journey. Her loss explains his reluctance to care for Ellie initially.


3) The infected Kiss of Death

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

The first season delivers a truly devastating visual in the second episode. Tess encounters her last moments after getting bitten by infected creatures. She decides to sacrifice herself so Ellie and Joel can escape easily.

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A clicker approaches her as she prepares explosives to destroy the building. Instead of attacking with violence, the creature performs a terrifying 'kiss'. Fungal tendrils come from the clicker's mouth and enter Tess's body. This sequence represents the infection's entire takeover of human hosts.

The ultimate nature of the transmission makes it especially unsettling.

The Last of Us utilizes this moment to display how the fungus connects all infected beings. Tess's death becomes one of the series's most disturbing yet memorable moments.

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4) David's cannibalistic revelation

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

The eighth episode of The Last of Us introduces one of television's most shocking villains. David shows up as a helpful preacher leading survivors at a resort community.

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He offers Ellie medicine in exchange for sharing her hunted deer. David presents himself as a man of faith who found God after the outbreak. His genuine nature eventually emerges through seemingly innocent conversations.

David reveals that his group survives by consuming human flesh. He has been feeding his followers without their information on the source of the meat.

This cannibalistic cult operates under a religious facade for its troubling acts. David's revelation transforms him from a potential ally into Ellie's worst nightmare. The sequence displays how desperation can corrupt even religious leaders.

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5) Ellie's violent torture sequence

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

The second season pushes Ellie into her most intense moment yet. She tracks down Nora, one of Abby's allies, to a hospital basement. Ellie demands information about Abby's growing desperation and whereabouts.

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Nora refuses to cooperate and tries to escape through the infected-filled lower levels. When Ellie catches up, her anger takes full control. She beats Nora with a metal pipe repeatedly to gather information. This torture scene displays how revenge has consumed Ellie's moral direction.

The Last of Us doesn't shy away from displaying the psychological cost of violence. Ellie's actions mirror the brutality she witnessed during Joel's death. The sequence demonstrates how trauma can transform victims into perpetrators of chaos.

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6) Joel's shocking death

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

The second season of The Last of Us opens with its most disturbing blow to longtime fans. Joel saves Abby from infected creatures during a routine patrol with Tommy. Abby leads him back to her team's hideout under false pretenses. She reveals her real identity as the daughter of the surgeon Joel murdered. Abby beats Joel to death with a golf club while Ellie watches helplessly.

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The sequence unfolds with tragic realism that leaves audiences stunned. Joel's death happens early in the season, subverting all expectations about the show's direction. His murder sets off a cycle of revenge that consumes the remaining episodes. The Last of Us proves that no character stays safe from the rough realities of survival.


7) The Bloater's terrifying emergence

A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)
A still from the show (Image via Apple TV)

The first season, fifth episode delivers a creature feature sequence that rivals any horror film. Ellie, Joel, Henry, and Sam flee through underground tunnels beneath Kansas City.

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The tunnels look safe and empty for their escape from hostile survivors above. Suddenly, the ground collapses, revealing a huge sinkhole filled with infected creatures.

From this pt emerges the Bloater, a mutated and heavily armored infected creature. The monster represents years of fungal growth, creating a nearly indestructible killing machine. Its appearance terrifies the group and changes their escape plans entirely. The Bloater scene reminds audiences that infected monsters remain the main threat. The Last of Us

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utilizes the moment to display the infection's long-term evolutionary ability.


These seven moments define why The Last of Us became exponentially popular among drama and horror fans. Each sequence pushes viewers and characters beyond their comfort zones into astonishing territory.

Edited by Mannjari Gupta
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