20 Best Easter Eggs In The Last of Us Season 1

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for HBO’s The Last of Us season 1 and The Last of Us Part II.HBO’s The Last of Us season 1 is full of Easter eggs referencing both The Last of Us games. Considered one of the best video game adaptations ever made, if not the best, HBO’s The Last of Us found the perfect balance between recreating the source material and adding something new to it. In addition to the great story and performances, The HBO adaptation of the hit video game series nailed the atmosphere of The Last of Us’ world, resulting in Easter eggs and callbacks that add to the overall viewing experience.

There were dozens of The Last of Us game Easter eggs in each episode of the show’s first season, from the shirt that a character is wearing to throwaway lines that set up The Last of Us season 2’s story. Of course, those little moments most likely go unnoticed for those who have not played The Last of Us games, yet they do not affect the enjoyment of the story. The best Easter eggs are there to enhance the experience for those already familiar with the franchise.

20

Sarah’s Halican Drops Shirt Is Exactly Like The Game

Episode 1 “When You’re Lost In The Darkness”

The Last of Us episode 1 had perhaps the most difficult mission among all episodes of the HBO Last of Us adaptation. The Last of Us game prologue is one of the most important sequences in the entire game – if not the most – and it had to be nailed in the TV adaptation. Fortunately, all the events leading up to Sarah’s death in The Last of Us perfectly captured the atmosphere of the game, including by giving Nico Parker’s Sarah the exact same shirt Sarah wears in the video game.

As the infection spreads and the family piles into the car to escape, the camera point-of-view shots even switch to those of Sarah in the backseat. That’s exactly how the sequence plays out in the video game as well, putting the audience in Sarah’s shoes, so it was nice for game fans to see more nods to her from the games. She’s an important character, even if she does not live past the prologue of the story.

19

Curtis And Viper Are Joel’s Favorite Duo

Episode 1 “When You’re Lost In The Darkness”

The prologue aspect of the first episode of the TV series does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to setting up information from the game franchise and providing the audience with Easter eggs. As Joel’s daughter prepares for his birthday, for example, she chooses the movie Curtis and Viper 2 for them to watch. It’s a movie about a pair of commandos who battle spies. That movie is a nod to a bit of dialogue from The Last of Us Part II.

In the video game, Ellie makes the comment that she wants to watch the movie. Joel reveals that the movies are some of his favorites. He loves the titular duo and even saw the fourth movie in theaters before the virus took hold of the world. In the game, the movie helps to show that the world has changed a lot in a very short amount of time, and the show sneaks the movie in for game fans who know how fast those changes really take place.

18

A Forgotten Birthday Card In Sarah’s Room

Episode 1 “When You’re Lost In The Darkness”

Sarah makes a lot of birthday plans for her father. She clearly wants his big day to be special. From getting his watch fixed for him to finding one of his favorite movies to watch to wanting to make him pancakes that morning, Sarah has a whole day planned. There is one aspect of his birthday that she does not get to, though.

In shots of Sarah’s room, fans can see the birthday card she has for him with a green dinosaur on it sitting on her desk. She is never shown giving him the card and Joel never mentions it in the show. It is the same design as the card from the game. Sarah picks it up, lamenting in some of the in-game dialogue that she forgot to give her dad the card. It sitting on the desk, forgotten again, is a nice nod to the same birthday events from the game playing out without her having to explicitly hold the card up for the camera.

17

Tess’ Lighter Is From Another Video Game

Episode 2 “Infected”

The Last of Us Easter eggs do not solely nod to its own video game franchise in the first season. There are also nods to the popular Uncharted video games. Fans can spot one of the nods in the second episode of the series when Tess pulls out her lighter to use after her luck has run out.

The lighter has a notable “76” engraved on it because it is modeled after the lighter used by treasure hunter Sam Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Neil Druckman, who is an executive producer on The Last of Us TV series worked on both video games as did several other Naughty Dog employees who work in the show.

In a since-deleted post on X, formerly Twitter, Druckman acknowledged the use of the design, saying, “When the props department asked me if there’s any particular design I’d like on Tess’s lighter… I couldn’t help myself.” Naughty Dog also confirmed the design on their Instagram.

Naughty Dog also gets its own nod as a company in episode 7. The headmaster of the FEDRA school’s keys contain a keychain with Naughty Dog’s pawprint logo.

16

The Outbreak Started From “Basic Ingredients”

Episode 3 “Long, Long Time”

…a sly way to show why Joel and his family did not initially become infected…

There is some debate as to how the Cordyceps managed to change the world so quickly. In episode three, however, Joel notes that they likely got into “basic ingredients” of brands that were sold all over the world. He lists common grocery pantry items like flour, sugar, bread, cereal, and pancake mix. This explanation he gives to Ellie is actually foreshadowed in the first episode of the series.

In the very first episode, Sarah plans on making pancakes for her dad’s birthday, but the family is out of mix. While she is initially upset, she moves on. The neighbors offer the family freshly baked biscuits, but they decline. Joel also forgets all about his birthday cake. Every time they are given the opportunity to eat any of the items that may have been contaminated, they do not.

This is the kind of nod that a lot of fans are not going to catch their first time through the series because it seems like a basic explanation, though it is referenced in a newspaper Sarah finds in the original game. It could be a sly way to show why Joel and his family did not initially become infected like those in their neighborhood did though.

15

The Last of Us Show Gives Joel & Ellie’s Game Looks An Origin Story

Episode 3 “Long, Long Time”

Sarah’s Halican Drops shirt is not the only The Last of Us game look that the HBO adaptation brought to the screen. While there are a lot of characters that simply don hunting or military gear, which is easy enough to get close to the looks of other characters in the games, principal characters Joel and Ellie have distinct outfits in the game.

Both Joel and Ellie were eventually given their “game shirts”, the looks that defined the characters during the first The Last of Us game. Joel’s flannel shirt was even given an origin story in this version – it belonged to Frank. Frank is seen wearing it during one of the flashback confrontations with Bill. Ellie also gets her iconic shirt from the first game in The Last of Us episode 3, after she and Joel find Bill’s note. She gets her pink striped hoodie later in the season as well.

14

Bill’s Letter Makes A The Last of Us Game Moment Better

Episode 3 “Long, Long Time”

Bill’s letter to Joel in The Last of Us episode 3 is a major Easter egg that changes The Last of Us game story for the better. In The Last of Us Part I, the player, Joel, runs into a note left by Frank before Bill’s partner killed himself. Frank’s note in the game is rather tragic, and it explains why Bill is in such sadness and anger by the time Joel goes to ask him for help.

In The Last of Us show, however, it is Bill who leaves a note specifically to whoever finds his house – most likely Joel – before he and Frank die together. The series does a great job at expanding on the story of Frank and Bill as a whole. Many of the side characters in the games do not get expanded stories like this in the original platform, and season 2 promises to flesh out other characters as well.

13

Ellie’s Pun Book Could Not Be Missing From The Show

Episode 4 “Please Hold To My Hand”

No Pun Intended Vol. 2, Ellie’s book from the first The Last of Us game, could not be missing from the HBO adaptation. Joel and Ellie’s interactions throughout The Last of Us Part I are what set The Last of Us apart from similar games, as it created this unique connection between the main character – and thus the player – and the seemly supporting, NPC (non-playable character). Ellie’s casual jokes helped establish her and Joel’s bond during the gameplay, with no need for dramatic cut-scenes, and it was fortunately added in The Last of Us show.

Other books and items that are seen in the games also make appearances in the show. The Savage Starlight Comics, for example, become Ellie’s favorite comics in the games, and she gets to find and read them in a later episode. Of course, the Savage Starlight Comics can even be collected in the original game and contain Easter eggs and foreshadowing for players there as well.

Ellie also flips through the adult magazine she finds at Frank and Bill’s house, something she does in the game. It’s likely that if there was reading material in the games of some kind, Ellie is going to find it in the show too.

12

Joel & Ellie Unlocking Doors Recreates The Last of Us Gameplay

Multiple Episodes Of Season 1

Joel and Ellie simply moving things away from a door or climbing a ladder to access an entry may seem trivial, but moments like that perfectly recreate The Last of Us’ gameplay. Just as the camera moves to Sarah’s point of view in the prologue to recreate the game’s point of view, the show uses these simple tasks to echo what players have to do to play the game.

Between The Last of Us and The Last of Part II, players had to move a lot of tables and garbage dumpsters from one point of the room to another, which is something that moments like Ellie and Joel pushing a desk away from the door in HBO’s The Last of Us episode 4 managed to capture. Joel also has to give Ellie a boost to pull down a ladder and direct her to go into a smaller crawlspace at one point. Both of those actions occur in the game to help Joel keep moving through different levels.

11

The Last of Us Game’s Tommy Actor Plays Perry

Episode 4 “Please Hold To My Hand” And Episode 5 “Endure And Survive”

HBO’s The Last of Us cleverly brought in actors from The Last of Us games in different roles, creating an even stronger connection between the games’ legacy and the TV adaptation. For example, Jeffrey Pierce who played Tommy in The Last of Us games, played Perry in HBO’s The Last of Us. Perry was a character created for the show, serving as the right-hand of the also original character Kathleen.

Perry’s presence serves to help expand the world created by the video games while still honoring the actor’s original contribution to the games themselves. Pierce has also made contributions to other video games in addition to his on-camera roles. His voice can be heard in the Call of Duty franchise and the Medal of Honor games as well.

10

Ellie Tells Joel She Would Want To Be An Astronaut

Episode 6 “Kin”

Joel asks Ellie what she would want to be in a world where the Cordyceps were no more, to which Ellie answers “an astronaut”, inspired by Sally Ride. Ellie mentioning her wish to be an astronaut is a major The Last of Us Easter egg. It also sets up one of the most emotional, heart-warming moments from The Last of Us Part II in which Joel gives Ellie her wish to an extent.

There are actually plenty of nods to Ellie’s interest in space. Despite her fear of ending up being alone because of her immunity to the infection that has been spreading, she still finds the vastness of space interesting. It’s highlighted all over her dorm room wall in episode 7. There are images of different star systems and nebula alongside different dinosaurs and other things she is interested in.

9

HBO’s The Last of Us Jackson Brings Part II To Life

Episode 6 “Kin”

The Last of Us episode 6 was full of The Last of Us Part II Easter eggs, almost as if the show was teasing what is yet to come in the journeys of Joel and Ellie. The Jackson community built by Maria and Tommy does not appear until Part II in The Last of Us games, but in the show’s timeline, audiences were already introduced to it. The Last of Us shows Jackson is a perfect recreation of the one from Part II, and it suggests that the HBO adaptation will nail both the tone and the aesthetics of The Last of Us season 2.

The town with its Western vibes will play a much larger role in season 2. While Tommy’s story in the series will be a little different since the show has made him a father when the game has not, he is still expected to have a major role in season 2 as well.

8

The Last of Us Shows Ellie & Dina’s First Meeting

Episode 6 “Kin”

One of many Part II Easter Eggs in The Last of Us episode 6 was the first meeting between Ellie and, presumably, Dina. Though The Last of Us producers would not confirm whether the girl looking at Ellie at the dining hall is indeed Dina, that moment looked like a recreation of a throwaway Dina line in The Last of Us Part II. In the game, Dina mentions how her first impression of Ellie was that she would not stop eating. Dina plays a significant role in The Last of Us Part II.

The character is only credited as “staring girl,” played by Paolina Van Kleef. Van Kleef will not be playing Dina in the second season though. Isabela Merced will play Dina. Merced recently appeared in Alien: Romulus, cementing her perfect casting in the minds of many fans.

7

A Young Shimmer Appears In The Last Us Season 1

Episode 6 “Kin”

Continuing The Last of Us season 2’s setups, Ellie meets a young Shimmer in The Last of Us episode 6. Like so much of the episode, Shimmer is a tease of what’s to come for Ellie in the future. HBO’s The Last of Us season 2 will have a time jump of five years, similar to the four years between the events of the two games. After this, both Ellie and Dina will eventually have in Shimmer a traveling companion just as the horse appeared in the game.

While Joel did have a horse at different points in season 1, that horse was not Shimmer but Callus. Callus is the horse Joel rides in the game as well, given to him by Tommy. There are not a ton of opportunities to have animals in a series like The Last of Us, so utilizing the horses for travel is a nice nod to the games.

6

The Last of Us Game’s Joel Actor Plays James

Episode 8 “When We Are In Need”

Troy Baker, who played Joel in The Last of Us games, appeared in HBO’s The Last of Us as James, one of David’s men. Troy Baker brought Joel to life in the original The Last of Us, showing both strength and vulnerability throughout the hours of gameplay and cut-scenes. Curiously, Bella Ramsey’s Ellie killed James, Troy Baker’s character on the show, leading to jokes about how “Ellie killed Joel.” Unfortunately, Troy Baker’s James and Pedro Pascal’s Joel did not interact, even though Joel fought some of David’s men.

Baker is a prolific voice actor, especially in the video game industry. Fans will also know his voice from Batman’s Arkham games, Fortnite, as well as multiple Marvel games as different characters. He also provides the voice of Sam in Uncharted 4, a game which gets referenced multiple times in The Last of Us season 1.

5

Joel Wants To Teach Ellie How To Play The Guitar

Episode 9 “Look For The Light”

Joel tells Ellie that he wants to teach her how to play the guitar, a The Last of Us Easter egg that sets up Joel and Ellie’s emotional arc in The Last of Us season 2. Music in general plays a huge role in the stories of Joel and Ellie, especially heading into The Last of Us Part II. How The Last of Us season 2’s timeline will work is difficult to say, but Joel wanting to teach Ellie how to play the guitar is only the beginning of a bittersweet story that sets the tone for Part II.

Earlier in the season, the show sets up Joel’s love for music with something as simple as him listening to tapes in the car. Most cars today are not even equipped with tape players. Music is also used as a code to communicate with Frank and Bill in a world where music is not as easily accessible as it would have been before the Cordyceps. Joel and Ellie do bond through music in the games, and Ellie is the one who ends up with the ownership of Joel’s guitar eventually.

Episode 9 “Look For The Light”

While Joel and Ellie are in Salt Lake City in episode nine, they look out over a football field where giraffes are grazing and spend some time enjoying the view. This particular scene has a few Easter eggs. That is partly because it is lifted almost exactly from the game.

One of those Easter eggs is the name of the field itself. It’s visible on a sign in the game and the show as Bethany Clare Field. That is a tribute to the wife of Peter Field, a level designer on the original game. He included it in the game as a nod to his wife, and he was surprised to see it make it into the show. In a since-deleted post on X, Field shared that surprise since he did not think those involved with the show at HBO knew the field’s name was a tribute to his wife:

I’m still reeling from this. A silly Easter Egg I put in the original #TheLastOfUs game has somehow survived the transition to live action TV. It’s blurry but it’s definitely there!!! I can’t imagine the HBO team knew the name of the baseball field was a tribute to my wife.

Another Easter egg in this particular sequence is the giraffes in the field. Giraffes are found throughout the games in the franchise, often as stuffed animals found in abandoned areas. That’s true in the show as well as giraffe children’s toys are seen in a few scenes. Ellie also has a picture of a giraffe on her wall amid her images of space in her FEDRA dorm room in episode 7.

3

The Last of Us Game’s Ellie Actor Plays Ellie’s Mom

Episode 9 “Look For The Light”

Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie in The Last of Us games, played Anna, Ellie’s mother, in HBO’s The Last of Us. Like Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson helped bring The Last of Us’s story to life for the first time with the games, which is why it was so interesting to have both of them appearing on the show. Having Ashley Johnson, who originally brought Ellie to life in the game, play the character who gives birth to Ellie on the show could not have been a more perfect creative decision as the original Ellie literally welcomes the the new one.

Johnson is an award-winning video game actor. While she has appeared in plenty of work on the screen, she has also become known for her commitment to bringing animated and video game characters to life through voice work and motion-capture performances. She won a BAFTA award for every video game appearance as Ellie in The Last of Us franchise. She is also the winner of multiple Behind the Voice Actor Awards for her role in the franchise.

2

The Last of Us Game’s Abby Actor Plays A Doctor

Episode 9 “Look For The Light”

Laura Bailey, who plays Abby in The Last of Us Part II, played one of the Fireflies’ doctors overseeing Ellie’s surgery in The Last of Us season 1’s finale. What happened at that surgery room in The Last of Us episode 9 is set to define the lives of Ellie, Joel, and Abby, the last of which did not appear in season 1 but will play a major role in The Last of Us season 2. As such, having Abby’s original game actor involved in it was a great The Last of Us Easter egg.

Like Baker and Johnson, Bailey is a prolific voice actor, appearing in animation and video games over the years. She and Johnson have also worked together multiple times on other projects, including the web series Critical Role. It’s great for fans to see them both back here, even if they do not get to appear together.

For season 2, Abby will be played by Kaitlyn Dever, who like Bailey, has a previous connection to the franchise. She was actually cast in a The Last of Us movie adaptation that did not get made 10 years before she was cast as Abby. She would have played the role of Ellie in the movie adaptation.

1

The Fireflies’ Doctor’s Death Sets Up The Last of Us Season 2

Episode 9 “Look For The Light”

The final The Last of Us season 1 game Easter egg is a rather controversial one. Joel kills the Fireflies’ doctor who was going to perform the brain surgery on Ellie without giving it a second thought, in a moment that recreates the game’s final mission.

The Last of Us episode 9 made sure to go back to the doctor’s deceased body and focused on it for a few seconds before cutting away, setting up how crucial the doctor’s death is for the events of The Last of Us season 2, as it is the death that will spark Abby’s quest for revenge. Though the audience might not know the identity of that doctor until season 2 plays out, they do know, thanks to that lingering shot, that the doctor is likely an important piece of the plot moving forward.

Those who have played the game know exactly who he is and why Abby will be coming for Joel in season 2 of The Last of Us.