The Last of Us season 2 began with quite a few bombshells, among them being a character named Eugene and his death. As fans follow the five-year time jump that Joel and Ellie — played by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, respectively — are in, viewers want to learn about Joel’s connection to Eugene and what happened to the latter.
Below, Hollywood Life is breaking down what we know so far about Eugene and his death.
Who Is Eugene in The Last of Us?
Eugene was the husband of Gail, Joel’s therapist. In the Last of Us Part II video game, Eugene only appears in photographs or logbooks. So, the HBO series crew wanted to delve deeper into his storyline.
Series showrunner Neil Druckmann told Variety in March 2025 that he wanted to unpack Eugene’s character in season 2.
“I get excited when I see these opportunities,” Neil pointed out. “I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t know Eugene that well!’ The story we told [in the video game] was somewhat superficial. The way this character comes in really gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship.”
Who Plays Eugene in The Last of Us?
Joe Pantoliano plays Eugene in The Last of Us. The actor is best known for his performance as Ralph “Ralphie” Cifaretto in The Sopranos. He also played supporting characters in various TV shows, including Hill Street Blues, The Goonies, La Bamba, Empire of the Sun, Midnight Run, NYPD Blue, Memento and Bad Boys.
What Happened to Eugene in The Last of Us?
Eugene was fatally shot By Joel at some point before season 2. In episode 1, Gail reminds Joel about the shooting during their therapy session. Though she initially hesitates to say it aloud, Gail acknowledges, “You can’t heal something unless you’re brave enough to say it out loud.”
“You shot and killed my husband,” Gail says to Joel. “You killed Eugene. And I resent you for it. No, maybe a little more than that. I hate you for it.”
Why Did Joel Kill Eugene in The Last of Us?
Fans are expecting answers about Eugene’s death as the season continues. In the first episode, Gail says to Joel, “I know you had no choice. I know I should forgive you. Well, I’ve tried, and I can’t because of how you did it.”
Since Gail said Joel “had no choice” but to kill Eugene, there are a few reasons why Joel must have felt the need to. Fans speculated that Eugene probably contracted the Cordyceps brain infection and/or was threatening Joel or Ellie’s lives.