We know that The Last of Us series on HBO will bring to live-action a lot of characters from the game, not just Joel and Ellie, but side characters like Bill and Henry as well. Fans have been curious as to who Melanie Lynskey’s character could be from the trailers, and it’s confirmed she’s a new character created for the series.
During an appearance at CCXP (via @NaughtyDogInfo), showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed that Lynskey’s character is a leader of the post-apocalyptic faction called the ‘Hunters’. We don’t have any other further details besides that, Mazin did say there is a difference with the Hunters in the show to the ones we meet in the game.
In the original Last of Us, Hunters were a faction of humans whose basic form of survival was ‘hunting down’ other survivors and looting them for items and supplies. Joel and Ellie go up against them with their armored vehicle, and even in The Last of Us Part II they’re mentioned as a potential threat to the town of Jackson.
I guess it’s also worth mentioning that Joel and Tommy were part of the Hunters before they split up (Joel becoming a smuggler and Tommy joining the Fireflies). This also explains why Joel knew they were walking into a trap, and it also explains his experience when it comes to torturing people for information.
We don’t know when the Hunters will factor into the story in the series, but I can’t wait to see how they’re going to be different for the show.
Catch The Last of Us when it premieres on HBO Max on Jan. 16. The Last of Us games are now available for PlayStation 4|5.
