The Last of Us fans relive Sarah’s death: “This is just as horrible”

Cameron Frew
Joel and Sarah in The Last of Us HBO show

We knew it was coming: fans were forced to relive Sarah’s death in The Last of Us Episode 1, and this time round, it’s “just as horrible” – if not even worse.

Most people know the outline of The Last of Us: Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), an unlikely duo with a prickly dynamic, travel across America while a fungal pandemic turns people into tendril-sprouting monsters.

In the first episode, we see what life was like before the Cordyceps outbreak. After a brief prologue, we’re in 2003, with Joel’s daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) trying to get his watch fixed for his birthday.

Alas, this was her last day alive: Sarah dies in a scene that pretty much mirrors the game’s harrowing opening, and it was a tough watch – even for the fans who were waiting for it to happen.

The Last of Us fans react to Sarah’s death

Sarah is killed by a FEDRA guard as Joel tries to get them to safety. He throws himself and Sarah into a ditch to avoid the bullets, but his efforts were futile. She dies in his arms, gasping for air.

“The Last of US is perfectly casted so far but Nico Parker’s performance as Sarah was phenomenal. THAT scene broke me,” one user wrote.

“Like, I got so attached to Sarah KNOWING what was gonna happen and still got hit with a ton of bricks as soon as Joel picked her up from the car,” another wrote. “Sarah’s death in live action was so traumatic and somehow worse than the game,” a third tweeted.

“That Joel and Sarah scene hurt just as much as it did in the video game and I am NOT okay,” a fourth wrote. “The way this made me sob way more cause I got attached to Sarah cause we got to see more of her & cause of how GOOD of an actress Nico Parker is,” a fifth tweeted.

The Last of Us Episode 2 will be available to watch on January 22 in the US and January 23 in the UK.

For more TLOU content, check out some of our below guides:

Joel & Tess explained | Sarah spoilers | Fungus threat is terrifying | The dog’s fate | Who is Marlene? | Why is Ellie so important? | Soundtrack choice | FEDRA & the Fireflies explained

About The Author

Cameron is Deputy TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He's an action movie aficionado, '80s obsessive, and Oscars enthusiast. He loves Invincible, but he's also a fan of The Boys, the MCU, The Chosen, and much more. You can contact him at cameron.frew@dexerto.com.