The Last of Us Season 2, episode 1: Who is Abby?

The Last of Us is back, and there's a new player in town.

Although Season 2 spends most of its first episode five years on from the events of the Season 1 finale, the opening scene takes place in its direct aftermath. Here we're introduced to a group of new characters, the de facto leader of which is a woman named Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).

But what do we know about this new character so far, and how she connects to the story? Let's dive in.

[Note: This article does NOT contain any spoilers from The Last of Us video game series.]

What happens with Abby in Season 2, episode 1?

We're introduced to Abby at the side of a makeshift graveyard. In the opening scene of the first episode, she stands with four companions — Manny (Danny Ramirez), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Mel (Ariela Barer), and Owen (Spencer Lord) — at the aftermath of the massacre Joel (Pedro Pascal) perpetrated in the Season 1 finale in order to rescue Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Each cross is hung with a medallion bearing the Firefly logo, and it's clear from the dialogue that the small group are Fireflies themselves.

"So what do we do?" asks Mel. "Do we look for other Fireflies?"

"Where?" responds Manny. "This place was the Fireflies."

It's clear from the exchange that follows that the five of them are the sole survivors of what happened at the hospital — "We didn't save anyone," says Abby. "Did we?" — and that Abby is hellbent on going after Joel for what he did.

We don't see Abby or her group again until right at the very end of episode 1, five years later — when they're creeping through the trees at the outskirts of Jackson, the makeshift town where Joel and Ellie now live. Clearly, their search has finally paid off. They've managed to track Joel down.

Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

So, who exactly is Abby?

Abby only appears briefly, so we don't know too much about her. But let's start with what we do know. As we mentioned before, it's clear from the opening scene that she's a Firefly who was based at the hospital where Ellie was taken in Season 1. She's one of the few survivors of Joel's massacre, which means — like her other companions — she's clearly had to bury friends that died at Joel's hand.

What differentiates her from her companions is that she seems particularly intent on revenge. While the others discuss what their next moves might be, Abby's only priority is finding Joel. The final shot of the opening sequence could provide some clue as to why, as Abby bends to hang a medallion on a grave with tears in her eyes.

"When we kill him," she says, "we kill him slowly."

The implication seems to be that whoever's grave Abby is crouched at, it must belong to someone very important to her. Maybe a close family member? A parent or sibling? Whoever it is will likely become clear later in the season, but it seems that they're the main motivator behind Abby's desire to hunt down Joel for what he did.

The Last of Us Season 2 premieres April 13 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.