Last of Us set photos show Abby

The new The Last of Us photos matter for one simple reason — they’re the first real proof of what Season 3 is going to be. Not in a teaser-trailer way. In a boots-on-the-ground, cameras-are-rolling way. The images from Vancouver show Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Kyriana Kratter as Lev moving through a wrecked Seattle set, armed and clearly in the middle of an action setup. (screenrant.com) That’s the clearest sign yet that HBO has fully shifted into the Abby chapter of Part II. ### Why are fans paying attention to set photos? Because this show guards its big reveals pretty tightly, so stray production images end up doing real work. These shots show Abby and Lev together for the first time in Season 3 production, and that pairing is not some side quest — it’s one of the emotional hinges of the whole back half of The Last of Us Part II. (press.wbd.com) When those two appear on set together, fans instantly know what stretch of story HBO is moving toward. ### Who are Abby and Lev here? Abby is the soldier played by Kaitlyn Dever, introduced as a central antagonist before the story starts pulling the camera around to her side. (screenrant.com) Lev is the younger Seraphite character played by Kyriana Kratter, whose casting was reported in March alongside Michelle Mao as Yara. In the game, Lev and Yara are the characters who crack Abby’s worldview open. That’s why this isn’t just “new cast spotted filming.” It’s the start of the perspective flip. ### What do the photos actually show? Mostly movement and gear — but the gear tells the story. Abby is carrying a rifle. Lev has a bow. (screenrant.com) The two appear to be navigating a ruined Seattle block and preparing to enter or move past a damaged building. That lines up with the war-zone version of Seattle the series has been building toward, where the WLF and Seraphites are grinding each other down in the background of Ellie’s revenge story. ### Why does Lev matter so much? Because Lev is the character who turns Abby from a mission-driven brute into something more complicated. Basically, Lev does for Abby what Ellie once did for Joel — not in the same way, but in the same structural sense. (deadline.com) He gives the story a relationship that can soften, challenge, and redirect someone the audience has been taught to fear or hate. If Season 3 wants viewers to stay with Abby, Lev is one of the keys. ### Is Season 3 really Abby’s season? Everything points that way. HBO renewed the show for Season 3 on April 9, 2025, before Season 2 even premiered. (screenrant.com) Then, after the Season 2 finale, Craig Mazin made clear that the story was moving into Abby’s side of events, mirroring the game’s decision to rewind and replay Seattle from a different point of view. The finale’s “Seattle Day One” turn basically set that direction in neon. ### Why is that a risky move? Because Abby is still the franchise’s hardest sell. In the game, the whole gamble was forcing players to sit with someone they may have spent hours wanting dead. (hollywoodreporter.com) TV can do that too, but it has less time and less player identification to work with. The catch is that HBO now has to make that switch feel earned for viewers who came in attached to Joel and Ellie first. ### What does this tell us about timing? Mostly that production is well underway in British Columbia and HBO is far enough along to be staging major Abby-Lev material outdoors. That doesn’t give a premiere date by itself, but it does move Season 3 out of the abstract. (press.wbd.com) This is no longer “yes, it’s renewed.” It’s a season with cast, locations, costumes, and story priorities visible from the street. ### Bottom line? These photos are small, but the signal is big. Season 3 isn’t just continuing The Last of Us — it’s attempting the story’s most divisive turn, and Abby and Lev are now officially at the center of it. (screenrant.com) (hollywoodnorthbuzz.com) (hollywoodreporter.com)