You're sitting on the couch. You've heard the hype. Maybe you saw that one clip of Pedro Pascal looking stressed, or you keep hearing people sob about "Long, Long Time" and you finally decided to dive in. But before you commit your weekend to a fungal apocalypse, you need to know the logistics. Specifically, how many episodes the last of us actually has across its run on HBO.
It sounds like a simple question. It’s not.
Because we’re currently in that weird limbo between seasons, the answer depends entirely on whether you’re counting what’s already aired or what’s been promised by showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.
The breakdown of Season 1
Season 1 is a closed book. It's done.
There are nine episodes in the first season.
That’s it. Just nine.
If you’re coming from the world of network television where seasons are 22 episodes long, this might feel light. It isn't. HBO doesn't really do filler. Every single one of those nine episodes serves a very specific purpose in moving Joel and Ellie from the Boston Quarantine Zone to the Salt Lake City hospital.
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The premiere, "When You're Lost in the Darkness," is a massive 81-minute beast. It’s basically a movie. Then you have episodes like "Please Hold to My Hand" which are closer to 45 minutes. The runtime fluctuates because the story dictates the length, not a broadcast schedule with commercial breaks.
Honestly, the pacing is one of the reasons the show worked so well. They didn't stretch the first game's plot thin. They actually condensed certain parts of the journey while expanding the lore in others. You get the heartbreaking backstory of Frank and Bill in episode three—which, by the way, is arguably one of the best hours of television ever made—and then you’re right back into the brutal reality of the Pittsburgh (changed to Kansas City in the show) ambush.
What we know about Season 2 and beyond
Here is where things get slightly more complicated.
For a while, everyone assumed Season 2 would just mirror the first. Nine episodes for the second game? Easy. But The Last of Us Part II is a significantly longer, more complex, and more controversial game than the first one. It’s dense.
Craig Mazin has officially confirmed that Season 2 will have seven episodes. Wait. Why fewer?
It’s not because they’re cutting content. It’s actually the opposite. They realized that the story of the second game is way too big for one season. To do it justice, they’re splitting the narrative. Mazin told Deadline that one of the episodes in Season 2 is going to be "quite big" in terms of duration. By shortening the episode count for the second season, they are setting up a third season—and potentially a fourth.
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So, if you’re looking for the "total" number of episodes of The Last of Us, we are currently looking at:
- 9 episodes (Season 1)
- 7 episodes (Season 2)
- Total confirmed so far: 16 episodes
But that number is a moving target. If Season 3 happens (and let’s be real, with those ratings, it’s happening), the total will likely climb to 23 or 25.
Why the episode count matters for the story
If you’ve played the games, you know the structure of the second title is... polarizing. It’s a dual-narrative. It flips perspectives. It forces you to live in the skin of people you might initially hate.
If HBO tried to cram all of Part II into nine episodes, it would have been a disaster.
The seven-episode count for Season 2 suggests they are focusing heavily on the "Seattle Day 1-3" structure. By breaking it up, they can let the characters breathe. We need time to understand Abby. We need time to see Ellie’s descent. You can't rush a revenge tragedy; it has to simmer until it hurts.
How many episodes of The Last of Us are actually "essential"?
Look, some people hate "filler." I get it.
But in this show, even the "side" stories are essential. People often ask if they can skip the "Left Behind" episode (Episode 7) because it’s a flashback. Don't. You'll miss the entire emotional backbone of why Ellie is the way she is.
The same goes for the Bill and Frank episode. While it doesn't move the "present day" plot forward by much, it establishes the theme of the entire series: is it better to live alone and safe, or to love someone and risk the pain of losing them?
Every one of the 9 episodes in Season 1 is load-bearing.
Production delays and the wait for more
If you're wondering why we only have nine episodes after all this time, blame the scale of production. This isn't a show filmed on a backlot in Burbank. They filmed Season 1 in Alberta, Canada, dealing with sub-zero temperatures and massive practical sets.
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Season 2 moved production to British Columbia to capture that specific Pacific Northwest vibe that is so iconic to the second game. The 2023 strikes also pushed everything back.
So, while how many episodes the last of us has might feel like a small number now, the "quality over quantity" rule is in full effect here. Each episode costs roughly $10 million to $15 million. You’re basically watching nine mini-movies.
A quick reference for your watchlist:
- Season 1, Episode 1: 81 minutes.
- Season 1, Episode 2: 52 minutes.
- Season 1, Episode 3: 75 minutes (The one that makes everyone cry).
- Season 1, Episode 4: 45 minutes.
- Season 1, Episode 5: 59 minutes.
- Season 1, Episode 6: 59 minutes.
- Season 1, Episode 7: 56 minutes.
- Season 1, Episode 8: 51 minutes.
- Season 1, Episode 9: 43 minutes (The finale is surprisingly short, but intense).
Future-proofing your viewing
If you are starting the show today, you have exactly 521 minutes of content to get through. That is roughly 8.5 hours. It’s the perfect "one-long-Saturday" binge.
When Season 2 drops in 2025, you'll add another seven weeks of Sunday night rituals to that.
The showrunners have been very clear about one thing: they aren't going to pull a Game of Thrones. They aren't going to move past the source material. Since there is no Part III game yet, the total episode count of the TV show is naturally capped by whatever Neil Druckmann decides to do at Naughty Dog. If the games stop, the show stops.
Actionable steps for fans
If you’ve finished all nine episodes and you’re itching for more, there are a few things you should actually do rather than just rewatching the finale for the tenth time.
First, watch the "Making of The Last of Us" special on Max. It’s about 30 minutes long and shows the incredible prosthetic work on the Bloater. It changes how you see the "underground" sequence in Kansas City.
Second, listen to the Official Last of Us Podcast. Troy Baker (who played Joel in the games) interviews Mazin and Druckmann after every single episode. They explain exactly why they changed certain things from the game—like why the fungus spreads through tendrils in the show instead of airborne spores.
Finally, if you’re a gamer and you haven't played Part II yet, maybe hold off or dive in depending on your spoiler tolerance. The seven episodes of Season 2 are going to cover a lot, but not everything. If you want to be surprised by the TV show, stay away from the game's Wiki pages. The "twist" in the second story is legendary for a reason.
Stay hydrated. The show is an emotional gauntlet.
Go watch episode three again. You know you want to.