Who is Kathleen in HBO’s The Last of Us? Answered

The Last of Us show on HBO has been met with almost unified acclaim. Fans of the source material have praised the series for its faithful adaptation of the game, and most agree that the changes made have only strengthened the narrative further. Episode four of the series, titled “Please Hold My Hand,” sees Joel and Ellie come across a group of revolutionists in Kansas City, Missouri led by a new and mysterious character named Kathleen. Here is what you need to know about Kathleen in The Last of Us show.

Was Kathleen in The Last of Us Game?

Kathleen is played by Yellowjackets star Melanie Lynskey. She is in charge of a group of survivors in Kansas City that hold the area with an iron fist after taking down the city’s quarantine zone. These people are not too fond of trespassers in their territory, and have been known to relentlessly stalk and kill anyone who isn’t familiar to them for supplies and other less than friendly motives. These hunters appeared in the Pittsburgh section of the game, but Kathleen was not a character seen before the show. It seems that she also has a history with the characters Henry and Sam.

Joel and Ellie stumble into their trap when entering Kansas City by car. Joel is all too familiar with the deception, but Ellie is new to the horrors of the outside world, and the two don’t make it out with the car intact. Kathleen and her revolutionary group pursue Joel and Ellie through the city, and are extra determined to hunt the duo down due to the two murdering a ton of them while trying to escape.

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While Kathleen was not a character originally seen in The Last of Us, her presence in the episode gives character to the mostly faceless enemies from the Pittsburgh section of the game that “Please Hold My Hand” is based off.