Who dies in The Last of Us season two and what are the fireflies as creator hints at major change

*Warning - this article contains major spoilers for The Last of Us Part II and potential spoilers for season two*

Following the events of the first series of The Last of Us, fans of the original game are already wondering if the story will remain the same.

This includes key moments in the story such as the fate of a number of characters. There is also the role of the Fireflies as they were ever present in season one but have a very different role in the follow up.

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Pedro Pascal reprises his role as Joel but fans fear that he may not appear in the already confirmed season three. So who dies in The Last of Us season two according to the original game's story? What are the Fireflies and what has the show and game creators said about story changes? Here's everything you need to know.

What are the Fireflies?

In The Last of Us, the Fireflies are a paramilitary rebel group that rise up against what they feel is oppressive military control. In the original game's story, government branch FEDRA, the fictional Federal Disaster Response Agency, assume leadership following outbreak day.

They decide what goes on inside the quarantine zones within major cities across the Unites States. In the first game players see that this includes handing out ration cards and issuing work orders. Armed FEDRA officers also carry out testing on survivors checking for those who have become infected. Those who are, are dealt with swiftly and mercilessly.

Therefore, it's not long before survivors start to fight back. Enter the Fireflies whose aim is to restore the US government as it was pre-outbreak. The group also enlist scientists who are studying the infected to discover if there is a way to treat it.

Once Ellie is discovered to be immune, they believe they can use her to develop a cure. However, such a procedure would remove part of her brain and kill her.

Who dies in The Last of Us season two?

In the ending of the first game and show's first season, once Joel discovers Ellie will not survive what the Fireflies have planned, he is unable to let them go through with it and takes her back by force. As a result, he kills Marlene, the leader of the group, the medical team operating on Ellie and most of what's left of the Fireflies leaving the group decimated.

The first episode of season two, opens with a scene not in the game, showing the remaining members. This includes Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever and what is assumed to be her friends Owen, Mel, Manny, Nick, Jordan and Nora. Abby is the daughter of the surgeon Joel killed and she swears her revenge.

During Last of Us Part II, in an intense scene, this group eventually catch up with Joel and Tommy years later after escaping a horde of infected just outside of Jackson. The brothers save Abby from infected before she leads them back to her group.

Revealing they are who they've been after, they knock out Tommy and shoot Joel in the leg. They then proceed to brutally beat Joel to death. While Ellie arrives part way through and attempts to intervene, she is restrained, although Owen convinces the others to not kill her too.

Ellie eventually goes on a path of vengeance herself in a bid to track down Abby. On her way she picks off most of her friends one by one. Tommy also goes on his own crusade and he kills Manny.

These are not the only major deaths expected in season two if the story follows the original plot from the game. When Abby tracks down Ellie after her friends are killed, she shoots and kills Jesse. There are also a few characters not yet introduced in season two who do not survive the end of the story.

Creator hints at major change for season two

A number of major plot points could end up being drastically changed. It means fans are waiting to find out if Joel's fate could yet be different in season two.

Showrunner of the HBO series Craig Mazin alongside the games original lead writer Neil Druckmann have indicated that they will not copy the game's original story for the sake of it. There were already big alterations made in the first instalment. This included the fate of characters Bill and Frank.

They've already seemingly changed what happens to Eugene. While he dies before the events of the game, he died of natural causes, while the show says Joel shoots him.

Druckmann, who is creative director at Naughty Dog who developed the games told IGN: "If we (follow the game story completely) , it's going to be a lesser version of the game, because it doesn’t have interactivity. Certain changes are essential to adapting this. We look at everything in front of us, and say, is this better? Or is this better again for this type of story? That creates those wonderful surprises that I, sometimes, enjoy the most.”

The Last of Us continues Mondays at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and streaming on NOW.