Bella Ramsey Can’t Wait to Go Full Gay on “The Last Of Us”

On the heels of the well-received gay romance depicted in a recent episode of The Last of Us, Bella Ramsey is looking forward to their own character’s upcoming lesbian storyline. The gender-fluid actor has said that they’re “really excited” to portray Ellie’s queer arc, which may kick off as early as the current season.

“I’m really excited, to be honest, for the Ellie/ Dina story,” Ramsey said on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast. “I’ve watched a cut together, someone’s made a phenomenal – I don’t know how they do it – like an amazing edit of just the gameplay, like Ellie and Dina’s love story. So I’m excited to play that out.”

The love story Ramsey is referring to comes from the video game’s 2020 sequel, The Last of Us: Part II. Taking place five years after the events of its predecessor, the game starts with the aftermath of a kiss between Ellie and her longtime friend Dina. Just as the two are overcoming their awkwardness and settling into a budding romance, tragedy strikes, forcing the couple on a journey for revenge against a group of rival survivors in Seattle.

Neil Druckman, the creative director behind the franchise, has said that the series will tell the same story as the video games. And far from a side storyline, the relationship between Ellie and Dina was in many ways the heart of Part II. With the first season of the TV adaption covering the events of Part I, the second season (which was recently confirmed by HBO) is probably where Dina will make her appearance.

But it’s likely we’ll get to see the beginnings of Ellie’s sapphic arc even sooner. A DLC chapter released with the first game, titled Left Behind, gives players a glimpse into Ellie’s backstory. The self-contained episode explores her friendship with Riley, a young girl who’s considering signing up with the shady military organization, the Fireflies. As Ellie attempts to dissuade her, she discovers her feelings for Riley are much more than friendly.

Series co-creator Craig Mazin has confirmed that the DLC flashback will be woven into the first season. The upcoming seventh episode is similarly titled “Left Behind,” and it is scheduled to air on HBO on February 26.