Warning: This article contains spoilers for Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us.
We’re now three episodes in and HBO’s The Last of Us has gripped the whole globe. If it wasn’t the heartwarming connection being established between Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie or the phenomenal acting of Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett as Bill and Frank, you’ll be hooked already on HBO’s astounding world building, which brings to life a post-apocalyptic Boston. The Last of Us spins a tale of tragic loss, deception and profound emotion as smuggler Joel is tasked by the leader of a resistance group known as the Fireflies, Marlene, to escort a 14-year-old Ellie across America. In the end, what was supposed to be a short drop-off turned out to be a year-long journey allowing the pair to form an unlikely bond.
Who are Henry and Sam in The Last of Us?
So far, in HBO’s adaptation, we’ve met several characters, including Joel, Ellie, Tess, Marlene, Robert, Bill and Frank. We’ve yet to meet some others, namely Henry and Sam, two brothers from Hartford, Connecticut. When Henry was 12 years old, his brother Sam was born, and the pair become inseparable. Having lost their family to the aftermath of the Cordyceps outbreak, Henry and Sam were forced to survive alone, using only their wits.
Henry and Sam met Joel and Ellie for the first time in an apartment building in Pittsburgh. During an altercation in which Henry mistakes Joel for a hunter, the four of them fight it out, only to eventually make peace. After introducing themselves and explaining their situations, Joel and Ellie become friends with Henry and Sam. As the days went by, Henry and Joel bonded while Ellie and Sam played together.
How do Henry and Sam die?
One day, when they were ambushed by a horde of runners in the suburbs. After fending off the runners, the group headed for the radio tower, where they would rest for the night. The following morning, Sam sleeps in and Henry asks Ellie to wake him for breakfast. When she does so, Sam attacks her. It is revealed that he had been scratched by an Infected the day before and had become a runner overnight. Joel tries to shoot Sam, but he’s stopped by Henry, who subsequently finishes the job by shooting Sam in the head, killing him instantly.
Henry would blame Joel, saying “it’s all your fault.” The grieving brother then took a gun to his own head, committing suicide. It is implied later on that Joel and Ellie had buried Henry and Sam, but Joel had forbade Ellie from discussing them.
We’ve yet to meet Henry and Sam in HBO’s The Last of Us, but it shouldn’t be much longer. The cast list has already confirmed that Henry will be played by Canadian actor Lamar Johnson (Kings) and Sam by Keivonn Woodard (Fractal).
All three episodes of The Last of Us are currently streaming on HBO and HBO Max.