Who Are The Heroes Of The Highway? The Last Of Us Season 3's New Characters Explained

Published Sep 30, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT

Ben Sherlock is a Tomatometer-approved film and TV critic who runs the massively underrated YouTube channel I Got Touched at the Cinema. Before working at Screen Rant, Ben wrote for Game Rant, Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop. He's also an indie filmmaker, a standup comedian, and an alumnus of the School of Rock.

HBO has just added three new cast members to The Last of Us season 3. On the eve of The Last of Us Day, two video game actors and an Emmy-winning TV legend were cast in the upcoming third season of the TV adaptation. Laura Bailey, who starred as Abby in The Last of Us Part II, has been cast to play a Seraphite leader named Elizabeth in the TV show. This is the perfect stunt casting, because the Seraphites — or, as she calls them, “scars” — are Abby’s mortal enemies. So, as a Seraphite leader, Bailey could end up fighting Abby herself; she could even be revealed as the mysterious and elusive Seraphite prophet.

John Goodman, who last starred in The Righteous Gemstones for HBO, and Ian Alexander, who played Abby’s young ward Lev in the game, have been cast as a friendly duo who have given themselves the moniker “Heroes of the Highway.” Goodman will play Joey, while Alexander will play Paco.

While Elizabeth isn’t a named character from the games, we are at least familiar with Seraphite leadership, and we’ve met similar characters like Emily. But Joey and Paco seem to be an entirely original creation for the TV show. I’ve played the games about a dozen times each, read every single letter and artifact you can find, and I’ve never seen any mention of two guys named Joey and Paco who have dubbed themselves the Heroes of the Highway. So, who exactly are these new characters?

The Heroes Of The Highway Are An Original Creation For The Last Of Us TV Show

Image via Max

The Heroes of the Highway appear to be an original creation for the TV show. They could be renamed or reimagined versions of different game characters, but there’s no character pairing in the games, either on-screen or off, that suits the ages and builds of Goodman and Alexander.

The closest physical match in the game would be the pair of Rattlers who briefly capture Ellie, but HBO’s The Last of Us has never been interested in finding a physical match; the casting team is much more interested in finding the right actor for the part than finding someone who resembles the character’s face model (although, having said that, Young Mazino is a dead ringer for Jesse).

Who Are The Heroes Of The Highway In The Last Of Us Season 3?

Liane Hentscher / ©HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection

HBO is touting The Last of Us season 3 as the final season. Neil Druckmann has already jumped ship and Craig Mazin has signed on to adapt Baldur’s Gate as his next big-budget video game adaptation, so everyone is looking for the door. While there was initially talk of stretching the rest of the game into season 4, Mazin is now aiming to adapt the rest of The Last of Us Part II into season 3 and call it a day there.

That means The Last of Us’ third season will be split between two major sections of the game: Abby’s perspective of the three days in Seattle, and Ellie’s journey to Santa Barbara for one last shot at revenge. It’s unclear whether the Heroes of the Highway will appear in the Seattle section or the Santa Barbara section. None of the story takes place on a highway, but the fact that they have their own moniker suggests they’re not involved with any of the existing factions — the Wolves, the Seraphites, or the forthcoming Rattlers — but, rather, they’re their own group.

Abby might encounter them on the way to the hospital, or Ellie might encounter them on her way to 2425 Constance. The casting announcement promises that Joey and Paco are a friendly pair, so they won’t be hostiles; they might come to Ellie or Abby’s aid.

Joey & Paco Could Be Another Reflection Of Joel & Ellie

HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection

Based on the casting of an older man and a younger man, I’d guess that the Heroes of the Highway are a sort of surrogate father-son pairing — a loving mentor and mentee — that act as yet another reflection of Joel and Ellie. The Last of Us season 3 will follow Abby on a very Joel-like arc as she takes an innocent little kid named Lev under her wing and, through protecting him from the horrors of the post-apocalyptic wasteland, achieves some form of redemption.

I’d wager that, like Joel and Abby, Joey is another grizzled survivor looking after a kid, and that, like Ellie and Lev, Paco is a beacon of innocence inspiring him to be a better person. This story is all about love (the second game isn’t about hate; they’re both about the destructive downside of love), and we see that through various side characters who have all found something to fight for: Sam and Henry; Bill and Frank; Kathleen and her brother — the Heroes of the Highway seem to fit the bill. Maybe seeing Joey protect Paco will be a catalyst for Abby to take on a more protective role with Lev, the same way Bill’s unwavering love of Frank and Henry’s unwavering love of Sam ultimately inspired Joel to fully commit to being Ellie’s father figure.

Ian Alexander's Casting Makes Up For Season 3's Biggest Controversy

While the switch to Abby’s perspective will undoubtedly rub some people the wrong way, and the two-year gap between seasons is getting pretty annoying, The Last of Us season 3’s biggest controversy has been its casting. The show was met with criticism for casting a cis actor, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’s Kyriana Kratter, to play Lev.

There are arguments to be made on both sides. Transgender characters deserve to be represented by transgender actors, and transgender actors deserve the opportunity to represent themselves on-screen. But, realistically, Lev wouldn’t have had access to gender-affirming care on the Seraphites’ island, so he wouldn’t have transitioned by the time Abby meets him. The most important thing is to find the right actor for the role, who’s going to give the best performance, and HBO’s casting team rarely gets that wrong.

While Kratter is a wonderful actor who will surely do a great job, it was a bit disappointing that the show couldn’t find a suitable trans actor to play Lev. But now that Lev’s original actor, Ian Alexander, has been given another role in the show, The Last of Us will at least have authentic trans representation in a different character.

The Last of Us