Eugene is a character introduced in The Last of Us Season 2, and he is quite different from how he appears in the video game The Last of Us Part II. In the game, Eugene is a minor character who dies of natural causes—a stroke—at the age of 73.
He used to be a Firefly and was part of the Jackson community. He was known for his cannabis farm and for mentoring Dina during patrols. In the HBO show, however, Eugene plays a much bigger role, and his death is directly connected to Joel.
In the Season 2 premiere, Eugene is shown to have been killed by Joel, although the reasons for this are not clear. Gail, Eugene’s wife and a therapist in Jackson confronts Joel during a therapy session.
She expresses her deep anger and says, “You shot and killed my husband. You killed Eugene. And I resent you for it.” Gail suggests that Joel felt he had “no choice” but to kill Eugene, but she struggles to forgive him because of how it happened.
Although the show does not show Eugene’s death in this episode, it hints that Joel may have killed him because he was possibly infected or knew something sensitive, like Ellie’s immunity. Some viewers think Eugene might have discovered the truth about Ellie or could have been a threat to Joel’s efforts to protect her secret. Additionally, Eugene’s past as a Firefly might have led to conflict with Joel.
The show plans to expand on Eugene’s story through flashbacks, with the actor Joey Pantoliano playing the role. This deeper look at his character is similar to what was done with Bill and Frank in Season 1, giving more emotional depth to a character that was previously minor. As Season 2 continues, viewers can expect to learn more about why Joel killed Eugene and how this event affects the overall story.