Dina in The Last of Us

Ellie's partner, the story's warmth in its darkest season — and a performance that made Dina a fan favourite.

In season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us (2025), Merced plays Dina, Ellie's partner and the emotional centre of the season's Jackson storyline. Dina is funny, brave and stubbornly alive in a story that keeps taking things away — and Merced's performance, balancing humour with the season's grief, made the character one of the year's most talked-about television roles. The casting also continued her run of video-game adaptations, from Dora's adventure roots to prestige HBO drama.

What comes next

Merced is due to return as Dina in The Last of Us season 3, which HBO has positioned as the conclusion of the story. The season 2 performance is the reason the return matters: Dina is no longer a supporting figure in the audience's mind, but a co-lead of the story's final act.