- The Last of Us season 2 is finally here
- Isabela Merced plays newcomer Dina
- Where have you seen her before?
The Last of Us season 2 is finally here, introducing us to new characters like Dina, played by Isabela Merced.
Returning season show runners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have a lot to live up to this time around. Season one not only faithfully adapted its popular video-game counterpart but further transported Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey to new levels of stardom.
Read more: The Last of Us season 1 recap: What happened?
It was also equally helpful to a number of its co-stars and guest players. Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman and The White Lotus’s Murray Bartlett delivered a touching, romantic segue amid a fungal dystopia in a stand-out episode.
However, the season’s final moments set up huge ramifications moving forward for The Last of Us season 2. We’ll avoid spoilers here but needless to say, its creators have lots to answer for.
Read more: Why is The Last of Us season 2 shorter?
Part of their new journey will mean introducing us to some new faces, including Dina played by Merced. She’s the new love interest of Ramsey’s Ellie – but why does she look so familiar?
Here’s where you may have seen Merced before…
Who is Dina in The Last of Us season 2?
Dina is Ellie’s love interest throughout The Last of Us season 2. Fans of the video-game will already be familiar with the character. She plays a significant role throughout its storyline.
While we’ve only seen one episode of the season 2, Dina already makes her presence – and relationship with Ellie – known, with it leading to a climactic final moment.
In the video game, Dina is in her early 20s and a few years older than Ellie. She’s an orphan, with her parents dying while she was still very young. For the majority of her life, she was raised by her older sister Talia who has since died.
Dina eventually settled in Jackson, the same location that now houses Ellie and Joel (Pascal). Before meeting her current girlfriend she was involved with Jessie, a character who is played by Young Mazino in the new season.
Dina and Ellie got together quite soon after Dina’s relationship with Jesse ended.
Isabela Merced: Where have we seen her before?
Isabella Merced is 23-year-old an American actress with a growing number of varied roles under her belt.
Many fans may have been first introduced to when she played the titular role of Dora The Explorer in 2019’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold.
Before that breakout performance, Merced appeared in a range of projects including Transformers: The Last Knight in 2017 and 2018 sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
In recent years, she’s appeared in films like 2022’s Father of the Bride remake and 2024’s infamous Sony superhero movie Madame Web.
In 2024, she played Aza in the romantic drama Turtles All the Way Down and Kay in Fede Álvarez horror Alien: Romulus.
