S1
E1
E1
When You're Lost in the Darkness
Tess is introduced as Joel's smuggling partner, negotiating deals and navigating the dangers of the Boston QZ with sharp-edged competence.
Tess Servopoulos
76
Character Arc
Tess Servopoulos is Joel's smuggling partner and sometime lover in the Boston quarantine zone — a tough, pragmatic survivor who operates in the black market with a cold efficiency that masks a deep weariness. Where Joel has shut down emotionally, Tess has maintained a flicker of something he has lost: the capacity to believe that the world can still be saved.
Tess is the catalyst who sets the entire story in motion. When Marlene, leader of the Fireflies, offers them a deal — smuggle the immune Ellie to the State House in exchange for a battery and weapons — Tess recognizes the significance immediately. She sees in Ellie not just a smuggling job but a chance for meaning, for something beyond the endless cycle of survival and moral compromise that has defined their lives.
Her death in the second episode is one of the show's most powerful moments. Bitten during the journey through the infected-filled museum, Tess knows she is doomed. Rather than slow Joel and Ellie down, she stays behind at the State House, igniting a trail of gasoline to destroy the approaching horde of infected. Her final plea to Joel — "save who you can save" — becomes the moral compass of his entire journey with Ellie.
Though Tess appears in only two episodes, her influence reverberates through the entire series. She is the reason Joel takes on the mission, the voice that echoes when he considers abandoning Ellie, and ultimately the first in a chain of sacrifices that convince Joel he cannot lose anyone else.
Key Episodes
S1
E2
E2
Infected
Tess is bitten while escorting Ellie through the museum. She sacrifices herself at the State House, blowing up the building and the infected to buy Joel and Ellie time to escape.
Fan Ecosystem
Fan Heat Index Breakdown
Engagement
80
Social Activity
73
Meme Velocity
70
Fan Art Density
74
Fandom Longevity
78
Memorable Quotes
"Save who you can save."
— Tess Servopoulos, Season 1, Episode 2 - Infected
"This is your chance."
— Tess Servopoulos, Season 1, Episode 2 - Infected
"We are not taking her."
— Tess Servopoulos, Season 1, Episode 1 - When You're Lost in the Darkness (initially)
Trivia & Fun Facts
- Anna Torv's portrayal of Tess was praised for adding emotional depth beyond the video game version.
- Tess's death scene in the show was significantly different from the game, using a kiss from an infected rather than a shootout.
- Anna Torv is best known for her lead role in the sci-fi series Fringe before taking on this role.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anna Torv plays Tess Servopoulos in The Last of Us. Torv is an Australian actress best known for her lead role as Olivia Dunham in the sci-fi series Fringe. Her performance as Tess was widely praised despite appearing in only two episodes.
Tess is bitten by an infected during the journey through the Boston museum in Episode 2. Knowing she is doomed, she stays behind at the State House to ignite spilled gasoline, destroying the building and a horde of approaching infected. Her death buys Joel and Ellie time to escape and continue the mission.
Tess's dying words to Joel urge him to protect Ellie and deliver her to the Fireflies. This plea becomes the moral foundation of Joel's journey — his last promise to Tess, which evolves from reluctant obligation into genuine paternal love for Ellie.
The HBO show expands Tess's role and gives her death more emotional weight. In the game, Tess dies fighting FEDRA soldiers. In the show, she sacrifices herself against the infected in a more visually horrifying scene involving a Cordyceps tendril kiss, emphasizing the body horror of the fungal infection.