Seth

This article is about the character from the HBO series. For his appearance in the video game series, see Seth.

Seth
Biographical information
Status	Alive
Gender	Male
Occupation(s)	Police officer (formerly) Cook Bartender
Affiliation(s)	Milwaukee Police Department (formerly) Jackson community
Relationships	Unnamed grandchildren
Resides	Milwaukee, Wisconsin (formerly) Jackson, Wyoming
Hair color	Gray
Eye color	Blue
Behind the scenes
Appears in	HBO's The Last of Us (season 2)
Portrayed by	Robert John Burke

Seth is a supporting character in the second season of HBO's The Last of Us. He is a resident of the community living in Jackson, Wyoming, and working as a bartender and cook.

Biography

Background

Prior to the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak, Seth served as a police officer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After the outbreak, he eventually joined the community of survivors living in Jackson, Wyoming, and began working as a cook and bartender.

Events of HBO's The Last of Us

Season 2

In 2024, two months after Joel and Ellie joined the Jackson community, Joel ("the new guy", as Seth refers to him) arranged to have Seth bake a vanilla-frosted cake for Ellie's 15th birthday, in exchange for a bag of Lego bricks for Seth to give to his grandchildren. The cake is excellent, although Ellie's name was misspelled as "Eli". Joel ordered a cake from him for Ellie's 17th birthday, as well, by which time Seth had learned how to spell her name correctly.

Seth was present at the New Year's Eve dance party in Jackson to celebrate the beginning of 2029. While there, he noticed Dina and Ellie kissing on the dance floor. Offended, he told the pair that it was a family event and called them a homophobic slur. Ellie immediately turned to argue with him, but Joel charged in and shoved Seth to the floor, ordering he leave the dance. Maria quickly intervened, picking him up and taking him outside for a walk.

The next day, while working as a cook at Stiegiers Restaurant and Bar, Maria arranged a meeting between Seth and Ellie. There he apologized to Ellie for his behavior, saying he should have never said or thought what he did. He offered Ellie a steak sandwich to have on patrol, although she was reluctant to take it so Jesse did, instead.

Following the infected horde attack on Jackson on New Year's Day of 2029, Seth was wounded in the leg, leaving him with a limp and requiring the use of a cane to walk. He was present during the council's vote on whether or not to send sixteen patrolmen to pursue Joel's killers and execute them. Noticing Ellie's quiet anger and despite his name not being on the list, Seth felt compelled to speak out against Rachel and Carlisle preaching forgiveness and being against the vote. He berated them, saying they were victims allowing the killers to get away with murder, and expressed his belief that they would return in larger numbers and destroy Jackson if the community let themselves look weak. Ultimately, the proposal failed to pass, but both Seth's and Ellie's speeches convinced some of the townspeople of the cause.

That night, Seth arranged with Dina to help her and Ellie smuggle Shimmer out of the stables so they could leave Jackson and pursue Joel's killers themselves, providing them with provisions for the trip. He even offered Ellie his personal rifle, saying it was better than hers and therefore more useful on their travels. The pair shook hands, Seth closing the gate behind them.

Physical appearance

Seth is a tall middle-aged man with fair skin and gray hair that is balding.

Personality

Seth was a man forthright in his beliefs. Having grown up before the outbreak, he harbored homophobic views; however, he saw the errors in way of believing this, showing the ability to admit when he was wrong and change for the better as a person. He was also a believer in tough diplomacy and vigilante justice, feeling it weak to allow Joel's killers to be forgiven, and also expressed that failing in a stronger response to avenge Joel risked the group returning to kill them, as well. As such, he was willing to break Jackson protocol and help Ellie and Dina leave to pursue their quest, arguing it was a good cause.

Behind the scenes

Robert John Burke, the actor who portrays Seth.

• Seth is portrayed by American actor Robert John Burke. His casting was officially announced by HBO on March 5, 2025.

Gallery

Official stills

Appearances

• HBO's The Last of Us
  • Season 2
    • Episode 1: "Future Days" (first appearance)
    • Episode 2: "Through the Valley"
    • Episode 3: "The Path"
    • Episode 6: "The Price" (flashback)