The Last of Us 2 (TLOU2) contains a lot of easter eggs and hidden secrets you may have missed during the story. This page contains all The Last of Us 2 Easter Eggs and References we could find.
This is made in cooperation with our friend Dan Allen, you can find all Easter Egg videos on Dan’s YouTube Channel.
Easter Egg #1 – Gustavo Santaolalla Guest Appearance (Composer of TLOU1 & TLOU2)
Shortly after the start of the game when you walk around the town of Jackson for the first time, you can find the music composer of The Last of Us 1 & 2 playing guitar.
Easter Egg #2 – PS3, Uncharted, Jak and Daxter
You can find a PS3 console together with some of Naughty Dog’s other games (Uncharted & Jak and Daxter).
Easter Egg #3 – Neil Druckmann Trading Card
During the Downtown chapter, there’s a collectable Trading Card referring to a “Neutral Villain” called Doctor Uckmann. It’s a reference to The Last of Us 2 game director Neil Druckmann. The “Villain” on the trading card also looks like him. The back of the Trading Card holds some more info.
Easter Egg #4 – Engraved Ring
Also in the Downtown chapter, you can find an “Engraved Ring” Artifact in Westlake Bank’s Vault. It has an engraved motto “Sic Parvis Magna”. The exact same ring appeared in the Uncharted game series, also developed by Naughty Dog (the same developers that made The Last of Us 2). The Latin phrase “Sic Parvis Magna” translates to “Greatness from Small Beginnings”. The origins of this motto come from Sir Francis Drake, the first Englishman who sailed around the globe. When he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth on April 4th, 1581 for his achievement, he was awarded a Coat of Arms with the Latin Motto “Sic Parvis Magna”. This motto has prominently been featured in many of Naughty Dog’s games.
Easter Egg #5 – PS Vita
The PS Vita has survived the apocalypse! Ellie will automatically encounter a woman playing Hotline Miami on the PS Vita. You can hear the game’s music coming from the device. When you look at the Vita screen a gameplay screenshot is also visible.
Easter Egg #6 – Jak X Combat Racing
You can find an arcade version of the game Jak X Combat Racing, which was also developed by Naughty Dog in the PS2 era. Another reference to one of Naughty Dog’s previous games.
Easter Egg #7 – Uncharted 2 Costume
In a Halloween costume department you can find a costume of Uncharted 2. It’s not wearable, however.
Easter Egg #8 – Dawn of the Wolf Part 2
The “Dawn of the Wolf Part 2” Movie poster from the first TLOU can be found again, this time in Seattle Downtown between Barkos Pet Store and the Music Store.
Easter Egg #9 – Savage Starlight
Ellie’s favorite comic book from the first TLOU game makes a return.
Easter Egg #10 – Warhammer 40,000
Someone at Naughty Dog is certainly a fan of Warhammer 40,000. There are multiple Warhammer 40k figurines throughout the game, and even a Warhammer 40k game board can be found.
Easter Egg #11 – Ellie plays Take On Me cover
In Chapter 9: Downtown, Ellie can find a Music Store. Inside there’s a guitar, picking it up will make Ellie play a cover of the song “Take On Me” by a-ha.
Easter Egg #12 – Sam’s Toy Robot
In the first TLOU we met a boy called Sam. He had a little toy robot with him that looks like a Transformer. The exact same toy robot can be found in TLOU2, in Ellie’s room in Chapter 2: Waking Up.
Easter Egg #13 – Crash Banditcoot “Smash Brandi’s Cootch” Tape
In the cellar at the end of Chapter 4: Patrol you can find Eugene’s “video tape” called “Smash Brandi’s Cootch”. It’s a direct reference to Crash Bandicoot. Also interesting; as coincidence would have it, the new Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time leaked the same day as TLOU2’s release date. Coincidence or an elaborate marketing campaign?
Easter Egg #14 – Jak and Daxter Precursor Orb
In Chapter 28: Hostile Territory you can find the “Strange Artifact”, the Precursor Orb. It’s a reference to Jak and Daxter, a game Naughty Dog worked on. This same Artifact was featured throughout Naughty Dog’s Uncharted games, too.
Easter Egg #15 – The Turning Arcade Game
“The Turning” was an arcade game you could play in The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC. You can find this arcade game again in TLOU2, but it’s not playable this time.
Easter Egg #16 – Giraffe
The developers sure like Giraffes. In Chapter 4: On Patrol, you can find a plush giraffe that looks very similar to another plush giraffe featured in the first game. You also got to pet a Giraffe in TLOU1, this plush toy is a nod at that encounter.
Easter Egg #17 – City of Thieves
During a cutscene you can see Abby reading the book “City of Thieves” by David Benioff. This book had major influence on TLOU’s story, and it’s the only real life book featured in the game.
Which one is your favorite The Last of Us 2 Easter Egg / Secret? Leave your favorites in the comments below.
For more guides check out our full The Last of Us 2 Wiki & Strategy Guide.
Dan says
Wooo!
Gerald Atkinson says
There’s a Point Break reference in the bank when you find the bank heist plans.
DPMG says
Fun fact: if you look at the PS Vita’s screen, the girl that was holding it was playing Hotline Miami. The music that is coming from the Vita is a song actually from the game.
Cyber says
the Strange Artifact is from Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.
Nick says
The Jurassic park Easter egg in the museum where Joels telling Ellie about the films and says the 3rd one wasn’t as good haha
JayD says
There’s a Pearl Jam poster in the music shop in downtown Seattle.
Ryan says
You can climb the T-Rex outside of the museum and dive off into the water.
Chris says
In the music store where Ellie plays Take On Me, there is a poster for an album called “Sunbathe”, with the album art clearly being a reference to the classic Van Morrison album “Moondance”
Mark Skids says
In one of the apartment’s toilets in ‘The Decent” there is a shit stain/ skidmark which is obviously a reference to all the TLoU2 haters who don’t get the story!
Mur says
There is a Supernatural easter egg in Seatle. There is a dead body in an optional area with infected in what I think was a parking garage where you can find Jensen Ackles body next to a note that mentions “Misha” and relieving him at the monorail. Then when you get to the monorail, you can climb up into the train and at the top/end, there is a body that you can assume is Misha Collins based on a note that is left next to the body. The bodies don’t look like Jensen or Misha, but from the notes left by the bodies, it can be assumed that those are the bodies of the Supernatural stars. At the time of the outbreak in 2013, the Supernatural stars were at a con in Seatle irl!