Contains spoilers for “The Last of Us Part II” video game and possible spoilers for “The Last of Us” Season 2

Cordyceps zombies may infest the deadly post-apocalyptic world of “The Last of Us,” but humans have always been the ultimate monsters on the series. This is doubly true for the HBO live-action series, which even introduces a major, original human antagonist in ruthless Kansas City settlement leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) during Season 1.

The new “The Last of Us” Season 2 teaser trailer doesn’t take long to confirm that it fully intends to continue the theme of terrible people. Soon after the teaser graces the viewer with the sight of a huge army of Cordyceps zombies attacking the protagonists’ settlement in Jackson, Wyoming, it shows a stern man in a military sweater, watching over a seated prisoner. Fans of the “Last of Us” show, this is Isaac Dixon — one of the scariest and most dangerous figures of the entire series. Let’s find out a little bit more about him. 

Isaac Dixon makes his video game debut in “The Last of Us Part II,” where he’s a prominent part of Abby Anderson’s (played in the show by Kaitlyn Dever) storyline. The brutal and unyielding leader of the Washington Liberation Front in Seattle, Isaac’s hostility toward a religious faction known as Seraphites sends him to a crashing course with Abby, who protects two Seraphite members and is deemed a traitor. 

As Abby’s superior and a cruel former Marine with considerable resources behind him, Isaac is arguably the most dangerous human being in the game. His stubborn quest to wipe out an entire survivor faction effectively makes him a war-mongering and genocidal dictator — a true monster even by the high standards of “The Last of Us.”

Isaac Dixon is portrayed by the same actor who voices him in “The Last of Us Part II,” Jeffrey Wright. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, his acting CV certainly will. Wright is a noted actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for his leading role in the 2023 comedy-drama “American Fiction.” However, for the purposes of the post-apocalyptic setting of “The Last of Us,” it may be wiser to look at his genre and action work … which just so happens to be extensive. 

Wright is the reigning live-action Jim Gordon, making his debut as the Gotham City law enforcement stalwart in “The Batman.” He was James Bond’s CIA contact Felix Leiter during Daniel Craig’s 007 era. He starred as Bernard Lowe on HBO’s “Westworld,” and was Beetee Latier in the Hunger Games movies. Should he actually make a sound in the teaser, Wright’s voice would also be immediately familiar to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he voices Uatu the Watcher on the animated Disney+ anthology series “What If…?” Combine such accolades with his vast dramatic experience that ranges from his role as Valentin Narcisse on “Boardwalk Empire” to Winston in “Broken Flowers,” and you can expect “The Last of Us” Season 2 to back the threat of Isaac up with a whole lot of gravitas and acting talent. 

The trailer doesn’t reveal anything about the grossest creature in “The Last of Us,” the Rat King Cordyceps. While it teases the same controversial character death that previous set footage has hinted at, it doesn’t really reveal all that many details of “The Last of Us” Season 2. Nevertheless, there are a few scary hints at things to come aside from the Isaac reveal. 

The creepy, suspiciously blood-like “Feel Her Love” graffiti on the wall and the symbol beneath it are a reference to Isaac’s least-favorite faction, the Seraphites. These primitive religious fanatics are a definite antagonistic force, but as some individual Seraphites demonstrate in the game, they’re not necessarily a fully malevolent group of people. They subscribe to the teachings of a mysterious prophet, and prefer an ascetic lifestyle. However, with their peculiar beliefs and brutal whistle-based guerrilla battle tactics, they’re a truly terrifying force to be up against.

The moth symbol we see on the guitar is also foreboding. This seems to be a version of Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) moth tattoo in “The Last Of Us Part II,” which was specifically created to invoke memories of the Fireflies faction’s symbol, and therefore Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) actions at the end of the first game and the show’s Season 1 alike. The dev team crafted it as a symbol of the rift that’s developing between Joel and Ellie — which, if you’ve played the games, is a strong theme of “Part II” and leads to some seriously scary things. As it happens, said scary things are also brought to life with the first glimpse of Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby Anderson, seen here kneeling on a grave. While it’s no surprise that this important character makes her debut on “The Last of Us” Season 2, she’s extremely bad news for both Ellie and Joel … and therefore one frightening sight to see.