The Last of Us Episode 5: What song plays at the end?

What song plays at the end of The Last of Us Episode 5? It’s the most harrowing chapter of the HBO show yet – but music is used at the end?

In our review of Episode 5, we said it “delivers the crushing, cruel coda of Henry and Sam even more effectively than the game; a nightmare born anew and relived.”

Joel and Ellie decide to work with Henry and Sam, with the quartet escaping Kansas City via underground tunnels. When they reach the suburbs, they face off with Kathleen and a horde of infected, but still manage to make it out alive.

Then comes the ending, every bit as unforgettable and horrific as the game. After that, a familiar song plays over the credits – but what is it?

Spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 5 to follow…

What song plays at the end of The Last of Us Episode 5?

‘Fuel to Fire’ by Agnes Obel plays at the end of The Last of Us Episode 5.

The song starts playing after Joel and Ellie bury Henry and Sam and set off on the rest of their journey.

Unlike other tracks in the show’s credits, like Lotte Kestner’s ‘True Faith’ cover in Episode 4, ‘Fuel to Fire’ doesn’t have any connection to the original game.

However, the song hasn’t been plucked out from nowhere. Listen to the lyrics and it’s easy to connect them to the story, whether it’s Joel and Ellie or the loss of Henry and Sam: “Do you want me on your mind or do you want me to go on, I might be yours as sure as I can say, be gone be faraway.”

Obel’s work has also been used in other HBO shows, such as ‘September Song’ in Big Little Lies, ‘Run Cried The Crawling’ in Euphoria, and ‘Pass Them By’ in The Leftovers.

The Last of Us Episode 6 will be available to stream on February 19 in the US and February 20 in the UK. You can check out the rest of our coverage here and check out the trailer for the weeks ahead here.