Original Ellie makes powerful cameo in 'The Last of Us' season 2

Ashley Johnson, the original voice behind Ellie in the Last of Us video games, made a powerful return to the franchise, closing out one of the series’ most emotionally charged epiosodes.

Spoiler Alert!

In Episode 2 of the second season, titled "Through the Valley," viewers witnessed a major turning point as Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) kills Joel (Pedro Pascal) in front of a devastated Ellie (Bella Ramsey), Jesse (Young Mazino), and Dina (Isabela Merced).

In the aftermath of Joel’s death, they transports his body back to town through a snow-covered landscape.

As their horse-drawn sled glides across the frozen terrain, a haunting version of the folk ballad Through the Valley begins to play.

The voice behind the emotional track, released by Shawn James in 2012, was none other than Johnson herself.

Johnson, who portrayed Ellie’s mother in the HBO series’ first season, originally performed the song for the 2016 teaser that announced The Last of Us Part II, the very game on which second season is based on.

Her voice cameo in the Sunday’s episode marked a a full-circle moment for longtime fans of the franchise.

Craig Mazin, a showrunner for The Last of Us, told Entertainment Weekly that the version featured in the show is a blend of Johnson’s original 2016 recording and a "slightly updated version" she recently recorded in the studio.