Bill and Marlene have made their return as the latest playable characters in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered: No Return. Although these fan-favorites originally appeared in the “The Last of Us,”Naughty Dog has heeded the call of the community by introducing them into this new chapter of the saga. To access these characters in the game, players must complete a set of specific challenges.
This article will guide you through the requirements to unlock Bill and Marlene, detailing the steps you need to take for each character.
Steps to Unlock Bill and Marlene in The Last of Us Part 2: No Return
Unlocking Marlene
To unlock Marlene, the iconic leader of the Fireflies, you need to complete five gambits in No Return with any character. Gambits introduce extra challenges that yield valuable rewards, including collectible coins and additional ammunition.
If your schedule is tight, opt for a custom run, adjusting the difficulty to your preference. The gambits you encounter will vary; many can be completed with ease, such as eliminating enemies undetected or dropping specific items at designated spots, while others can test your skills, like maneuvering through a run without taking any damage.
Importantly, progress is saved even if you don’t finish all objectives in one session, so you can quit or fail without losing your advancement.
Once you successfully complete five gambits, Marlene becomes available. She wields a powerful, customized assault rifle reminiscent of her armament in The Last of Us Part I, known for its considerable firepower and recoil control.
Here’s a summary of Marlene’s key attributes:
- Custom Assault Rifle
- One-Time Path Reroute
- All or Nothing Gambits
- Calculated Upgrade Branch
While Marlene’s aggressive and strategic nature can be advantageous, her all-or-nothing trait requires careful consideration to avoid squandering extra benefits. With Marlene now unlocked, it’s time to shift focus to her counterpart, Bill.
Unlocking Bill
Bill last appeared in the original “The Last of Us,”making memorable impressions back in Lincoln. While players only hear echoes of his story in the sequel, Naughty Dog recognized his popularity and chose to include him in No Return.
To unlock Bill, you must deliver three requested items to drop zones, specifically the blue mailboxes labeled as dead drops. These can be located easily by activating your listening mode with the R1 button on your DualSense controller. Similar to Marlene’s tasks, you don’t need to achieve this in a single session.
Importantly, you can only find dead drops during Assault and Hunted challenges. If your supplies are low, consider sweeping the area to gather materials required for crafting essential items.
Note that you can’t unlock both characters in a single session, though each challenge is relatively manageable, particularly on lower difficulty settings.
Expanding Challenges in No Return
After successfully unlocking both characters, players can pursue additional skins through similar challenges within a single run. For Marlene, achieving five gambits in one session unlocks her Salt Lake City look. In contrast, Bill’s classic Western skin becomes available after completing three dead drops while playing as him in a single run.
Accomplishing all challenges associated with Part I will reward you with the trophy titled “This Makes You All Nostalgic?”, a nod to the earlier interactions between Joel and Ellie post-Bill’s Town.
Further trophies await those who utilize Bill in conjunction with a pump shotgun to take down a bloater or unleash Marlene’s customized assault rifle to eliminate 15 foes in a single encounter.
Currently, The Last of Us Part 2 is accessible on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC, inviting players to dive back into this richly detailed world.