Last updated: June 4, 2026·🔄 Guide reviewed and refreshed ahead of Halloween 2026.· By Seckin Peker

Cosplay Guide

Sarah Miller From The Last of Us Cosplay Guide

She spent her father’s birthday making sure he felt loved. She had no idea it was the last one.
Casual Curly Hair Cute HBO Apocalypse Teenage TV Series
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Quick Answer: The Sarah Miller cosplay comes in two versions: an HBO look and a game look. Pick the one that matches the version you know best.
  • HBO: Halican Drops Tee and Long Curly Wig (essential)
  • HBO: Decorated Ice Blue Jeans, Red Backpack, White Sneakers
  • Game: Grey Long Sleeve layered under Joan Jett Tee (essential)
  • Game: Pink Flannel Plaid Pajama Pants, Necklaces, Bracelets

Sarah Miller spends one night trying to make her father’s birthday feel normal before the Cordyceps outbreak turns everything else into chaos. The specific graphic tee is the most character-specific item in the HBO build; the layered grey tops and plaid pajama pants anchor the game build. Nico Parker plays Sarah in the HBO series, which premiered in 2023 and introduced the character to a much wider audience than the original game (Wikipedia). Recognition at a Last of Us fan event is high for both versions. At a general event, the HBO look carries more context in 2026.

Items (HBO)8 Items
Items (Game)6 Items
DifficultyEasy
Cost$50–$140

Sarah Miller Cosplay Items

Sarah Miller HBO series cosplay infographic showing Halican Drops tee, ice blue jeans, fabric markers, shark teeth necklace, string bracelets, red backpack, white sneakers, and curly wig

Sarah Miller: HBO Look

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Sarah Miller HBO Nico Parker The Last of Us
  • 1 Halican Drops T-Shirt (essential)This is the screen-specific item that locks the cosplay to the HBO version. It is the graphic tee Sarah wears in the show’s opening episode, and it is the item fans of the series will recognize at a convention before anything else. Without it, the build reads as a general teenage survivor look rather than Sarah Miller specifically. Source it from TeePublic before the event.
    See on TeePublic
  • 2 Ice Blue JeansLight wash, straight or slightly relaxed fit. These get decorated with fabric markers before wearing, so the shade matters: the doodles show up clearly on a pale blue wash and disappear on a dark wash. Do this step a day before the event to give the markers time to dry and set properly.
    See on Amazon
  • 3 Fabric Marker Set (essential for HBO look)Used to draw small doodles on the jeans. Small flowers, stars, words, and shapes along the thigh and near the hem. Keep the drawing casual and imperfect. The goal is something that looks like a teenager did it over many months, not something designed in one session. Test the markers on a fabric scrap first to see how the color reads on the denim shade you have.
    See on Amazon
  • 4 Shark Teeth NecklaceA specific accessory detail from the show. Worn at mid-chest length. It reads as something a teenager picked out herself rather than something coordinated, which is the right energy for the character.
    See on Amazon
  • 5 String BraceletsLayer several on the wrist. Thin string bracelets in mixed colors work better than a single statement bracelet. Sarah’s accessories in the show look accumulated rather than chosen as an outfit.
    See on Amazon
  • 6 Red BackpackA burgundy or dark red school backpack, worn on both shoulders. Fill it enough to keep its shape. An empty backpack collapses and swings, which reads as a costume prop rather than something a fourteen-year-old actually carries to school.
    See on Amazon
  • 7 White SneakersPlain white low-top sneakers. Check your existing footwear before ordering. Most people already own something that works here.
    See on Amazon
  • 8 Long Curly WigDark brown, long, and naturally curly. This is the face-level identifier that distinguishes the HBO version of Sarah from the game version, which has short blonde hair. Skip this if your natural hair already matches. Order early and check reviews for curl quality and color accuracy, since both can differ significantly between product photos and real-world appearance.
    See on Amazon
Sarah Miller game version cosplay infographic showing grey long sleeve base layer, Joan Jett t-shirt, pink plaid pajama pants, 80s bracelets, wooden surfboard necklace, and clam shell necklace

Sarah Miller: Game Look

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Sarah Miller The Last of Us Part I Game Version Pajama Look
  • 1 Cooling Long Sleeve T-Shirt (essential)The base layer worn under the graphic tee. Dark grey, long-sleeved, and fitted. In the game, Sarah wears a darker grey long sleeve under a lighter grey t-shirt, creating the layered look that defines her appearance in the prologue. The two-layer shirt combination is the most recognizable part of the game build.
    See on Amazon
  • 2 Joan Jett T-ShirtWorn over the long sleeve as the outer layer. In the game, Sarah wears a rock band tee in grey. The Joan Jett shirt approximates that look without needing to be screen-exact. Wear it slightly loose over the dark long sleeve underneath.
    See on Amazon
  • 3 Pink Flannel Plaid Pajama Pants (essential)The game version of Sarah is wearing pajama pants when the outbreak begins, having been woken in the middle of the night. The pink plaid flannel is the most immediately recognizable detail of her game look and the item that tells people which version of the character you are cosplaying. Without it, the layered grey tops could belong to any number of characters.
    See on Amazon
  • 4 80s Bracelet SetColorful layered bracelets on the wrist. The game Sarah has a bracelet visible in the prologue. A set of mixed colors reads as a teenager’s collected jewelry rather than anything coordinated.
    See on Amazon
  • 5 Wooden Surfboard NecklaceA small pendant necklace worn at mid-chest. Adds a beach-kid, outdoorsy detail that matches the character’s established interest in hiking and outdoor activities.
    See on Amazon
  • 6 Clam Shell Beads NecklaceA second necklace layered with the surfboard pendant. Sarah’s jewelry in the game looks like something accumulated over time rather than selected. Two necklaces worn together read as a teenager’s personal collection.
    See on Amazon
Sarah Miller from The Last of Us game version in her layered grey tops and pink plaid pajama pants during the outbreak prologue, a key cosplay reference for the game build

How to Style the Sarah Miller Cosplay

For the HBO build, the graphic tee is the first thing people who know the show will notice. The decorated jeans are the second. If the jeans look freshly drawn-on, the detail reads as costume work rather than a teenager’s habit. Draw on them the day before, let them dry overnight, and wear them slightly lived-in. The curly wig is what anchors the face-level read to the HBO version; without it, the tee alone could pass for any fan wearing a Halican Drops shirt. For the game build, the pink plaid pajama pants do all the recognition work. Any Last of Us fan who knows the game’s opening will read the costume immediately. Without them, the layered grey tops point nowhere specific.

Sarah wakes up in the middle of the night after hearing her father come home, gifts him a watch she had secretly fixed, and falls asleep watching his favorite movie on the couch. That is her last completely ordinary moment. The watch stays on Joel for the rest of both the game and the series. It is the detail that carries her forward even after she is gone, and it is the one prop not in either item list that would complete either build if you wanted a specific conversation starter.

Getting the jeans doodles right

The mistake most people make with the fabric marker detail is making the drawings too neat or too concentrated in one area. In the show, Sarah’s jeans have small scattered marks that look like something added over months: a small flower here, a word there, nothing deliberate. Draw while the jeans are lying flat, not while wearing them. Keep the marks small and spaced out. If any single drawing looks like you spent more than thirty seconds on it, simplify it. The overall impression should be absentminded, not artistic.

Managing the curly wig at a full-day convention

Long curly wigs are the most high-maintenance wig style at a convention because curls tangle faster than straight hair when you put on and remove bags, headphones, or hats. Before the event, detangle the wig with a wide-tooth comb and apply a light leave-in conditioner designed for synthetic hair. Keep a small travel comb in the backpack for touch-ups throughout the day. Avoid putting anything on your head that requires removing the wig and putting it back, because curly synthetic fiber does not cooperate with repeated adjustments the way straight fiber does.

Sarah Miller Group Cosplay Ideas

Couples Idea

Sarah Miller & Joel Miller (The Last of Us)

Excellent couples cosplay with the strongest emotional weight in the franchise. The father-daughter relationship between Joel and Sarah is the event that shapes everything else in the story, and the two costumes pair visually and narratively in a way that is immediately clear to anyone who knows the game or the show. At any Last of Us event, this pairing generates the most recognition. Outside fan events, Joel is recognizable enough to carry the pairing for people who only know the show casually.

Sarah Miller Joel Miller

Duo Idea

Sarah Miller & Ellie Williams (The Last of Us)

Strong duo built on a specific narrative parallel. Sarah and Ellie never meet, but Joel’s relationship with Ellie is shaped entirely by what he lost with Sarah. The two characters exist in the same emotional space across the whole story despite occupying different timelines. At a convention, Last of Us fans will read this pairing immediately. Outside fan contexts, the two costumes are visually distinct enough to read as separate characters but connected enough through the shared franchise that the duo makes sense.

Sarah Miller Ellie Williams

Group Idea: The Last of Us Cast

Sarah Miller, Joel Miller, Ellie Williams, Tess, Riley Abel

Strong group for a Last of Us fan gathering. The five characters span the full emotional arc of the first game and its DLC, with Sarah and Riley occupying the tragic early chapters that define what Joel and Ellie are both running from. Joel is the most widely recognized anchor. Tess and Riley require Last of Us franchise knowledge to place without context. All five builds have dedicated pages linked here, so no one needs to build from scratch.

Sarah Miller Joel Miller Ellie Williams Tess Riley Abel

Group Idea: Iconic Survival Women

Sarah Miller, Katniss Everdeen, Furiosa, Naru, Ellen Ripley

Might work, but the recognition is uneven. Katniss and Ripley are known broadly. Furiosa and Naru land for genre fans. Sarah is the most niche pick in the group, and her build also looks the most everyday compared to the others, which can make her harder to read as part of a themed group rather than a regular attendee who wandered in. At a genre convention the thematic connection, young women surviving systems designed to destroy them, holds the group together. At a general event, Sarah needs a Joel alongside her to carry the franchise context.

Sarah Miller Katniss Everdeen Furiosa Naru Ellen Ripley
Sarah Miller from The Last of Us game version with Joel during the outbreak prologue, the emotional core scene for the father-daughter group cosplay concept

Sarah Miller Cosplay DIY Tips

Building Either Look

The game build is the easier one to pull from an existing wardrobe. A grey long sleeve, a graphic tee, and plaid pajama pants are things most people own or can find at a thrift store for a few dollars. The HBO build requires the specific graphic tee, which has to be sourced, and the curly wig, which needs to be ordered in advance.

  • HBO tee: source from TeePublic in advance. Allow shipping time. This is the one item in either build that cannot be substituted without losing the character-specific read.
  • Ice blue jeans: light wash only. The markers show on pale denim and disappear on dark denim.
  • Fabric markers: draw the day before, not the morning of. They need hours to cure properly on denim.
  • Curly wig: order two to three weeks out. Check reviews for color and curl accuracy specifically. Both drift from product photos.
  • Game long sleeve: any plain grey long sleeve works. Check your wardrobe first.
  • Pink plaid pajama pants: thrift stores regularly stock these in autumn. Worth checking before ordering.
  • Necklaces: both the shark teeth and surfboard styles appear in second-hand jewelry sections. Inexpensive to source either way.

Playing Sarah at a Convention

Sarah is a teenager who is better at taking care of her father than he is at taking care of himself. That is the entire character in one sentence. She is warm, slightly sarcastic, and calm under pressure in the specific way that children of single parents sometimes are.

  • If someone asks for a quote: the watch line works for both versions. “It’s the thought that counts and you were never gonna do it yourself” is the HBO version. Use it deadpan.
  • If someone asks where Joel is: look slightly worried. That is accurate to every scene Sarah is in after the first ten minutes.
  • The red backpack is a practical prop at a convention. It carries your actual belongings and reads as the character at the same time.
  • For photos with a Joel cosplayer: let him carry you. That is the defining image of both versions of the character.
  • Do not lead with the ending. Sarah is not a tragic character. She is a competent, caring teenager who happens to exist at the wrong moment. Play that version.

Sarah Miller Cosplay: FAQ

There are two builds to choose from. For the HBO look: wear the Halican Drops graphic tee with fabric-marker-decorated ice blue jeans, a long curly wig, shark teeth necklace, string bracelets, red backpack, and white sneakers. For the game look: layer a grey cooling long sleeve under a Joan Jett T-shirt with pink flannel plaid pajama pants, 80s bracelets, and a wooden surfboard necklace. The HBO version has broader recognition in 2026.

Yes. The HBO adaptation brought Sarah’s story to a much wider audience, and her opening episode remains one of the most emotionally discussed in the series. At a Last of Us fan event or general pop culture convention, Sarah is immediately recognizable. Pairing with a Joel cosplayer carries the recognition further for people who only know the TV version.

Two quotes capture her best. From the HBO series: “It’s the thought that counts and you were never gonna do it yourself,” said to Joel about his fixed watch. From the game: “Here. You kept complaining about your broken watch, so I figured, you know. Do you like it?” Both versions of the character use a watch as the emotional center of the scene, which is worth knowing before you pick a build.

Sarah Miller is played by Nico Parker, an English actress. Pedro Pascal plays Joel, and the two filmed their scenes together first, which Parker noted helped establish the father-daughter dynamic quickly. Parker chose to avoid watching too much of the game version and bring her own interpretation to the role.

The most visible difference is appearance and age. In the HBO series, Sarah is 14 with long curly brown hair and a contemporary teen wardrobe. In the game, she is 12, with short highlighted blonde hair and wears layered grey tops over pink plaid pajama pants. The emotional arc is nearly identical in both versions: a teenager who tries to make her father’s birthday special on the night the world ends.

The game build is the easier one to assemble from an existing wardrobe. A grey long sleeve base layer and plaid pajama pants are things most people already own or can find at a thrift store. The necklaces and bracelets are the only items worth ordering. The HBO build requires the specific graphic tee, which needs to be sourced online, and the curly wig if your natural hair does not already match.

In the HBO series, Sarah’s jeans have small doodles and drawings on them, which reads as something a teenager did herself over time. It is a small characterization detail that shows she is a normal kid. The fabric marker set in this build lets you replicate that detail. Draw small flowers, shapes, or text along the thigh and hem areas. Keep it casual and imperfect: anything too neat looks intentional in the wrong way.