Why the Seraphites are called ‘Scars’ in The Last of Us

In The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 4, we see Isaac interrogating and torturing a Scar – or as he’d rather be known, a Seraphite.

We met some nasty people in the first season; Kathleen and her ‘Hunters’, raiders, and David and the cannibals at Salt Lake, to name a few. Now, the world of The Last of Us is expanding.

We have Abby and her friends from the Washington Libertation Front, and in Episode 3, we got a brief, tragic scene with a cult. Later, Ellie and Dina discovered their corpses.

These were Seraphites – or as they’re commonly known, Scars – and they play a pivotal role in the events of The Last of Us Part 2, the source material for the new series.

Why Isaac calls the Seraphites “Scars”

HBO

The Seraphites are called Scars because they all have distinctive facial scars; specifically on their cheeks.

Season 2 has yet to dig into the conflict between the Wolves and Scars. Isaac and the Seraphite he tortures both mention some sort of a truce, which appears to have been broken, but the series hasn’t revealed why they’re fighting each other.

From the game, we know the Seraphites were formed between 2013 and 2014, believing that the Cordyceps outbreak was a punishment for humanity’s sins. They were initially led by a mysterious, otherwise unnamed woman known as the Prophet, and they prohibited themselves from using modern weaponry; as Isaac points out, they have bows and arrows and the WLF has machine guns.

Inevitably, just as Isaac grew tired of FEDRA’s mismanagement of Seattle, the Prophet attracted people who felt neglected by the government (even the Seraphites were often on the brink of starvation).

HBO

However, after the WLF took control of Seattle, tension grew between the two groups. The Seraphites tried to spread through the city and are said to have terrorised residents, so they retreated to a suburb that was separated from the city after years of flooding.

This should have led to peace, but the Seraphites started assembling an army to combat the WLF. In order to join the infantry, soldiers had to be initiated in a special ceremony – which included scarring their cheeks into the shape of a Glasgow smile. That said, all Seraphites bear a similar facial scar, no matter their age.

There’s more backstory I won’t get into, as it may come up later in the season, but here’s the key bit: after the Prophet’s death, things got even worse… but a truce was eventually struck. The Seraphites promised not to disrupt WLF supply routes and patrols, and the Wolves vowed to leave them alone.

In Episode 3, the Seraphites that were slaughtered may be more important than you think: that may have been what broke the truce.

For more coverage, find out if Abby dies in The Last of Us game and check out our breakdowns on when The Last of Us takes place and the show’s soundtrack.

You can also find out why Ellie left coffee beans on Joel’s grave and what happens to Shimmer in the game.