Don't Overlook This One Subtle Detail In The Last Of Us Season 2's New Trailer

The Last of Us season 2 picks up five years after the events of season 1.

The shot in the trailer doesn’t seem to be from that scene. No casting for Lev and Yara has been announced and The Last of Us season 2’s set photos seem to suggest that this season will focus primarily on Ellie’s three-day journey through Seattle. It’s more likely that this is one of the Seraphite executions that Ellie witnesses while she’s cutting through the park on her way to the hospital. But the appearance of the sickle teases the show’s faithful adaptation of Seraphite lore, and that the show could eventually adapt Abby’s hellish boss battle with the Seraphite brute.

Who Are The Seraphites In The Last Of Us?

The Seraphites Are A Notorious Religious Cult In Seattle

At the beginning of The Last of Us Part II, Ellie heads to Seattle to find Joel’s killers and exact revenge. The only information she has is that their patches read, “Washington Liberation Front,” and that there are eight of them. However, when she gets to Seattle, she finds that the W.L.F. is a much bigger group than she expected. They’re a thousands-strong, heavily armed militia with a fortified stadium, a huge arsenal of weapons and vehicles, and no tolerance for trespassers. Led by Jeffrey Wright’s Isaac, the W.L.F. overthrew FEDRA and seized control of the city.

But the W.L.F. isn’t the only ruthless faction in Seattle. On her second day in the city, Ellie finds that the W.L.F. is in the midst of a deadly civil war with the Seraphites, a new-world-order religious cult living a technology-free existence on an island off the coast. Founded by a mysterious prophet, the Seraphites claim to preach love and acceptance, but spend their days hanging and gutting their enemies. It’ll be interesting to see how the TV show expands on the mythology of this group without the need to keep getting back to gameplay.

Why The Last Of Us Season 2 Will Be Even More Violent Than Season 1

The Trailers Have Been Teasing Plenty Of Horrific Action Scenes From The Game

Although it received almost unanimous acclaim, one of the biggest complaints about The Last of Us season 1 is that it skimped on the action. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann did a great job of utilizing the strengths of their new medium to focus less on violent spectacle and more on quieter character moments. But they arguably went too far and made the action too scarce. Joel and Ellie barely encounter any infected on their cross-country journey, which makes the pivotal plot point of a potential cure feel less necessary.

In the marketing for The Last of Us season 2, Mazin and Druckmann have made it clear that they’ve heard those complaints and they’re bringing in much more action and violence this time around. The trailers have teased some of the most violent moments from the game are being adapted directly for the show. They’ve shown a horde bearing down on Abby in the snow, Ellie and Dina in an intense shootout with the W.L.F., and, of course, the use of a sickle. The Last of Us season 2 will be much more violent than season 1.