Why Catherine O'Hara Should Play Seraphite Prophet in TLOU S2

HBO is continuing to add more cast members for The Last of Us Season 2 in 2024. Kaitlyn Dever is confirmed to play the most controversial character yet, Abby Anderson, and Young Mazino and Isabela Merced will play Ellie's companions Jesse and Dina, respectively. According to Entertainment Weekly, Catherine O'Hara will be joining the apocalyptic television series doesn't have a character name attached, meaning she's either an original character or one that has never physically appeared in the story.

O'Hara joining the series was received with delighted reactions, notwithstanding some head-scratchers. She's more known for her comedic roles in movies and television, such as Beetlejuice, the Home Alone franchise and Schitt's Creek. But comedy actors have been known to step out of their niche in more dramatic roles that often show their hidden range of talent. O'Hara is herself a powerhouse on the screen and has maintained popularity in the entertainment industry for years. She utilizes her camouflaging technique with character work and famed impressions to help her blend into any role she takes on. These traits in an actor can really only fit one charismatic and mysterious character in The Last of Us Part II: the Seraphite Prophet.

Who Is the Seraphite Prophet in The Last of Us Part II?

The Seraphite Prophet is one of the few unseen characters in The Last of Us Part II that still haunts the narrative. She died before the events of the second game, seemingly years before the current state of conflict between the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) and the Seraphites (also known as "Scars" by the WLF). Players only learn about the Seraphite Prophet through notes that either Ellie or Abby pick up on their journey in Seattle, or from conversations with other characters. The Prophet's origins stem very early in the outbreak, between September 2013 and March 2014. Her suburban community in Seattle, Lower Queen Anne, had no aid from FEDRA or any government assistance.

The Seraphite Prophet told the citizens of the community that she saw a vision that inspired her to live an egalitarian lifestyle that forbade the pleasures of the old world, such as technology and guns. The people at first dismissed her rantings, but upon seeing how fiercely she fought against the infected, they began to listen to her. She recruited more followers with passionate sermons and a plan to live independently without government aid by growing their own food. By the time FEDRA found them, the Seraphites refused their help because of FEDRA's "sinful" lifestyle. FEDRA and the Seraphites lived in relative peace if the Seraphites stayed in their suburb, which became an island after years of flooding.

Around a decade later, the WLF won the guerrilla war over FEDRA for complete control of Seattle. The Seraphite Prophet aimed to spread the word of her gospel to former FEDRA soldiers, but was met with hostility by WLF's commander, Isaac Dixon. A war was inevitable between the two, so the Prophet formed an army to fight against the WLF. She was eventually captured and killed by the WLF on an order given by Isaac, who believed she was too dangerous to keep alive. Playing from Abby's perspective, a woman known as "Isaac's top Scar killer" warped the initial perception of the Seraphites. Abby and other WLF members describe her as a fanatic who forced Isaac's hand in killing innocent Seraphites, including children.

When Abby meets Yara and Lev (two former Seraphites), the Prophet's reputation is much clearer. The Prophet's preaches were based on themes of peace and simplicity to ensure humanity's survival. Her belief was that humanity's sins from the old world had caused the outbreak. Her point may be muddled with anger about how the world turned out, but the execution of her preaching was harmonious until the WLF came along. The Seraphites only became brutally trigger-happy and xenophobic after her death, in which she became a martyr. However, there's no clarification if the Prophet originally taught anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and supported prearranged marriages, so for that, the WLF could've had a valid reason for suspecting her.

The Seraphite Prophet Is an Unseen Influence on Abby's Story

Having lost her father at a young age, Abby is fueled by hate when she meets the WLF. She takes her aggression out on the Seraphites, who at this point cross WLF lines to kill soldiers and perform ritualistic sacrifices. Abby always shows disgust for a woman she's never met, until Lev tells her that the Prophet never preached violence, only communal love. Abby never comes to realize this, but there is a sense of irony behind her forming a close bond with Lev and Yara. Like Abby, the Seraphite Prophet's image went through an enormous transformation after a significant death.

When she died, the Prophet was no longer seen as this kind and tranquil being who simply wanted to live an ascetic lifestyle. People perceived her as a violent zealot who promoted an "othering" philosophy. When Abby's father died, she shed all her hope for a better world that the Fireflies fought for. She trained for revenge by becoming a cold soldier who shoots without fearing the consequences. But unlike the Prophet, Abby has a chance at redemption. She sees how Lev lives by the Prophet's true teachings, despite him being cast out by the community, and her eyes open to the WLF propaganda that she's been infused with.

Catherine O'Hara Is an Exemplary Contender for the Seraphite Prophet

To deliver the second game into multiple seasons, The Last of Us will likely expand more on Abby's beginnings with the WLF. This would mean that the Seraphite Prophet could've been alive around that time. For more insight into how the Prophet came to power, the show may even include a backstory into the Prophet's rise to power, just as it did with Bill and Frank in Season 1. The Seraphite Prophet is never seen on-screen, aside from her murals of worship, but there's enough detail about her to know that O'Hara can exude her personality.

Most people question how people fall for cults, seeing how bad the signs are from an outsider's perspective. When adapting stories of cults, the media tends to portray the leaders as charismatic people who charm followers looking for answers to life's biggest issues. Cult leaders know how to manipulate the people around them, using their fear as a selling point. Kindness is an important tool for leaders dealing with sensitive followers, correlating with the Prophet's "Feel her love," motto. The Prophet even managed to befriend the WLF soldier who held her hostage.

Either the Prophet was a pure and altruistic person who deserved everything good in the world, or she was playing up a part to maintain her power. It's an interesting divide that O'Hara can balance with a quirky and odd acting style. If The Last of Us is smart about it, there won't ever be a clear answer about her true motivations for creating the Seraphites. Part of her appeal is that she's a mystery to all, including her followers. Nobody even knew what her name was. And who better than to play an enigmatic woman with a mystifying presence than Catherine O'Hara? From Schitt's Creek alone, O'Hara's character Moira Rose's latest accent, wig and choice of words were always unpredictable.