Who are the Seraphites? The scarred cult members in The Last of Us episode three

The third episode of The Last of Us season two introduced a mysterious new religious group to the hit HBO series. While the cult-like characters haven’t yet been named in the show, their background was explored in the video game that inspired it. Here’s what you need to know:

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for The Last of Us season two episode three and the game The Last of Us Part II

In the latest episode of The Last of Us, a group of bow-and-arrow-wielding hunters is seen making their way through the woods on their way to Seattle.

As they walk, one of the men explains their belief system to his young daughter. The Seraphites believe in the teachings of a prophet, who died about a decade earlier. In the game, it was explained that the Seraphite prophet viewed the cordyceps infection as a divine judgment.

They believe the pandemic was a punishment for the sins of mankind, and that it came about in order to give the surviving humans a second chance. For that reason, they choose not to use any modern technology (hence the bows and arrows) and to live simply off the land.

In the show, the man is unable to finish explaining all this when the group is set upon, attacked, and killed, seemingly by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her fellow members of the WLF (Washington Liberation Front).

Later in the episode, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Shannon Woodward) come across the group of dead Seraphites, which includes the young girl. The sight of their bodies causes Dina to vomit.

In the game, we learn that the tension between the WLF and the Seraphites dates back to the earliest days of the cordyceps infection. After the WLF overthrew the government agency FEDRA (Federal Disaster Relief Agency) and took control of Seattle, the Seraphites initially tried to live in peace with the paramilitary organization.

However, tensions soon escalated, and the WLF captured and executed the Seraphite prophet. This deepened and prolonged the ongoing war between the two groups.

The majority of the Seraphites, including the children, have visible scars running up their cheeks. These marks, sometimes known as a Glasgow smile, identify the group and in the game lead to them being nicknamed The Scars.

Season two of The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9pm ET on Max in the U.S. and Sky Atlantic and NOW every Monday at 2am BST in the U.K.