The Last of Us' Dead Travelers Explained: How & Why They Got Killed In Season 2 Episode 3

The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3 introduced a group of unusual travelers who did not survive the brutal post-apocalyptic world of the show, and the culprits behind their murders tie into Naughty Dog's video games.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3.

Season 2 of HBO's show adapts The Last of Us Part 2, the second expansive game that takes Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to the dangerous world of Seattle, where she meets two warring factions.

What Happened to the Traveler Group In Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3

Midway through The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3, audiences meet a group of unknown travelers walking through the forest. 

This group of travelers is easily identifiable to The Last of Us Part 2 fans as the Seraphites, a religious faction that becomes enemies to Ellie and Abby in the game. 

The Seraphites in the show bear unusual symbols and carry weapons like hammers, bows, and arrows. They also communicate through piercing whistles, which allow the group to know whether it is safe to continue or whether enemies are coming.

Through a conversation between a Seraphite man and his young companion, Constance, it's revealed that the group is fleeing a war:

Seraphite: "Understand what we're giving you now will keep you far, far safer than a hammer. Distance."

Constance: "From home?"

Seraphite: "From war."

A different-pitched whistle from the Seraphite scout alerts the group that danger is coming, and they take shelter in the forest off the path. Constance asks whether demons are coming, and the Seraphite replies, "Wolves."

Wolves is another name characters use in The Last of Us Part 2 to refer to the W.L.F. (Washington Liberation Front), the group that Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her friends belong to, and the faction Ellie is trying to find. 

Later in the episode, Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced) travel the same path and come across the bodies of the Seraphites, who have all been killed.

This scene is just the start of the brutality in the Seraphite vs W.L.F. war, which Ellie gets caught in the middle of during her mission for vengeance. 

The W.L.F. in the game acts like a militia, with soldiers and heavy firepower. Meanwhile, the Seraphites are driven by their faith and are stealthier, tactical, and more brutal in combat. The HBO TV show appears to be taking a similar route in depicting each faction.

The Traveling Seraphites' Scars & Symbols Explained

The Seraphites in HBO's The Last of Us bear unusual scars and symbols that identify them as a group.

The symbol of two curving lines with a straight mark through the middle is not linked to anything specific in history, but is used specifically to identify the Seraphites throughout The Last of Us Part 2. 

Each Seraphite also bears curved scars on their cheeks–another religious ritual of the group that acts as an identifier–which earns them the nickname "Scars" by the W.L.F. 

Seraphites receive their scars in a ceremony when they come of age. The Seraphite's Prophet intended the markings to be a reminder of mankind's imperfections.

Who Is The Prophet In Last of Us Show?

During their introduction in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3, the Seraphites make a reference to their prophet. 

The young girl, Constance, asks her mentor why they are leaving their home when the prophet could keep them safe. But the man reveals that the Prophet has been dead for a decade, and is kept alive by following her teachings.

Constance: "Why can’t she just keep us safe?" 

Seraphite: "The prophet? She’s been dead for 10 years, Constance. I wouldn’t count on her to help."

Constance: "But Ezra said the Prophet is eternal." 

Seraphite: "She is in a way. A prophet isn’t magic, they’re just people who see truths hidden from others and share that truth no matter the cost. So it was with our prophet. And that’s how we keep her spirit alive. We follow her words, we obey her teachings, but we keep ourselves safe."

Similarly, in The Last of Us Part 2, the players never meet the Seraphite Prophet, but find many references to her scattered throughout the city of Seattle. It's revealed that the W.L.F. killed the Prophet amid their war, which escalated tensions between the two groups. 

She was never given a name, but was known to be incredibly charismatic and convincing, and taught her followers to reject physical pleasures and technology, hence their choice to use weapons like bows and arrows over guns. 

With HBO's The Last of Us expanding unseen viewpoints in the show, like Bill and Frank's episode in Season 1, there's a chance that fans may learn more about the Seraphite's Prophet in the show as it continues than is revealed in the game.