HBO’s first-look teaser for The Last of Us season 2 suggests the sophomore outing of the network’s hit drama will fix a glaring villain problem from Naughty Dog’s second game, The Last of Us Part II. Picking up in the wake of The Last of Us season 1, episode 9’s ending, the second season will focus on the fallout from Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) complicated decision at the Salt Lake City hospital. Realizing that the Fireflies intended to kill Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in order to find a cure to the Cordyceps infection, Joel slaughters everyone and escapes the hospital.

In the immediate aftermath, Joel lies to Ellie about what happened. The two keep Ellie’s immunity under wraps, with only Joel’s brother, Tommy (Gabriel Luna), knowing the truth. Eventually, Joel owns up to what really happened, causing friction between him and Ellie, who rightly feels that Joel took away her agency with his decision to choose her over a cure. In the beginning of TLOU 2, Joel is killed by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), the daughter of a slaughtered doctor, setting Ellie’s own revenge quest into motion. But Abby is far from the only “villain” in The Last of Us 2.

HBO’s The Last Of Us Needs To Introduce The Seraphite Threat Sooner

The Last Of Us Part 2’s Seraphites Get A Bit Lost In The Core Ellie vs. Abby Plot

Although it doesn’t look like Catherine O’Hara will play the Seraphite Prophet after all, the Seraphites are still a substantial and compelling aspect of The Last of Us Part 2, and, by extension, the HBO show’s second season. In the video game sequel, Ellie tracks Abby down to Seattle. A jaded Firefly who’s broken by her father’s death, Abby ends up joining a different group — the Washington Liberation Front militia (WLF). As Ellie discovers upon arriving in Seattle, the WLF, FEDRA, and a mysterious group called the Seraphites once used the former city as a battleground.

The Seraphites become a massive threat as the game continues, especially in the last few acts, but the cult’s story feels kind of backloaded. As Ellie (and, later, Abby) traverses Seattle, she sees hints of the Seraphites and their enigmatic leader. Sure enough, players piece together that the Seraphite Prophet emerged as a leader after FEDRA established Seattle as a Quarantine Zone (QZ). A surprisingly skilled fighter, the Prophet inspired others to live an egalitarian life without technology or pleasure, enabling her followers to build a self-sufficient commune. Years later, the Prophet is still worshiped by TLOU 2’s Seraphites.

Why The Seraphites Are Important In The Last Of Us Part 2

The Seraphite Prophet & Her Followers Serve As Antagonists To Both Ellie & Abby

With its inventive narrative structure, The Last of Us 2’s timeline follows both Ellie, who wants revenge, and Abby, a soldier who gets her revenge but is pulled into a conflict between her militia and the Seraphite cult. The game features a chunk of Ellie’s story first, using the Seattle setting to tease the WLF and Seraphite conflict, but the cult’s presence grows once the player takes control of Abby. At one point, Abby’s ex-boyfriend, Owen, is captured by the Seraphites while he’s investigating the group’s activity, prompting Abby to infiltrate the cult herself.

After being captured herself, Abby is rescued by ex-Seraphite siblings Yara and Lev, who were branded traitors because of Lev’s identity. Although she tries to forge ahead with her initial mission, Abby’s story becomes irrevocably intertwined with Yara and Lev’s throughout the rest of The Last of Us Part 2. While The Last of Us’ cast of characters for season 2 has yet to be announced in full, it would make sense for the series to remain faithful to the source material and include the ex-Seraphite siblings. That said, the cult is crucial to the series’ narrative.

TLOU2’s Seraphite Story Could Have Been Better

The Seraphite Cult’s Story Is Backloaded In The Last Of Us 2

Although the Seraphite cult members make for compelling antagonists, the group’s story could have been handled a bit better. There’s no denying that TLOU 2 broke from tradition with its non-linear narrative and point-of-view swaps. While some players hated the idea of controlling the character responsible for Joel’s death, the tactic is an incredibly effective one. Unfortunately, the need to front-load the game with Ellie’s sections meant that Abby’s story — and, by extension, the Seraphites’ — was introduced a bit late. Thankfully, The Last of Us season 2’s story seems to be remedying this issue.

The Last Of Us 2’s Religious Cult Can Help Break Up The Core Narrative

Another Threat Can Balance Out Ellie & Abby’s Competing Stories

While an earlier introduction would benefit the Seraphites — and characters like Yara and Lev — the third-party group could also help break up The Last of Us season 2’s core narrative. Ellie’s quest for revenge, and how her story echoes Abby’s, is incredibly compelling, but it doesn’t have enough weight to be stretched out into the four or more seasons HBO has planned for the show. Whether The Last of Us season 3 is solely Abby’s point-of-view or not, the Seraphites are a crucial part of the narrative that, thankfully, are coming sooner than expected.

The Last of Us season 1 is streaming on Max.