The Last of Us: Why the W.L.F. Is More Important Than You Think

May your survival be long. May your death be swift. Reader, if you hear those words? Run. That’s the slogan of the Washington Liberation Front, or W.L.F. It’s a new faction that has made its presence known in season 2, episode 3 of The Last of Us, “In Another Country.” But who are the “Wolves,” exactly? Where do they fit into the post-apocalyptic landscape? And more importantly, what’s Abby’s alleged connection to the W.L.F.?

“In Another Country,” which aired Sunday night, picks up from last week’s harrowing episode with all of Jackson reeling from Joel’s death—especially Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Now, she’s seeing red. Three months after the devastation of Jackson, Ellie gears up and heads out to confront Abby head-on. But little do she and Dina (Isabela Merced) know, the W.L.F. is armed to the teeth and come in great numbers. Wolves travel in packs, after all.

If that intimidating parting shot of The Last of Us season 2, episode 3 has you shaking in your combat boots, fret not. Know thy enemy, and you need not fear a hundred battles. So let us help you get acquainted with the Washington Liberation Front. Here’s all you need to know about the W.L.F.

Warning: Potential spoilers for The Last of Us and the video game, The Last of Us Part II ahead.

Courtesy of Liane Hentscher/HBO//HBOIn The Last of Us episode 3, Ellie and Dina hit the road.

Who are the Wolves?The Washington Liberation Front, or W.L.F., is another militaristic faction of survivors in the world of The Last of Us. They originate in The Last of Us Part II, the 2020 video game that serves as a major creative basis for season 2 of the HBO show.

In The Last of Us Part II, the W.L.F. (nicknamed “Wolves”) originated as a counter-group to FEDRA in Seattle. The Wolves formed out of angry Seattleites who resented FEDRA’s fascistic control of their city and took up arms to fight back. They eventually succeeded in overthrowing FEDRA, becoming the de facto government and military force ruling over the Emerald City. But while the WLF started as rebel liberators, the Wolves became no better than FEDRA and quickly imposed their own (and often violent) will over their city.

Who are the Seraphites? (A.k.a. the People with Scars and Ponchos.)Eventually, the W.L.F. ignited war with neighboring Seraphites, also called Scars. The Seraphites are a religious cult that also started in Seattle, founded by a woman circa 2013 who claimed to have had a vision of egalitarianism and returning humanity to nature. The woman’s fierce fighting prowess against infected and charismatic preaching allowed her to gain a loyal following, who dub her “the Prophet.” All Seraphites have Glasgow smiles, which are part of a religious ritual that has earned them the nickname “Scars” among the W.L.F.

In the current timeline of The Last of Us (both Part II and season 2 of the HBO show), the Wolves and Scars are engaged in active war against each other, which explains the massacre that Ellie and Dina stumble upon on their way to Seattle. They think Abby alone was responsible for killing all those people and children. What they don’t know is that it might not be them, and that the Wolves are exceptionally ruthless with hundreds, maybe even thousands of soldiers in their ranks.

Courtesy of Liane Hentscher/HBO//HBOAbby, played by Kaitlyn Dever, is a former Firefly turned member of the W.L.F.

What’s Abby’s Connection to the W.L.F.?We know already that Abby was ex-Firefly, with her father being the Firefly doctor who was going to operate on Ellie and engineer a cure for the cordyceps infection. In The Last of Us Part II, we learn that in the aftermath of Joel’s hospital rampage, Abby joins the W.L.F.

Some five years pass before Abby gets a lead on Joel, who is now living in the Jackson settlement with Ellie. You know what happens from there. Both in the game and the show, Abby catches up with Joel, corners him, kills him, and makes an enemy out of Ellie. That’s pretty much where we’re at in season 2 following the third episode.

In “In Another Country,” Dina tells Ellie all about the W.L.F., which effectively helps get TV viewers up to speed. According to Dina, who learned from Eugene, the W.L.F. are one of many “small regional groups” that oppose FEDRA. Dina recalls how Eugene thought it was stupid the regional groups didn’t all form up together as a united force to fight FEDRA.

When Ellie asks Dina about their strength in numbers, Dina theorizes their relative obscurity implies they’re “small enough for us to handle.” This is a hilarious red herring that encourages audiences to underestimate the W.L.F. It’s easy to imagine Ellie taking on the W.L.F. if they’re just scattered people with rifles in tents. But as the episode’s final shot reveals, the W.L.F. is anything but shivering survivors. They’re fully armed Stormtroopers, loaded to the brim with firepower—enough to take down an army, which the Wolves have literally done in exterminating FEDRA from Seattle.

Needless to say, if Ellie wants her revenge, she may want to pack something with a stronger kick than Joel’s revolver.