Highlights
- The introduction of the WLF in The Last of Us 2 brought forth a new enemy for Ellie, with Abby Anderson and her complicated relationship with Owen being some of the highlights of her story.
- The intense scarring on Owen's back raises questions about his history and how he got those scars, possibly from an encounter with the extremist religious cult called the Seraphites.
- The television adaptation of The Last of Us presents an opportunity to explore the backstory of the WLF and provide fans with more content until a new game is announced.
The Last of Us 2 introduced a variety of new characters into Ellie and Joel's story, and one of the most notable and controversial aspects of the second game revolved around the introduction of the WLF (Washington Liberation Front). This band of characters brought forth a new enemy for Ellie in the form of Abby Anderson, an ex-Firefly who became a WLF soldier fueled by her need for revenge due to her father's death at the hands of Joel. Abby's story in The Last of Us 2 also introduced her friends, and fellow WLF soldier Owen Moore happened to be one of her closest allies.
Although some fans of the game were reluctant to play as Abby and explore her world, the character held some incredible depth, and her complicated relationship with Owen provided some of the main highlights of her story. However, this exploration into the relationship of the two WLF soldiers revealed that Owen is riddled with intense scarring on his back. Since Owen is likely to appear in the second season of The Last of Us television adaptation, there is plenty of room to explore the history of Owen and how he happened to get these scars.
The Backstory of Owen and Other WLF Soldiers Remains a Mystery
It's no secret that The Last of Us 2 was divisive due to its introduction of the WLF and its soldiers, but this portion of the story is an incredibly compelling dive into who players originally thought to be the villains. The story of The Last of Us 2 is far from a black and white narrative, and the game's exploration of the gray areas in post-apocalyptic morality is what makes it so powerful. Not only is the WLF a powerful militia to be reckoned with, but their main enemy is just as strong. The Seraphites, who WLF members refer to as Scars, are an extremist religious cult who have been at war with the WLF for control of Seattle. The second season of The Last of Us TV series is likely to explore more of this conflict, and this could be the answer to how Owen's wounds were caused.
The most notable scar on Owen's back is massive, which must have come from a major attack, presumably from a Seraphite. The scarring itself appears to be a burn, and this would also support the theory that he got this scar from an encounter with the Seraphites. Unlike the WLF who use military style weapons, Seraphites are primitivist in their beliefs and refuse to use weapons that are the result of modern technology. Although a bow or a hatchet would obviously not cause burns, a Molotov cocktail certainly would.
If the second season of The Last of Us series doesn't explore more of the backstory of the WLF, it would be a missed opportunity. Although The Last of Us 2 caused controversy among some fans with these characters, the militia ultimately offers a fascinating insight into what the world has evolved into since the initial Cordyceps outbreak. The Last of Us franchise is one of the most interesting takes on a zombie-like scenario, and it would be disappointing to not see more of this particular lore in the television series.
The future of The Last of Us games is currently just as mysterious as the scars on Owen's back, but the success of the television adaptation has presented the opportunity to provide more content for fans until a new game is hopefully announced. The WLF militia is a morally questionable force, and diving into the history of Abby, Owen, and other members would be a fascinating look into this apocalyptic world.
The Last of Us Part 2 is available now on PS4.
