Who are the WLF? The Last of Us season 2's new characters explained

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for The Last of Us season 2 episode 2.

The Last of Us season 2 has introduced a whole crop of new characters, and the latest episode has revealed a bit more about who they really are.

At the very beginning of the season, we met Abby and a group of her friends outside of the Fireflies base in Salt Lake City. The group were reeling from what seemed to be Joel's murder of the Fireflies in the hospital to help save Ellie's life. However, we weren't given much more insight into who they really are.

In episode 2, the group edges closer to Jackson where we find out some of their names as they plot the best way they'll get close to Joel. This culminates in Abby stumbling across him as he saves her life, before she brings him and Dina back to their base and shoots him in the leg.

While the group – and their motives – are still quite opaque, we do see something written on the backpack of one of the crew. Just before Dina is sedated, we glimpse a badge that reads "WLF" with the logo of a wolf on it. So just what is the WLF? Well, the group has roots in The Last of Us Part 2 game.

What is the WLF in The Last of Us season 2?

The WLF are the Washington Liberation Front, a paramilitary group which operates in Seattle. Also known as the Wolves, they have been in place since overthrowing FEDRA (who you'll remember from season 1) in the city.

The group is well trained and well armed and are a formidable force in Seattle. They're primarily at war with a group called the Seraphites as each tries to wrestle control over the city. We haven't met the Seraphites in the show yet, but we have had a few glimpses of them in the trailers so we know that they will play a part.

Equally, we've not yet met their leader – a man named Isaac – but from casting announcements, it's been confirmed that he'll be played by Jeffrey Wright so expect him to show up at some point too.

As for the specifics of who Abby and her group are, they're named Mel, Manny, Owen, Nora, Jordan, Leah, and Nick. However, the HBO show doesn't include the latter three, and they've seemingly been cut from the adaptation.

They're also known as the Salt Lake Crew, named after their time with the Fireflies at the hospital there. And given their actions in episode 2, we expect we'll be seeing them again as season 2 goes on.

The Last of Us season 2 is airing weekly. For more, check out our guide to The Last of Us season 2 release schedule and read our The Last of Us season 2 review.