When Naughty Dog first dropped that brutal Paris Games Week trailer back in 2017, nobody really knew who the girl getting her arm hammered was. We just saw a dark forest, a noose, and a terrifyingly calm woman talking about "clipping wings." That girl was Yara. Honestly, after the game launched in 2020, a lot of the conversation shifted toward Abby and Lev, leaving Yara as sort of a tragic middle child of the narrative. But if you really look at the bones of The Last of Us Part 2, Yara is the actual glue holding that entire mid-game redemption arc together.
She isn't just a side character. She’s the bridge.
Who is Yara, really?
Yara is a former member of the Seraphites—the "Scars"—a religious cult living on an island off the coast of Seattle. If you've played the game, you know the Seraphites aren't exactly known for their chill vibes. They have strict rules about gender roles, clothing, and even how you're allowed to whistle.
Yara was a star pupil. She was a soldier. She followed the "Prophet" with the kind of devotion that usually gets you killed in this world. But then her younger brother, Lev (born Lily), defied the cult by shaving his head to transition and escape being married off to an Elder.
That’s where Yara’s story actually starts. She didn't leave because she stopped believing in the Seraphite religion. She left because she loved her brother more than her faith. In a world that is basically a nihilistic meat grinder, that's a huge deal.
The Brutality of the "Clipped Wing"
You’ve probably cringed through the scene where the Seraphites break her arm. They call it "clipping wings" because she was a soldier who used her arms to fight for them. It’s poetic in a sick, cultish way.
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Most games would have a character walk that off with a health pack. Not this one. Yara’s shattered arm becomes a massive plot point that forces Abby Anderson—the person who killed Joel—to actually act like a human being for the first time in years.
Quick facts about Yara:
- Voice Actor: Victoria Grace (who actually looks a lot like the character model).
- Injury: Her left arm is shattered by a hammer, eventually leading to a full amputation.
- Family: Her mother is a high-ranking, brainwashed Seraphite; her brother is Lev.
Because Yara’s arm gets infected (compartment syndrome, as Mel explains), Abby has to trek across the "Sky Bridge" to a hospital. This is where the game tries to make us like Abby. It’s a bold move. It works for some, fails for others, but Yara is the catalyst for all of it. Without Yara’s injury, Abby and Lev never bond. Without that bond, the ending of the game doesn't happen.
Why her death felt so different
Yara doesn't make it to the end. She dies on the Seraphite island during the massive WLF invasion. It’s sudden. One second she's there, the next she's riddled with bullets from WLF soldiers.
But check this out: her final act is saving Abby and Lev by killing Isaac, the leader of the WLF.
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It’s a "hero's death," but it feels incredibly hollow in the moment because everything is on fire and everyone is dying. That's The Last of Us in a nutshell, right? It doesn't give you the big, swelling orchestral moment. It just gives you the dirt.
Some fans argue that the whole "save the arm" subplot was a waste of time since she dies anyway. I disagree. The point wasn't to save her life—it was to change Abby’s. Yara was the sacrifice that allowed Abby to stop being a "Top Scar Killer" and start being a protector.
Misconceptions about the Seraphite siblings
People often think Yara and Lev were "rebels" from the start. They weren't. Yara mentions multiple times that she still finds comfort in the prayers. She misses the "peace" of the island before the war escalated.
She isn't a hero who saw the light. She's a sister who made a choice in a split second to protect her sibling, and she spent the rest of her short life dealing with the consequences of that choice. That’s way more interesting than a standard "I hate the cult" trope.
What to do next if you're a fan
If you're looking to dive deeper into the lore or just want more of Victoria Grace's performance, here's what you should actually do:
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Check out the "Behind the Scenes" footage in the The Last of Us Part II Remastered. There are some great commentaries on the "Abby Day 2" chapters that explain how they choreographed the forest fight where we first meet her.
Also, keep an eye on the HBO show Season 2 and 3. While casting hasn't been officially confirmed for every minor role, there's a huge chance we'll see a live-action version of the "Sky Bridge" sequence. Seeing a real-life prosthetic or CGI-managed amputation for Yara's character is going to be a massive production challenge for the show.
Lastly, go back and play the "Haven" chapter on Grounded mode. It’s the one where Yara dies. If you pay attention to the dialogue between the WLF and the Scars in the background, you realize just how doomed Yara's people were regardless of what she did. It makes her sacrifice feel a lot more heavy.
There’s no "fix" for Yara’s story. It’s a tragedy. But it’s the most important tragedy in the middle of a game full of them.
Actionable Insight: If you're replaying the game, pay close attention to the ambient dialogue in the Aquarium. Yara's conversations with Mel reveal a lot about how she views the WLF compared to her own people. It’s one of the few places where we see the two "enemy" factions actually talking like people instead of targets.