HBO‘s The Last of Us premiere introduces two groups fighting for control amidst the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak: FEDRA and the Fireflies. Both of these entities will play a role in Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) journey across the U.S. But who are the bad guys, and who can Joel and Ellie trust? Here’s a breakdown of FEDRA and the Fireflies, based on what we know from The Last of Us video games.
[Spoiler alert: The following story contains minor spoilers for The Last of Us game, and therefore might spoil storylines in The Last of Us TV series on HBO.]
What is FEDRA in ‘The Last of Us’?
In 2013, a mutated Cordyceps fungus began to spread worldwide, infecting most of the population. The fungus would attack an infected being’s brain and turn them into cannibalistic, extremely violent creatures.
By 2033, when Joel and Ellie’s journey begins following the death of Joel’s daughter, much of the U.S. has already been reduced to a wasteland with quarantine zones scattered throughout major cities like Boston and Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the government has mostly dissolved, leaving only the Center for Disease Control, the Department of Defense, and FEDRA.
FEDRA stands for Federal Disaster Response Agency. This department takes control of the military and turns these quarantine zones (QZs) into oppressive, authoritarian dystopias. There are very strict curfews and harsh punishments for crimes, including execution. Each quarantine zone is filled with FEDRA soldiers — some of whom are drafted civilians — and they go to war with the Fireflies.
What are the Fireflies in ‘The Last of Us’?
Now, it’s pretty clear from the start that FEDRA is considered a “bad guy” in The Last of Us. The Fireflies, on the other hand, are in a bit of a gray area. They are a rebel group whose mission is to take back the QZs from FEDRA and give the people a better life (well, as “better” as life can be with a brain-eating fungus going around). However, Fireflies tend to just … make things worse.
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In The Last of Us premiere, Joel and his smuggling partner, Tess (Anna Torv), live in Boston’s QZ. The game indicates that this is the last QZ that has yet to be liberated from FEDRA by the Fireflies. There are frequent explosions and riots led by the Fireflies that only disrupt life in the QZ. To many people, Fireflies are seen as terrorists (even Ellie mentions this in the premiere).
The Fireflies are led by Marlene (Merle Dandridge), who arranges for Joel and Tess to smuggle Ellie out of Boston and across the U.S. In an interview with Collider, Dandridge revealed Marlene’s motivation to lead the Fireflies:
“I think someone who is perceived as a terrorist by one person can be the hope and inspiration to another. … But as far as why Marlene chooses to march this out and to lead this resistance is that it’s steeped in her own experience and her own pain and everything that has been ripped from her, so that this doesn’t happen to other people and so those that are around her understand that the status quo of this regime that FEDRA has brought in and kept us under their thumb with, is not the only option.”
Why the Fireflies need Ellie
So, then, what do the Fireflies want with Ellie? In addition to their battle against FEDRA, the Fireflies hope to find a cure for the Cordyceps brain infection. When Marlene learns of Ellie’s immunity, she realizes that Ellie could be the key to creating a vaccine. Joel must get Ellie to the Fireflies lab on the west coast so they can conduct further research. Fans will have to continue watching The Last of Us to see how that plays out.
New episodes of The Last of Us drop every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. Check out the full release schedule for more details.
