After Outbreak Day in The Last of Us, everyone struggled. With the world as they knew came to an end, and, more than ever, there was a need to find togetherness. Unless you were Frank and Bill or the couple Ellie and Joel came across in season 1, episode 6, living on your own was impossible. That’s why you see so many people doing things they normally wouldn’t to survive.
Throughout their journey in The Last of Us, Ellie and Joel encountered a lot of infamous groups. This article will highlight all of the main groups within the show and determine whether or not you should join them.
Like everything else in this world, everything comes with a price. In some of these cases, it may be too high to pay.
FEDRA
There were times when FEDRA (Federal Disaster Response Agency) was a force for good, but mostly, they seemed like jerks. That’s why people tended to rise up against them and take their towns back. That means, on top of fighting the infected, you have to worry about groups of resistance. And let's not forget about people like Isaac, who may betray you.
The one good thing that comes with working for FEDRA is security. You’ll have a home and an almost guaranteed meal every day. And, if you’re lucky enough to be in charge, you’ll be safer. And, as Captain Kwong told Ellie, you’ll be cool when it’s hot, and hot when it’s cold.
Verdict: Avoid
Fireflies
The Fireflies are a small(ish) group of resistance fighters who wanted to liberate the quarantine zones from FEDRA. They believed that FEDRA's tactics were bad for the world and did whatever they could to even the odds. That includes killing those within their enemy's group who may not have been evil. To them, if you work for FEDRA, you’re in the wrong.
The Last of Us Part II video game hints that there could still be Fireflies running around the country. However, that’s unlikely. Joel killing so many of them in Utah probably broke their spirit completely. Without any hope of a cure, there wasn’t a point in staying together. This is why Abby, Owen, and the others joined the Washington Liberation Front (or WLF).
Verdict: Avoid
Washington Liberation Front
The WLF is a gift and a curse. On one hand, they’re worse than FEDRA. They don’t discriminate against the people they kill. If you’re not part of their group, you have to die. What’s ironic is that they started out being opposed to the same thing they’re doing now.
On the flip side, as you see in the season 2 finale of The Last of Us (and no doubt later in season 3), there’s more to them than the military force shown. They’re like the city version of the Jackson, Wyoming community. A lot of the people there are just doing what they can to survive.
Verdict: Join, but be cautious
Seraphites
The Seraphites is what happens when a good, peaceful idea goes bad. Initially, the Prophet was trying to keep people safe by building a community. They lived off the land and did what they could to protect one another. Then the Prophet died and everything went pear-shaped.
The Prophet's death leads to people in power deciding what she would have wanted. Sadly, they think that non-believers must be killed. They attempt to justify this by saying it's a ritualistic slaughter, and that they’re sending their victims’ souls to a better place. Realistically, they’re just another cult.
Verdict: Avoid
Jackson, Wyoming
The Jackson, Wyoming, community is hardworking and easy-going. Everyone uses their best strength to keep their town going. This way, no one feels left out or taken advantage of. It’s why everyone seemed happy to help the person next to them.
Of course, they aren’t without their faults. You may not like the way the council votes or working with someone whose views you oppose. However, it seems like when things get rough, they band together.
Verdict: Join
David’s cult
This was a poorly run and disturbing religious sect. While there’s nothing wrong with believing in a Christian God or following His practice, the problem comes when a person abuses the word. In this case, you have David. A guy who was killing people for food, and ready and willing to make a fourteen-year-old Ellie his wife. Just, yuck.
If that’s not enough, David wasn’t a good leader. Everything he did, from picking the location to turning his people into cannibals (unbeknownst to most of them), led to the town’s downfall. He was a small man who became a despot and took out his insecurities on people who needed a leader.
Verdict: Avoid like the plague
Infected
You may be thinking that the infected aren't a group, but let’s look at the facts. We’ve seen them work together during the raid of Jackson, Wyoming, and later when the stalkers attacked Ellie and Dina. They’re also connected and communicate via the fungus tendrils. That sounds like a community to me.
So, yes, joining them comes with a few problems. First, you have to hope they don’t kill you when you’re not infected. Two, everyone who's not infected will try and kill you. Three, and most importantly, you lose all control of your body. For all we know, you’re watching yourself while the cordyceps control your body. That sounds like a fate worse than death.
Verdict: Avoid
*** WARNING! THIS LAST GROUP IS A SPOILER FROM A FUTURE SEASON! ***
Rattlers
As the video above brilliantly points out, the Rattlers are an inverse of the community of Jackson, Wyoming. They enslave people and force them to work on their compound. When you try to rebel, refuse to work, or if they’re bored, they’ll tie you to a post to die.
There’s no good to come out of this unless you work for them. Even then, they’re awful people and everything that’s wrong with communities. At least David’s group tried to keep people safe. These people are just the worst.
Verdict: Avoid
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