Who Are the Fireflies in The Last Of Us? Season 1's Final Boss, Explained

   

The following contains potential spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2. There's also mention of rape.

Joel and Ellie come across many groups on their journey across an apocalyptic United States on The Last of Us. Communities like Jackson welcomed people with open arms, upholding their morals even in the darkest of times. Others, like David's cannibalistic survivors, were simply unforgivable. One group that lied in the middle, gray area were the Fireflies, who weren't given much of a chance to redeem themselves.

The Fireflies Led With a Promise to Save the World

Viewers and players alike meet the Fireflies pretty early on in both the show and the game through their leader, Marlene, who Joel nicknames "Queen Firefly." It's unclear in the game how far back Marlene's history with the Fireflies goes, and whether she was instrumental in their earliest days of formation. In the show, Marlene was the original founder of the Fireflies prior to 2023. The group was founded shortly after the Cordyceps virus outbreak (2003 for the show and 2013 for the game) as a response to the dissolving of the US government and the rising totalitarian rule of FEDRA's military in quarantine zones.

The Fireflies' main concern was democracy being threatened now that the military was in charge, and would eventually encourage civilians to stand up against their oppressors. If they were to succeed, there was hope that people would come together to rebuild society. They spread their message within quarantine zones by spray-painting the slogan, "When you're lost in the darkness, look for the light" and a Firefly symbol, or recruiting people through word of mouth. Two of those drawn to the Fireflies' enlightening purpose were Joel's brother Tommy and Ellie's best friend Riley, although Tommy left the Fireflies since his commitment to them put a strain on his relationship with Joel.

The Fireflies Met Their End Just as They Achieved Their Goal

Joel looking at Ellie on a hospital bed in The Last of Us.
Image via HBO
 

Marlene entrusted Joel and Tess, the latter of whom would soon die, to smuggle Ellie out of the city and bring her to the Fireflies. It would take a year, but Joel and Ellie finally made it to the Fireflies' main base -- the Saint Mary's Hospital in Salt Lake City -- where a team discovered a cure for the Cordyceps infection through Ellie's immunity. However, the only way to reverse engineer a vaccine was to kill Ellie during brain surgery, an operation that Joel strongly objected to. He goes on a rampage in the hospital, killing the majority of the Fireflies, including Marlene and the head surgeon.

Where the Fireflies Stand in Season 2

Abby Anderson at a grave on The Last of Us
Image via HBO

Given that the Fireflies had bases in several cities around the country, including Atlanta and Boston, Joel's massacre doesn't necessarily mean the Fireflies are gone. But without Marlene's leadership, it would make it incredibly hard to regroup with whoever is left. It's best to believe that the Fireflies aren't a threat going into Season 2.

The Fireflies in HBO's The Last of Us

Formed

After 2013

Leader

Marlene

Notable members

  • Kim Tembo
  • Riley
  • Tommy Miller (formerly)
  • Abby Anderson
  • Owen
  • Nora
  • Mel
  • Manny

Objectives

  • Restore democracy and a stable government
  • Find a cure for the Cordyceps infection
 

The Fireflies didn't give Ellie a say in the matter, but Ellie won't necessarily see it in that way. She knows Joel is lying, as evident by her disappointed face when he does so, and she interprets that as a personal betrayal because he knew how much it meant to her to help the Fireflies. If or when she discovers the truth about what happened to the Fireflies, it will be a wake-up call to Ellie. There are no good or bad guys in the world anymore. The Fireflies were just a warning of what is ahead in Season 2: most people are nuanced individuals that do terrible things in good faith, including Ellie herself.