The Last of Us universe is full of many complex groups that all have varying motivations of their own. The first game didn't really have any groups that were placed in a positive light, but the start of the game really made it feel like the Fireflies were the only group fighting on the side of good. However, by the end of the game, most people weren't really sure if this group deserved its praise either.

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Of course, Joel's actions were far from heroic, but that's not to say that the Fireflies were completely in the right either. It's this brilliant duality and complexity present in The Last of Us Part 1 that makes it such a fantastic game, and the Fireflies add to the richness of the world. Here are some things about the faction that most people aren't aware of.

5 They Were Indirectly Responsible For The Rise Of The Hunters

Joel and Ellie hiding from hunter The Last Of Us

There's no denying that the Fireflies had a major impact on the post-apocalyptic world. Their rebellious actions compelled people all over the States to fight against military rule and the draconian rules that they were being forced to follow. However, in a bid to eliminate the monsters that were threatening democracy, one can argue that the Fireflies actually made things worse in the process.

The biggest example of this was the fact that the civilians who rebelled with the help of the Fireflies soon realized that their might was all that was required to stay alive in this world. Survival of the fittest drove their motivations at all times, to the point where they got rid of the Fireflies that helped them secure their freedom to form a group of their own called the Hunters. These people believed in cold-blooded murder if it let them survive, turning them into one of the more heinous antagonists in the series due to their sheer brutality.

4 Support For The Fireflies Increase After Their Members Were Publically Executed

For the most part, the Fireflies were creating a buzz when they were founded, but they never really got a ton of public approval across the board. Their acts were pretty violent, and the military was seen as the only real protection against the infected at the time. All of this changed when the military tried to make a statement by killing Fireflies in public, only for this move to completely backfire on them in the most spectacular manner possible.

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In a show of immense brutality and dominance, the military captured around six Firefly members and executed them in public to deter the masses from joining these rebels. However, this brutal act only proved the point of the Fireflies and showed the public just how monstrous the military really was. This led to the Fireflies gaining a ton of popularity and gaining enough members to overthrow military rule in certain areas.

3 Firefly Pendants Are Used To Discern Between Real Members And Spies

Firefly Pendant in The Last of Us

While Firefly members have a unique garb of their own, this is far from being the most effective way to differentiate between members of the group and any spies that might be trying to infiltrate them. This is where the Fireflies use one of the more iconic collectibles in the games to differentiate between legitimate members and rival spies.

Each Firefly member has a unique pendant that they keep on themselves at all times. Any member who fails to show this pendant upon questioning is considered to be a spy and is separated from the group, which is a pretty neat way to weed out any impostors. Of course, it's far from the most perfect way to accomplish this goal, but for a rebel group in a post-apocalyptic society, this is as effective as it can be for the time being.

2 Marlene Interacted With Ellie And Riley Before The Events Of The Game

For the most part, Ellie's identity as a person immune to the Cordyceps fungi is a fact that was pretty well-known by the Fireflies. This is because Marlene actually interacted with both her and Riley before the events of the game. This interaction took place during the comic The Last of Us: American Dreams. In fact, this eye-opening discussion actually led to Riley asking to join the Fireflies as well.

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Ellie gets to know a lot about her past, with Marlene revealing that she actually knew Ellie's mother. She promised her that she would protect her daughter, which turns out to be quite ironic given the events of the game. Riley also vocalizes her goal to join the Fireflies, although this idea is nipped in the bud by Marlene pretty severely.

1 Their Attacks On The Military Actually Worked Against Their End Goal

The Last of Us Part I Bloater

There's no denying that the Fireflies had fairly noble motivations when it came to removing the brutal nature of military rule that had disturbed the masses for the longest time. However, in a bid to get rid of the military, they actually ended up making certain settlements more vulnerable to attacks.

Without the might and experience of the military, most settlements didn't have the defenses required to deal with the many bandits that roamed the lands, not to mention the infected that attacked in hordes. As a result, it could be argued that the Fireflies caused more harm than good during their attempts to 'liberate' the various quarantine zones in America.

The Last of Us Part 1 is available now on PS5. A PC version is currently in development.

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