The Last of Us: Fireflies Burning Bright

The Fireflies belong to a resistance group that leads the revolution against the oppressive militia in The Last of Us Part I and II but they are losing the war badly against FEDRA. Not only are they providing resistance against the corrupt military, they are also trying to find a cure to the Cordyceps Brain Infection and will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.

The Fireflies have inspired the people to stand up for themselves and riot against the authorities, and although these are less effective compared to the attacks coordinated by the Fireflies themselves, the people hope receive much needed hope from the resistance group.

via GIPHY

They were led by Marlene up until her death at the hands of the main protagonist Joel at the end of Part I. It is currently unknown who will replace her at the helm of the Fireflies in Part II.

The resistance was founded sometime after the Martial Law took place. The group demanded that all government branches be re-established and have been fighting for the cause ever since.

The Fireflies defeated FEDRA in several quarantine bases, noticeable quite clearly throughout the entirety of the game, but to no great effect. Neither side have shown any hesitation in getting the upper hand against one another regardless of consequence or casualties.

The Fireflies gained a lot of support when six Firefly soldiers were executed in public without any apparent reason. For the people, the Fireflies have been the good guys since the start of their attacks as they gave the people a reason to fight for – their freedom.

Although their motives seem good, their methods aren’t the same, killing anyone that disagrees with their goals and most likely killing many people in search of a cure, including trying to remove Ellie’s immunity to make one. It’s up to the player’s perspective to decide if they are good or bad.

The Fireflies are scattered across the country but their main base is in Salt Lake City at the St Mary’s Hospital. Their previous main base was set up at the University of Eastern Colorado. While there, they set up guard posts to maintain logs and conduct research. A message in one of the logs mentioned that they had success in testing out one particular vaccine but it had no significance down the road. Multiple failed test results, along with the fact that the military were finding and gunning them down more efficiently, caused a major drop in staff morale, causing some to defect or abandon their research.

Where to Encounter Firefles

The Fireflies are not encountered throughout the majority of the game, only at the end, when Joel learns that they intend to kill Ellie and thus considered them the enemy. The number of hunters is larger but the Fireflies are more tactical and difficult to deal with. When killed, some Firefly soldiers drop Firefly pendants, which are necessary to collect if you are looking to get the platinum trophy for the game. These pendants are mostly found in hidden locations, making it hard for many players to get them all.

While fighting off the humans, don’t forget that the infected still dominate the world at large! We put together a guide on dealing with the Bloaters, and also looked into how long one takes to beat the entire game.