Survivor

This article is about the group from the HBO series. For their appearance in the video game series, see Survivor.

Survivors
Survivors in Kansas City, cheering the overthrow of FEDRA
History
Group type	Human
Location(s)	Worldwide
Key figures
Notable members	Cannibals FEDRA Fireflies Kansas City resistance Jackson community Raiders Smugglers U.S. military Washington Liberation Front Seraphites QZ residents
Connections
Enemies	Infected
Behind the scenes
Appears in	HBO's The Last of Us

“

I mean, you're a capable guy, but there are worse things than infected out there. I hear everything on this. There are raiders, there are slavers. ―Abe's remarks to Joel about survivors.

”

Survivors are human characters in HBO's The Last of Us who are not infected by the Cordyceps brain infection (CBI), or simply have not reached stage one of the infection yet. Most survivors outside of the FEDRA-controlled quarantine zones or independent settlements are hostile towards other groups.

History

After the Cordyceps outbreak occurred, society began to rapidly collapse into chaos. Millions succumbed to the infection by September 27, 2003, leaving many American cities as dangerous places to inhabit. As social order fell, FEDRA established control of the United States military and locked down what remaining cities they could control into quarantine zones. Civilians scrambled to get into these safe zones, traveling across the country to escape either into the military-protected zones or into the countryside where the infection was less prevalent.

However, by September 30, FEDRA sent the military out into the countryside and towns near the cities to take civilians into the quarantine zones. If the QZs did not have enough room, the military began executing the civilians and dumping them in mass graves in the countryside in an effort to prevent the infection spreading to more people.

Word of the military's growing tyranny led many people to refuse to join the quarantine zones and instead form their own groups. These ranged from isolationist survivors like Marlon and Florence, or Bill, living in the entire town of Lincoln by himself, to groups forming into raiders intent on attacking settlements and stealing supplies. However, some people formed groups intent on making it to these FEDRA-held quarantine zones, with Tommy, Joel and Tess initially in one heading to Boston. Some groups took to drastic measures to survive, killing innocent people and stealing their supplies for themselves.

By 2010, the country had stabilized as FEDRA rule became the norm in the occupied quarantine zones. However, raider groups became more active and potent in the countryside around Boston and other cities. This led to them attacking settlements in the area, notably Bill and Frank's. FEDRA rule itself also started facing a number of different challenges within the zones. Notably, smuggling operations were set up by residents in the zone intent on circumventing the military's oppression. The smuggling network was still active in Boston by 2023. Raiders still actively roamed the wider regional areas, and slaver groups had formed as well.

By 2023, resistance movements had also been formed to commit a campaign of more open, violent, acts of rebellion against FEDRA and the military, with Marlene establishing the Fireflies in Boston and other locations across the country, while Michael Coghlan made his own resistance group in Kansas City. According to Eugene Lynden, there were also small regional rebel groups in the western United States, all trying to fight FEDRA, and how "unsmart" it was of them that they did not work together in an united front to defeat FEDRA. One of those groups was the Washington Liberation Front. Although, there were those in the zone who helped and collaborated with FEDRA out of desperation or for their own personal gain, informing them of these illicit activities - whether smuggling or resistance groups - to gain supplies they did not have access to otherwise and other benefits like preferential treatment for a better life in the zone. FEDRA's control became more brutal, with them beating civilians, committing public executions or - in the case of FEDRA in Kansas City - even raping captured civilians. These actions led to more fervent resistance in Kansas City, with Michael's death leading his sister Kathleen Coghlan to spark a war between the resistance and FEDRA, ending with the resistance overthrowing FEDRA by late 2023. The Fireflies did not have the same success in Boston however, being forced to retreat from the city around the same time.

Offering an alternative to FEDRA's oppressive regime, Maria formed a community in Jackson on the west side of the Yellowstone River that was devoted to non-hostile collaboration and mutual support. Rather than ruling through force or violence, the members followed a democratic practice of electing leaders. In this socialistic community, supply sharing and mutual trust were the biggest principles. By the winter of 2023, this group had grown to around 300 strong, though it was isolationist, preferring to keep their successful lifestyle a secret and instead putting on a facade as brutal survivors to deter others from wandering into their area. In the 2020s, many refugees had started to come to Jackson looking for a safe haven, fleeing from other collapsed settlements and hordes of the infected. Joel, Tommy and Ellie were some of the first to be allowed in, but many more were regularly accepted by 2028.

Another alternative to FEDRA's rule was to follow religion and putting their faith in a higher power, which was how David formed his cult-like community that resided in the Silver Lake resort in Colorado. Rather than voluntarily working together on a mutual basis, this group put their trust in David to lead them with all of his decisions absolutely followed and completely unchallenged by the community. As such, David convinced trusted members of the group they had to resort to cannibalism in order to survive.

Similar to David's group, the religious cult known as the Seraphites was formed in Seattle. They truly believed in the spiritual teachings and ideals of their Prophet and regarded her as a divine being. The Seraphites survived through providing religion as a unifying force in the post-outbreak world.

Gallery

Bill, an example of an armed lone survivor.

Lee, a FEDRA soldier.

A group of raiders in Lincoln.

Kathleen Coghlan, the leader of the Kansas City resistance.

The armed resistance living in Kansas City.

The Jackson patrolmen surround lone survivors Joel and Ellie.

Many survivors living in the FEDRA-controlled quarantine zone.

Refugees coming into Jackson.

The Washington Liberation Front soldiers

The Seraphite cult