Is Ellie Immune? Explaining Her Condition In The Last Of Us

The Last Of Us

Warning ! This article contains spoilers for both HBO ’s The Last of Us time of year 1.HBO’sThe Last of Uscenters on a post - apocalyptical world overrun by infected human race . The show begins with a prelude to the contagion that will extinguish humankind , with two scientist giving their view on humanity ’s greatest threat , to which one says fungal infections could be more severe than bacteria or viruses . The show then flashes to 2003 , with Joel , Tommy , and Sarah witnessing the outbreak of the Cordyceps infection firsthand . The show then jumps 20 years to 2023 after humanity is all but give out , and the independent narrative kicks in , revolving around Joel and Ellie .

The Last of Usshows the post - apocalyptical life of the Boston quarantine geographical zone through the centre of Joel and Tess , who are introduced to Ellie , a young woman they are task with smuggling out of the QZ for the Fireflies for unspecified reasons . Ellie is held in eminent regard by Marlene , leading Joel and Tess to fit in to escort Ellie in telephone exchange for a truck they can use to seek for Joel ’s brother Tommy . However , ahead of time on inThe Last of Usseason 1 , they establish why Ellie is so important to the Fireflies , and why they want her kept alive at all costs .

Ellie’s Immunity Explained

She Is The Only One Who Isn’t Infected The Same Way

The reveal is that Ellie has something of an immunity to the Cordyceps disease . At the end ofThe Last of Usepisode 1 , Joel , Tess , and Ellie are charm by a FEDRA agent outside the Boston quarantine zone who scans them for infection , an important conniption taken fromThe Last of Usgame .

Upon run down Ellie , she turn and stabs the agent in his leg , make Joel to have to kill him . Tess then witness the digital scanner , which reads that Ellie is infect . After a brief moment of panic , Ellie reveals the collation on her weapon and that she receive it over three workweek ago . Most infected in the world ofThe Last of Usbegin to turn within 24–48 hour of being bitten , which proves Ellie ’s immunity .

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However , when showing her arm , the bite ’s contagion is seen running through Ellie ’s forearm , which means the Cordyceps fungi are still present in her system . However , given how she has been " infect " for over three calendar week , it means that the infection does not bear upon her in the same way as other humans in the show . By the end of the season , it is give away that Ellie ’s mom was bite while she was still pregnant with Ellie , and then gave parentage to her , which helped her be resistant in some direction .

Why Ellie Is Important To The Fireflies

They Need Her For A Cure

This explain why Ellie is so authoritative to the Fireflies . Given how the world has been in disarray for over 20 years , and man is all but wiped out with any surviving pockets confine to QZs like Boston , the Fireflies see Ellie as a potential way to revert human race back to the way it was . Through Ellie ’s immunity , the Fireflies hope to synthesize a cure for the Cordyceps brain infection . This explains why Marlene , drawing card of the Boston Fireflies , was so thrifty with Ellie by construct sure she did not turn for a few weeks after being bitten .

Despite the hope this could lead to a possible therapeutic , Joel learns that surgery will kill Ellie , and he has to adjudicate to save her or the entirety of humanness .

Joel and Ellie endeavor to travel to Salt Lake City , Utah , throughout the course of study of The Last of Us time of year 1 . There is a major firefly base that hopes to use Ellie ’s unsusceptibility to find a cure . Despite the hope this could lead to a potential therapeutic , Joel learns that surgery will vote down Ellie , and he has to decide to save her or the entirety of humanity . In one of the show ’s most shocking moments , he fights his way through the Fireflies , eventually killing the MD who is about to function on Ellie and taking her to refuge .

Ellie and her bite in The Last of Us

How Did Ellie Become “Immune”?

Her Mother Was Bitten While She Was Pregnant With Ellie

Throughout the total first time of year ofThe Last of Us , Ellie ’s immunity is a mystery . InThe Last of Usseason 1 conclusion , the terminal episode explores a little more of Ellie ’s backstory as it shows her mom meaning with Ellie . During the flashback , she is attack by an infected while simultaneously giving birth to Ellie . While it is never actually explain exactly how Ellie became resistant because of this , her being exposed to at least some of the infection could have been a way to ramp up up an unsusceptibility in her organisation .

It’s Ok That We Don’t Learn Why Or How Ellie Is Immune

It’s Still The Driving Force Behind The Plot And The Characters

While there is never a 100 % concrete answer for why Ellie is actually resistant , the point of that are n’t actually what is important , especially with Joel make unnecessary her instead of letting her die in the hopes of discover a cure . Her granting immunity is more of a driving force for the entire secret plan , a fashion to get her and Joel from Boston to Salt Lake City , but the actual grandness of the story comes from their character arcs and relationship rather than knowing that she is immune .

Ellie is unforced to risk her life if it means a chance at saving humanity , while Joel ca n’t penetrate losing another tiddler , something his journeying with Ellie throughout the first season help him work through . This leads to Joel lie to Ellie about her not being unique and that the Fireflies found dozens of mass like her , and that they actually could n’t find a curative . While Joel might imagine the easy root is to rest to Ellie , there is lingering incertitude from her about what he is saying , which will be search inThe Last of Usseason 2 .