Warning: This article contains spoilers for HBO’s The Last of Us
HBO’s The Last of Us series has finally started to make its presence known on HBO. The new take on the critically and publicly beloved game will feature many of the same names and moments from the game, but there will be tweaks here and there. One name you might not exactly understand is FEDRA, which is the name of the group of soldiers you see in riot gear. Here is what you need to know about who FEDRA is in The Last of Us.
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What is FEDRA in The Last of Us?
FEDRA, or FE.D.R.A. to give the organization its proper punctuation, stands for the Federal Disaster Response Agency. Essentially, this militaristic organization is the last sign of the United States government. In the 20 years between the Cordyceps Brain Infection pandemic starting and when Joel and Ellie meet each other, FEDRA has essentially taken over what government is left in the country and declared martial law. They moved all non-infected individuals into large quarantine zones in cities, like how we see Joel in Boston, MA, who initially lived near Austin, TX.
Unfortunately, as you can see in the show, FEDRA does not necessarily have a great hold on the situation. The Fireflies, billed as a terrorist group, have long been trying to wrestle control of the quarantine zones away from FEDRA through force. The two sides have been fighting for a long time, with countless bodies piling up by the day unrelated to the fungi infections taking place outside of the walls. FEDRA easily has the upper hand in the battle between the two, at least in Boston.
Given how fast the infection moves through a person, FEDRA has a zero-tolerance policy for anyone who tests infected by their scanners. We see this with a little girl who arrives at the Boston quarantine zone. She is tested and is immediately euthanized, leaving Joel to dump her body in a burn pile. This is why when Ellie saw the outside wall guard testing Tess and Joel, she immediately attacked him at the end of the first episode. The soldier who attacks Joel and Sarah at the beginning of the infection spread is not a part of FEDRA, just a soldier.
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In The Last of Us Part 1, the game that this show’s story is based on, FEDRA do not have much more of a presence, so there is a chance we don’t see them anymore in the show after episode one. However, there are slight changes, so they could make an appearance again at some point.
