Why Is Ellie Immune to Cordyceps in ‘The Last of Us’? The Most Convincing Theories For Why She Can’t Be Infected
Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Last of Us. As episode one of HBO’s new post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us The show was over, but viewers were left to wonder. why is Ellie immune A plague that decimated most humanity. And that goes for those who have and those who haven’t played the critically acclaimed video game by the same name, developed by Naughty Dog.
For the uninitiated: The Last of Us It is 20 years since a catastrophic pandemic nearly decimated the human race. The disease, a parasitic fungus known as Cordyceps, quickly overtakes the host’s body and mind. Horribly mutated and aggressive, they become what’s known as “the infected”. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a tough survivor, gets hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year old girl, out from an oppressive quarantine. It starts off as a small task but soon turns into a dangerous and heartbreaking journey. The two must travel the US together and depend on one another for survival.
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When Ellie reveals at the end of episode one that she was bitten by an infected weeks ago and hasn’t “turned”, we learn that somehow, she’s managed to gain immunity. How? These are some of the most persuasive fan theories.
Why is Ellie immune? The Last of Us?
Why is Ellie immune? The Last of Us? We’re not entirely sure, though the original game released in 2013 might provide some hints. Before we dive into that, it’s helpful to understand Ellie’s backstory—and, it’s important to keep in mind that this is all information gathered from the games, parts One And TwoHBO may take it in a new direction.
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Ellie was born during the spring 2019 when the cordyceps virus spread across the United States. collapse of civilization. There is no cure nor a vaccine and what’s left of humanity is restricted to authoritarian quarantine zones (QZs). People who become infected are treated quickly.
Ellie’s mother, Anna, was a nurse. Ellie was therefore sent to an orphanage within a Boston QZ. Ellie meets Riley, a 16-year old girl while she is at the orphanage. Brazen and adventurous, they sneak out to explore an abandoned shopping mall and other pre-apocalypse relics such as arcades. But one night, they’re ambushed by what’s called a runner, a human in the first stage of infection.
Both girls are bitten. Riley succumbs immediately to the illness, while Ellie survives. Ellie, however, still has a mutation of the virus within her, which is why Ellie tests positive. Joel must transport Ellie from the QZ to Salt Lake City in order to give her immunity to scientists who may be able to find a cure.
Ellie is not showing any signs of infection, but she does have a small scar left on her arm from where she was bit. There’s not much of an explanation as to how or why Ellie is immune, but one fan theory points to Ellie’s mother Anna and the cause of her death.
In “The Note from Mom” artifact that you collect in the video game while wandering the wilds as Ellie, Anna reveals she’s dying. Many fans believe Anna was bitten merely hours before Ellie’s birth and the infection that ultimately takes Anna grants her daughter immunity. It reads:
“Ellie, I’m going to share a secret with you, I’m not a big fan of kids and I hate babies. And yet… I’m staring at you and I’m just awestruck. You’re not even a day old and holding you is the most incredible thing I’ve done in my life—a life that is about to get cut a little short. Marlene will take care of you.
She continues: “There’s no one in this world I trust more than her. When the time comes, she’ll tell you all about me. Don’t give her too much of a hard time. Don’t be as stubborn or stubborn as me. I’m not going to lie, this is a pretty messed up world. It won’t be easy. You must remember that life is worth living. Find your purpose, and work hard for it. You are so strong. I know you’ll turn out to be the woman you’re meant to be. Forever… your loving mother, Anna. Make me proud, Ellie!”
This fan theory seems unlikely, however, given that Ellie would’ve been full-term by the time Anna was infected, which doesn’t give enough time for immunity to be passed down to a newborn. The more probable explanation is that Ellie was born infected. This suggests that Ellie is a rare individual with natural immunity and a mutation which allows her to avoid infection.
While there might be others like her, the post-apocalyptic world can be treacherous and they could have died in other ways. Whether HBO’s show will delve more into the how or why of Ellie’s immunity remains to be seen. You’ll have to watch to find out!
What are the symptoms of infected?
What is the infection? They’re humans who have succumbed to the Cordyceps brain infection and horribly mutated into new forms as the fungus continues to take over. Calling them zombies wouldn’t really be doing them justice, though, nor is it really accurate as “the infected” aren’t reanimated corpses but are living hosts hijacked by this parasite. Like most infections, it has one goal: to reproduce and infect others. The Last of UsThis can be done by either taking a bite or inhaling the spores in the air.
Given how rapidly the infection spreads, it is impossible to remove the infection from the host without causing death. Neil Druckmann (co-president at Naughty Dog) and his team of artists went to “great lengths to create a full biological cycle for these things” and the level of detail is astounding—spanning its advancement from the first few days of infection to the final stage, wherein the fungus has completely taken over the body and, when it feels like it’s time to die, it finds a space where it can become a part of the environment, spewing spores in the hopes that a new host will come along to infect.
The Last of Us You can stream it on HBO Max. Every Sunday at 9 p.m., new episodes are released. ET. Here’s how to watch it for free.
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