The Last of Us continued on HBO with Episode 2 tonight (January 22, 2023), and delved a little deeper into the bite Ellie suffered by scratching the surface of its history. Now, audiences are wondering exactly why Ellie didn’t turn infected once she was bitten by somebody with the Cordyceps fungal infection. Here’s what we know about Ellie’s condition. Note that there may be spoilers for future episodes of HBO’s The Last of Us ahead.
Why is Ellie immune to infection in The Last of Us Episode 2 on HBO?
Ellie is thought to have a natural immunity to the Cordyceps infection that turns humans into walking corpses. As Ellie was born during the fungal pandemic running rampant across the world, she was likely exposed to the Cordyceps while still a fetus, allowing her natural immunity against the disease. She still seems to be one of a kind, however, as no other children around her age seem to have been as lucky. Those around Ellie only realized she was immune after she was bitten, which she claims came as a result of her sneaking into a restricted area alone.
Rebel group the Fireflies have high hopes that Ellie could be the key to creating a cure for the Cordyceps virus. The conclusion of The Last of Us Episode 2 saw viewers discover that Joel’s mission would get a whole lot more dangerous, as it is now up to him to help safely transport Ellie across the country, to a Firefly lab where she can work with scientists to potentially free humanity.
Despite these assumptions by fans of the video game, the game’s creator Neil Druckmann has never actually confirmed how Ellie is immune. The closest players got to an answer was with a recorder from a surgeon, who said that Ellie’s condition was an anomaly unlike anything seen in previous studies.
