| “ | They're not FEDRA, and they're not Fireflies, so who are they?
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The Kansas City resistance, also referred to as revolutionaries or rebels, are a hostile paramilitary group that appear in HBO's The Last of Us. Based in Kansas City, they are comprised of former quarantine zone residents who remained in the city after overthrowing FEDRA's control in a successful revolution.[1]
History[]
Origins[]
After the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak, FEDRA and the military established a quarantine zone in Kansas City to protect its remaining non-infected citizens.[1] However, unrest and discontentment with their oppressive rule grew because FEDRA limited the food supply and also turned people against one another through blackmail, torture and enforced collaboration. Their tyranny culminated in Michael Coghlan forming a resistance group to drive FEDRA from the city.
Michael provided a code for the group to follow, with their intended goal being freedom from tyranny and oppression and the pursuit of a free and peaceful society. Michael's belief and vision was inspiring, and with the charismatic delivery of his message leading many people to join the resistance. These members included Perry, who used his influence to steal weapon supplies and arm the members, turning them into an underground militia.
However, Michael's actions were not loved by everyone, especially FEDRA. The military began restricting rations further, especially essential drugs and medicines, intent on bleeding the people out and forcing them to collaborate against the resistance. This led to Henry Burrell, to secure drugs for his ill brother Sam Burrell, informing FEDRA officials where Michael was hiding. Michael was subsequently captured, tortured and executed.[2]
Deposing FEDRA[]
Following Michael's murder while in FEDRA custody, the resistance, now led by Michael's sister Kathleen, launched an open war against FEDRA and the military.[1] In either late August or September, 2023,[3] they succeeded in defeating them and took over the city. The resistance captured FEDRA soldiers and tortured and killed them, enacting their own revenge. Some members beat them, others set them alight and hanged them. Some even nailed FEDRA soldiers onto their vehicles and ran over them. In the city's central square, celebrations erupted through the night, with people chanting that they were now free. After the revolution, the rebel group repurposed much of FEDRA's own equipment to use for themselves, notably their guns, trucks and armor.
Across the city, in the now defunct FEDRA detention center, Kathleen with Perry and her militia group had captured known FEDRA collaborators. Kathleen initially suggested the group would be tried and made to serve time as punishment for helping FEDRA, but when the group refused to reveal Henry's hiding place, she changed her mind and had them executed. One collaborator then gave in and revealed Henry was working with Edelstein. Kathleen believed the man but had the group killed anyway. She then had Perry and his militia begin a witch hunt for Henry and Edelstein.
A group of resistance fighters.
Over the following ten days, Kathleen's actions effectively meant the resistance movement turned the city into their own personal military dictatorship, with the militia group raiding several homes and attacking citizens to find Henry and other collaborators. Perry also established guards around the city's perimeter, with their intent being to prevent people leaving the city and also to ambush and steal supplies from any survivors who wandered into the city, something Henry said he had expected after Michael's execution.[2] A group of three were assigned to this duty, with one typically feigning a wound to distract the passers-by while the others would prepare to attack them. Some would drop cinder blocks from above on their vehicles, others would shoot at them, all in an effort to lure their vehicles into spike traps to burst their tires and send them crashing off the road.[1]
Searching for Henry[]
Events of HBO's The Last of Us[]
On the eleventh day after the resistance established control in the city, Perry's group had found and captured Edelstein. They brought him to detention center for Kathleen to interrogate him. Concurrently, Joel and Ellie attempted to pass through the city only for a group of the city's revolutionaries, including Bryan, to attack them. The pair killed them in self-defense and fled the area, leaving their corpses for the next patrol to find. Upon learning of these actions, Kathleen had Perry's militia increase their search for Henry and the trespassers. She then executed Edelstein, and ordered death squads to root out any remaining collaborators. Later that day, Perry revealed to Kathleen that - with FEDRA gone - there was no longer anyone ensuring the infected buried beneath the city were still contained. Kathleen dismissed his concerns, insisting it could wait until after Henry was found.[1]
The next day, by nightfall, Anthony - a sniper guarding the suburbs of the city - radioed Kathleen to inform her Henry was in the suburbs with Joel, Ellie and Sam. Kathleen and Perry then brought a large contingent of revolutionary fighters to ambush Joel, Ellie, Sam and Henry. Perry ordered the front vehicle plow through the abandoned cars, leading Joel to shoot the vehicle's driver, causing the truck to crash into a house and explode, creating a large sinkhole. The horde of infected beneath the city spilled out of the sinkhole, slaughtering the revolutionary fighters and their reinforcements, with the largest infected killing Perry. A child clicker also found and killed Kathleen. The horde later chased the survivors back towards the city, where the remaining citizens remained defenseless.[2]
Known members[]
- Anthony (deceased)
- Bryan (deceased)
- Kathleen Coghlan (leader; deceased)
- Michael Coghlan (leader; deceased)
- Perry (second-in-command; deceased)
Behind the scenes[]
- The Kansas City resistance take on the role of antagonists in the section of the story that was previously filled by the hunters of Pittsburgh in the video game.
- The resistance created a warning sign that says, "WLF, TRESPASSERS KILLED ON SIGHT" at the Kansas City QZ main gate in the episode, "Please Hold to My Hand".[4] It is the same warning sign from the video game The Last of Us Part II, where it was found at the Seattle QZ main gate.[5]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 HBO's The Last of Us episode 4: "Please Hold to My Hand"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 HBO's The Last of Us episode 5: "Endure and Survive"
- ↑ HBO's The Last of Us episode 3: "Long, Long Time"
- ↑ File:WLF TRESPASSERS KILLED ON SIGHT, seen at Kansas City - Season 1 Episode 4 (HBO).png
- ↑ File:Seattle QZ Main Gate.jpeg
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