The Cannibals are one of the most chilling groups inThe Last of Us Part 1. While their arrival is crucial to ensure thatEllie’s character develops independently, the sheer brutality of these Cannibals is so sickening that the gruesome nature of their executions almost seems justified. The Hunters, Fireflies, and the Military still had their limits and didn’t cross a line, no matter what. However, the Cannibals resorted to something truly sickening that simply can’t be justified.
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Of course, given the morality of the groups and individuals inThe Last of Us, even the Cannibals' actions can be potentially explained, twisted as they may be. Here are some things about this heinous group that many people aren’t aware of.
Updated on Jul 08, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:The Last of Us Part 1 is a post-apocalyptic game where zombies are nowhere near the most dangerous enemy players can encounter. Instead, it’s the humans who have forsaken their morality and are desperate to survive who are the biggest threat in this world.Joel and Ellie may have to deal with their fair share of Infected, but there’s no denying that their most traumatic encounter in the first game came when Joel was injured, and Ellie encountered David and the Cannibals.
While this group seemed friendly early on, it was later revealed that the main duo had actually killed some of the Cannibals, with one of them escaping to tell the tale. This leads to Ellie being captured by a creepy David before eventually escaping and killing this twisted man in a rather messed-up moment. Thankfully, Joel comes in the nick of time to save Ellie and comfort her in her hour of need. Players who were fascinated by the short yet memorable appearance of this group will find everything they need to know about the Cannibals here.
10They Are Never Called Cannibals In-Game
Despite being popularly known as the Cannibals, the group is never called the same by Joel, Ellie, or anyone else in the game. This might prompt people to wonder how they received this moniker in the first place.
It turns out that the term “Cannibal” was coined inthe model viewer ofThe Last of Us, with the enemies from this faction being labeled as such. It’s a small yet unique fact to know about this group and its nomenclature in the game.
9The Group Was Formed In The Town By The Lakeside Resort In Silver Lake
This cannibalistic faction was formed from the very onset of the Cordyceps plague, with this faction congregating and officially forming near the Lakeside Resort in Silver Lake. Initially, the group had a set of morals and fed the elderly and children, which was pretty rare at the time.
However, over time, the group slowly started running out of food and opted to eat humans instead. It was a choice made out of necessity but ended up tainting their morals in the long run.
8They Are Great At Tracking
It was clear that the Cannibals needed to hunt in other territories to stock up on food. This meant that they needed to track and kill the most intelligent creatures on Earth — humans.
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As a result, the Cannibals decided to take things seriously and up their tracking game. This can be seen in the fact that they managed to track both Joel and Ellie twice despite the duo covering their tracks quite a bit.
7Their Group Is Surprisingly Democratic, All Things Considered
Since the Cannibals are a close-knit group who’ve been togethersince the advent of the Cordyceps infection, they have a pretty well-managed hierarchy that has been maintained for quite some time. They have town meetings and elections for leaders, which is pretty surprising given their animalistic nature. The needs of their group always outweigh that of others, which is taken to a disturbing level.
6They’re Fiercely Loyal
Since the Cannibals have been together for quite some time, it’s easy to see why they are fiercely loyal to the group. The whole reason why the group wants revenge against Joel and Ellie is that they killed their friends.
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Of course, the irony of the Cannibal hunting group initiating the attack to abduct and eat the duo is not lost here. Regardless, given their loyalty, it’s easy to see why they were so adamant about killing the crazy man and the little girl.
5They Have Great Equipment…But No Armor, Which Is Puzzling
For the most part, the Cannibals are pretty well-equipped. It’s clear they’ve raided various storehouses and the like toget such a wide array of weaponry. However, despite having such impressive equipment, there’s one part of the equation that is lacking in a pretty major way.
They have no armor for any Cannibal, even for those sent in hunting groups. It’s rather odd to see such a well-maintained group not realize the importance of using body armor in such a hostile world. Even a makeshift solution would be infinitely better than sending people out with no protection whatsoever!
4It’s The Weakest Group In The Game
There areseveral groups present inThe Last of Us, with the player being pretty familiar with the Hunters, FEDRA, and the Fireflies. The latter wasn’t an enemy faction at that point, but it was clear that they were well-armed and properly trained.
However, the Cannibals don’t have the benefit of training or sufficient manpower to amass a sizeable force. They have a larger number of women and children in the group compared to others inThe Last of Us, which is why they don’t have enough men around to deal with the threat of two people in their stronghold itself!
3They Have An Unused File In The Game Referring To A Cannibal Child
For the most part, the information about children in the group is something that is stated without really being shown. However, it seems that plans were to hammer in the complex nature of the Cannibals by showing children in the group as well.
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This can be seen in the fact thatthe game filesof the original titleactually had an unused model called “cannibal child.” Suffice it to say, the grotesque idea of showing innocent kids as cannibals was probably pushing the envelope a bit too much, and this idea was seemingly nixed.
The Cannibals have a strong sense of self-preservation. They don’t take on tough foes unless completely necessary and always stake out their prey before capturing them when they’re at their most vulnerable. This is why they prefer to run away from tough opposition at times when they’re getting absolutely annihilated.
While it’s an understandable course of action to take, this does backfire when they turned into the prey instead. Without any place to run back to, the Cannibals were forced to protect their home with whatever they had…even though it wasn’t enough tostand up to Joel’s rageand Ellie’s desperation.
1They Were The Perfect Opponents For Ellie, Who Wasn’t As Strong As Joel At The Time
In a way, the Cannibals served as the perfect narrative device for Ellie to grow into her own and experience the heinous nature of the world without Joel’s protection. While they were undoubtedly a massive threat, they were still the weakest group that the duo had encountered up to that point.
So,while Ellie did strugglebecause of her weaker physicality compared to Joel, she still managed to hold her own when it mattered. A character like David would’ve probably been a regular enemy for Joel, but he served as the perfect boss fight for Ellie to deal with on her own instead.
The Last of Us Part 1is currently available on PlayStation 5 and PC.
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