You probably don't remember seeing his face. Honestly, that’s because you didn’t. While the HBO adaptation of Naughty Dog’s masterpiece is filled with visceral, front-and-center performances from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, some of the most vital world-building happens through characters who are already dead. Specifically, Eugene in The Last of Us Season 1 serves as a ghost—a narrative anchor for Tommy and Maria in Jackson, Wyoming. He’s the guy who didn't make it to the credits, but his fingerprints are all over the community's survival.
If you blinked during Episode 6, "Kin," you might have missed the gravity of who this man was. He wasn't just another casualty of the Cordyceps brain infection. He was a Firefly. He was a mentor. He was, quite literally, the reason Tommy had a place to sleep and a reason to believe in something again after the horrors of the Boston QZ and the road.
The Man Behind the Name: Eugene's Role in Jackson
When Joel and Ellie finally stumble into the snowy sanctuary of Jackson, they find a functioning society. It's jarring. There are Christmas lights, a dining hall, and children learning in a schoolhouse. This isn't the bleak, military-run nightmare of FEDRA-controlled zones. It’s a commune. And while Maria is the undisputed leader, the foundations of this place were built by people like Eugene.
In the show’s timeline, Eugene was a partner to Maria and Tommy. He was a veteran of the Fireflies, the revolutionary group seeking a cure and a return to democracy. This is a crucial distinction. In the games, Eugene is a bigger "off-screen" presence, but the show uses him to ground Tommy’s transition from a cynical survivor to a man with a family.
Eugene died of a stroke shortly before Joel arrived. It wasn't a Clicker that got him. It wasn't a Bloater. It was just... time. In a world where everyone gets ripped apart by fungal monsters or shot by raiders, dying of a stroke is a weird kind of luxury. It implies a level of peace. He died in a bed, in a warm room, surrounded by people who gave a damn. That’s the "Jackson Dream."
Why His Firefly Past Matters
The Fireflies are often painted as heroes or terrorists depending on who you ask. To Joel, they’re a pipe dream. To Eugene, they were a life's work. By the time we get to Eugene in The Last of Us Season 1, we see the aftermath of that ideology.
He didn't just bring guns to Jackson; he brought the idea of communal living. Think about it. The Jackson we see in the show is basically a democratic socialist enclave. They share everything. They vote. This mirrors the early Firefly manifestos before the war with FEDRA turned them into a desperate guerrilla outfit.
Tommy talks about Eugene with a specific kind of reverence. He mentions how they used to patrol together. This tells us two things:
- Eugene stayed active well into his older years.
- He was the bridge that helped Tommy move past the "hunter" phase of his life.
Without Eugene, Tommy might have just been another drifter. Instead, he became a builder.
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The "Pot Farm" and the Legacy of Leisure
One of the more humanizing details about Eugene in The Last of Us Season 1—one that fans of the game The Last of Us Part II will immediately recognize—is his hidden basement. While the show doesn't spend twenty minutes exploring it like the game does, the references are there.
Eugene was a man of hobbies. He liked to grow weed. He liked to collect tapes.
In a world that is 99% trauma, Eugene represented the 1% of humanity that still wanted to relax. He wasn't just surviving; he was living. This is a recurring theme in the show. Bill and Frank did it with strawberries and Beaujolais; Eugene did it with a hidden stash of Mary Jane and a bunker full of memories.
This matters for Ellie’s development too. When she hears about these people, she realizes that the world isn't just a series of corridors to sneak through. There’s a version of the future where you can just sit down and breathe. Eugene's life (and death) proves that the Firefly dream didn't have to end in a lab in Salt Lake City. It could end in a quiet town in Wyoming.
Comparing the Show to the Game Lore
It's easy to get confused about where the show ends and the game begins. In the game The Last of Us Part II, Eugene Linden is a much more fleshed-out character via environmental storytelling. Ellie and Dina find his "hideout" while on patrol. They find his gas mask, his weed, and his Firefly pendants.
The show chooses to keep him as a fresh memory. By making his death recent in Season 1, the writers make the grief in Jackson feel more immediate. Maria isn't just mourning a citizen; she’s mourning a co-founder.
- Game Eugene: A bit of a prankster, a chemist, and a former "terrorist" who blew up FEDRA checkpoints.
- Show Eugene: A stabilizing force, a mentor to Tommy, and a symbol of Jackson's success.
The show leans into the tragedy of his absence. When Joel looks at the map and hears about the patrols, he’s seeing the hole that Eugene left behind. It’s why Maria is so protective of Tommy. They’ve already lost one of their best. They can't afford to lose another to Joel’s "adventures."
The Tactical Side: The Eugene Patrol Routes
We have to talk about the logistics. Jackson stays safe because of the patrol system Eugene helped design. This isn't just some guys walking around with rifles. It's a calculated perimeter.
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In The Last of Us Season 1, we see the "Big Horns" and the surrounding territory. Eugene was the one who knew the terrain. He knew where the "infected pockets" were. He knew which mountain passes stayed clear in January.
When Tommy tells Joel he’s going to be a father, he’s thinking about the world Eugene helped build. He’s thinking about safety. The irony is that Eugene’s death is what makes room for Joel to stay. There is a vacancy in the leadership, a need for someone with those specific "old world" survival skills.
What Eugene Teaches Us About the Fireflies
The Fireflies are the biggest "what if" in the series. Were they actually going to save the world? Or were they just a different brand of tyrant?
Through the lens of Eugene in The Last of Us Season 1, we see the best version of them. He wasn't out there torturing people for information in the show's context; he was building a library. He was making sure the kids in Jackson knew how to read.
This contrasts sharply with Marlene. Marlene is hardened. She’s willing to sacrifice a child (Ellie) for the "greater good." Eugene, by settling in Jackson, seemingly chose a different "greater good." He chose the people he could actually see and touch. He chose the community over the cause.
It’s a subtle bit of writing that rewards people who pay attention. It suggests that the "cure" isn't just a vaccine—it's the restoration of human connection.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Lore Buffs
If you're looking to get the most out of the story surrounding Eugene and the Jackson community, here are a few things to keep in mind for your next rewatch or your playthrough of the games:
- Watch the background in Episode 6: Look at the way Tommy carries himself when talking about the "older" members of the community. There’s a weight there that explains his hesitation to leave with Joel.
- Listen to the dialogue about the "Firefly pendants": The show mentions them briefly, but they represent a massive network of people like Eugene who eventually gave up on the war and just tried to find a home.
- Observe the "commune" structure: Note how Maria explains their system. This is Eugene's real legacy—not a weapon, but a social contract that actually works 20 years after the world ended.
- Prepare for Season 2: Expect the "physical" presence of Eugene's history to show up. If the show follows the games, Ellie and Dina will likely explore his old outposts, giving us a visual look at the life he lived before the stroke.
Eugene might be a footnote in the grand journey of Joel and Ellie, but he is the reason Jackson is more than just a fortress. He proved that even in the apocalypse, you can grow something besides fear. You can grow a community. And maybe a little bit of weed, too.
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To fully understand the world of Jackson, you have to look at the people who aren't on screen. Eugene's presence is felt in every clean sheet, every warm meal, and every patrol that comes home safe. He represents the end of the road for a soldier—a rare, peaceful exit in a violent world.
Next time you watch the Jackson scenes, remember the guy who helped build the gates. He might be gone, but the town is his living monument. This is the reality of survival in The Last of Us: it’s not about how many people you kill, but how many people you help live.
Make sure to pay attention to the names on the memorial boards in the background of the Jackson scenes; the show runners love hiding these details for the eagle-eyed fans who know the lore inside and out. Eugene is there, even if he’s just a whisper in the wind.
Keep an eye on how Tommy’s leadership style evolves in future episodes. You can see the influence of an older, wiser mentor in the way he handles the younger scouts. That’s the Eugene effect. It’s quiet, it’s subtle, and it’s the only thing keeping the world from falling completely into the dark.
For those diving deeper into the history of the Fireflies, researching the real-world parallels of communal living in the 1970s and 80s can provide surprising context for how Eugene and Maria designed their society. It wasn't an accident; it was a blueprint for a better world.
Final thought: Eugene’s life is proof that you don't have to be the protagonist to be a hero. You just have to show up and do the work.
Next Steps for Deep Lore Fans:
- Re-watch Episode 6 with a focus on Maria’s office decor; many items are nods to the founders' pasts.
- Check out the "The Art of The Last of Us Part II" book for conceptual sketches of Eugene’s hideouts.
- Compare the show's depiction of the Jackson Council to the military structures of the Boston QZ to see the ideological gap Eugene helped bridge.