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If you’ve played The Last of Us or watched the series of the same name, you’ve probably asked yourself. What if this isn’t just fiction? A fungus turning people into zombies — it sounds like science fiction. But here’s the thing: the story is rooted in real science. Researchers are actually studying a fungus called cordyceps, and some of their findings are just as terrifying as the scenes from the game.
In this article, we’ll explain in simple terms how The Last of Us became a kind of “prediction,” why the real world of fungi is no joke, and what scientists and the creators of the documentary Attack of the Zombie Fungus have to say about it.
A Fungus That Controls Minds
Cordyceps is a parasitic fungus that exists. In nature, it infects insects, most often ants. The fungus gets inside the host’s body and starts to control its behavior: it makes the insect crawl to a specific location where conditions are perfect for the fungus to grow. Then the fungus literally “explodes” out of the ant’s head, releasing spores to infect others.
This isn’t fiction — it’s happening right now in tropical rainforests. Scientists have been studying this phenomenon for decades. And while cordyceps can’t infect humans (yet), The Last of Us plays with the idea: what if the fungus mutates and adapts to human hosts?
Game and Series: Premonition or Pure Fantasy?
When the first The Last of Us game was released in 2013, most people didn’t seriously consider that a fungal infection storyline might have a scientific basis. But the game’s creators were directly inspired by real-life observations of cordyceps. The 2023 TV series took this sense of realism even further. In the very first episode, a scientist says: “If the planet gets warmer, fungi will adapt to the new conditions — and might learn to infect humans.”
And you know what? That’s a real scientific hypothesis.
Scientists Sound the Alarm
In the documentary Attack of the Zombie Fungus, experts discuss real-life scenarios where fungi could become the dominant lifeform on Earth. And it’s not just about cordyceps. There are many types of fungi that can cause diseases in animals and humans, especially if the immune system is weakened.
Fungi are resistant to antibiotics. Many fungal infections are extremely hard to treat. And with global warming and ecosystem destruction, fungi are thriving like never before. Some scientists seriously believe that, in the distant future, Earth could become a planet of fungi.
The film raises a chilling question. What if fungi don’t even need to mutate to take control of us? What if we’re already slowly losing the fight?
Fiction and Reality: Striking Parallels
The Last of Us, both the game and the series, act as a mirror. They’re not just scary — they make us think: how vulnerable are we to microscopic threats? More and more scientific articles suggest that fungi are an underestimated danger. And through fiction, that idea takes shape, and anyone can grasp it.
Sure, in The Last of Us, the infected run and bite people — it’s dramatic. But in reality, a disease could spread quietly through the air, dust, or food. And it would be incredibly hard to fight. Fungi are survivors. They can endure extreme conditions, lie dormant for decades, and then come back to life.
What Comes Next?
There’s no reason to panic — yet. But The Last of Us and Attack of the Zombie Fungus together show how art and science intersect. One inspires the other, and together they deliver an important message: nature is a powerful force, and we still understand very little about it.
If you want to dive deeper into this topic, rewatch the series, play the game, and definitely check out the zombie fungus documentary. You might just start looking at forests, soil, and even moldy bread in a whole new way.
