Factionless Resistance

Deemed a drain on society, they become the vanguard that topples the faction system.

The Factionless are not a formal resistance organization with a charter or headquarters, but rather a permanently homeless group of outcasts deemed a drain on society. Formed from those who failed their faction initiation or left their allegiance, they live in the shadows outside the strict five-faction system. Their existence is defined by survival and exclusion until conflict forces them into the open. During the war loomings between factions, Evelyn Johnson-Eaton attempts to persuade her son Tobias to sway Dauntless into joining forces with them against Erudite. While initially viewed as a mere burden, this group becomes an active participant in the insurgency, eventually taking control of all weapons and ruling in Jeanine Matthews's place after she is killed.

Quick Facts

Base of operations: The Factionless sector

Lore & Background

In a dystopian post-apocalyptic Chicago where 'faction before blood' is the motto, those who fail initiation are stripped of their homes and cast out. This permanently-homeless group lives in squalor, surviving on the fringes while the five factions—Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite—maintain order above. The Factionless are considered threats only by those who fear independent thought, yet they serve as the hidden underbelly of the city. Their status changes dramatically when Evelyn Johnson-Eaton, Tobias's mother, seeks to unite them with Dauntless against Erudite. This alliance transforms a scattered group of outcasts into a military force capable of challenging Jeanine Matthews. Following the invasion of Erudite headquarters and the death of Jeanine at the hands of Tori Wu, the Factionless seize all weapons, effectively taking power and ending the era of faction rule.

Reader's Guide

There is no official way to join the Factionless; one becomes a member by failing initiation or leaving their faction, resulting in permanent homelessness. They are distinct from the 'Divergent' threat but often overlap in their rejection of strict conformity. During the conflict with Jeanine Matthews, they operate as part of the broader insurgency alongside Dauntless loyalists and Candor renegades. Key figures include Evelyn Johnson-Eaton, who leads them politically, and Tobias Eaton, who bridges the gap between Dauntless and the Factionless. The group's role shifts from passive victims to active rulers by the book's end, taking control of weapons after Jeanine's death. Their presence is central to the plot's turning points, from the train escape in the early chapters to the final revelation of Edith Prior's video about the world outside the city.

Did You Know?

Evelyn Johnson-Eaton is Tobias Eaton's mother and attempts to ally Dauntless with the Factionless against Erudite.
By the end of Insurgent, the Factionless have taken all weapons to rule in Jeanine Matthews's place.
Tris, Four, Caleb, and Susan Black seek refuge in the Factionless sector after fleeing from Erudite and Dauntless traitors.
The faction motto is 'faction before blood,' which contrasts with the existence of the outcast Factionless.