There are a total of six different types of infected in The Last of Us and its second part, excluding Ellie. While these infected are fundamentally different from each other in the way theymove and attack, each represents a certain stage of infection. The most recently infected are human-like and have better control of their host’s limbs, but as years pass, the cordyceps fungus takes over the host to such an extent that they can barely be recognizable as human anymore.
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Some of these infected are pretty easy to deal with, while others make it the sole purpose of their existence to make the player chuck the controller at the screens and yell out in frustration. Here are all the infected in both the Last of Us games, ranked by how difficult they are.
First Few Weeks of Infection
Runners are infected that players will encounter most frequently, and while they’re intimidating early on, they’re the easiest to handle once players have adjusted to the game’s mechanics. Their appearance is very similar to their human hosts, with distorted faces and bloodshot eyes that scream desperation and rage.
What makes Runners a challenge is their speed. When they attack in packs, their speed and numbers can easily overwhelm players if they aren’t careful. However, Runners have no special armor or abilities, and their attacks are easily countered with melee weapons or a quick headshot, or even grab and kill them.
A Few Weeks to a Year
Stalkers are where the infection starts to get genuinely unnerving. Caught between the feral aggression of Runners and the calculated deadliness of Clickers, Stalkers live up to their name by lurking in the shadows. Their partially fungal faces still retain some humanity, which means they can still see but not as well as a clicker, and it is at this stage that they start to develop their echolocation abilities to prepare for their Clicker stage.
They are notoriously difficult to predict. Stalkers will wait until the perfect moment to ambush the player, making them feel far more intelligent thanother infected. While they don’t have the instant-kill potential of Clickers, their ability to stay hidden and attack from blind spots can quickly throw off even seasoned players. Staying alert and listening for subtle audio cues is the best way to counter their tactics.
More Than a Year
Anyone who has played The Last of Us will remember the haunting and nerve-wracking experience of coming face-to-face with a Clicker for the first time. Completely overtaken by the Cordyceps infection, Clickers are covered in grotesque fungal growths that obscure their faces. Since they can’t see, they rely on echolocation, which is why a Clicker emits a terrifying series of clicking sounds that can make anyone’s blood freeze with fear.
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Clickers areterrifyingnot just because of their design, but because they can instantly kill players by grabbing them. Their fungal armor makes them tougher than Runners and Stalkers, making them more of a bullet sponge. A shiv is the best counter against these enemies at close quarters, while silencers or arrows are ideal for ranged stealth kills.
Ten to Fifteen Years After Infection In Dry Areas
Bloaters are the heavyweights of the infected world, both in size and resilience. Encased in thick fungal plates, these hulking monstrosities can absorb a tremendous amount of damage, making a double-barrel shotgun feel like a pea shooter. They also unleash spore bombs from a distance that can deal significant damage over time, forcing players to stay mobile during fights.
Their size isn’t just for show, and if they grab hold of Joel, they can rip him apart with ease. While a Bloater can be taken on with some ease if it attacks alone in an open area, they’re extremely difficult in close quarters and when supplemented by a constant stream of Runners and Stalkers as a backup, such as during the high-school Gymnasium encounter in the first game. Using Molotovs or nail bombs can soften them up, but players often have to rely on sheer firepower and strategic positioning to bring these giants down.
2Shamblers
Ten to Fifteen Years In Humid Areas
Introduced in The Last of Us Part 2, Shamblers are a new kind of nightmare. They’re essentially Bloaters but the ones that stayed in a humid environment, which is why they’re not as armored as Bloaters. But as compensation, a Shambler emits toxic spore clouds just like a Bloater and can move a tad bit faster than them.
Surprisingly, these infected, despite their prolonged exposure to the cordyceps virus, still have access to their host’s eyes and can see to some extent, making Shamblers particularly dangerous in enclosed spaces whererunning awayfrom them becomes nearly impossible.
Their appearance is grotesque, with bulbous growths that seem ready to burst at any moment. Fire-based weapons are highly effective against them, but when they die, the pustular growth on their back bursts, exposing players to a highly concentrated dose of spores and toxins.
1The Rat King
Half a Dozen Infected Stuck in Tight Spaces for 25 Years
Another infected that only appeared in the second game, the Rat King is the ultimate test of survival in the franchise. Found deep in the hospital basement during The Last of Us Part 2, this monstrous amalgamation of infected is the stuff of nightmares. Combining the strength of a Bloater, the aggression of Clickers, and its own unique abilities, the Rat King is a relentless and resource-draining encounter.
What sets this abomination apart is the ability of a King Stalker to detach from the mass of the Rat King and run away to later ambush the player. To defeat the mass of the Rat King, players need to use everything in their arsenal, from explosives to fire-based weapons, while constantly staying on the move to avoid its devastating attacks. Once they have dealt with it, they still need to face the King Stalker, which is a significantly powerful variation of the regular stalker.
The Last of Us Part I
The Last of Us Part 2
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