Unmasking the Horrors: All Infected Zombie Types in The Last of Us Revealed!

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If you’ve found yourself immersed in the chilling universe of ‘The Last of Us’, you’re well aware that it teems with various types of terrifying zombie-like creatures that send shivers down your spine. Each creature has its unique flavor of fear, making each encounter a life-or-death struggle. From the swift-moving early stages to the grotesque titans of later infections, these monsters are integral to the game and show’s bleak ambiance.

I’m delving into the intricacies of these infected entities, categorizing their kinds and actions. Whether you’re a gamer avoiding them in the game or a viewer captivated by the HBO series, understanding these creatures enriches your appreciation for the challenges Joel and Ellie encounter. Let’s dive into the elements that keep us on tenterhooks.

How Many Infected Zombie Types Are There in ‘The Last of Us’?

In the universe of ‘The Last of Us’, a diverse array of six chilling zombie-like creatures are introduced, with each one becoming increasingly unnerving as you progress. The development of these creatures is determined by the duration of the Cordyceps fungus’s influence on their bodies and psyches. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Runners – the initial stage, fast but easily dispatched.
2. Stalkers – more agile and stealthy, posing a greater threat.
3. Clickers – completely blind but use echolocation to navigate, making them dangerous foes.
4. Hunters – intelligent and aggressive, they hunt in packs and can set traps.
5. Bloaters – massive, pus-leaking creatures that are slow but have powerful attacks.
6. Bloaters (infected with a second strain of the fungus) – even larger and more dangerous than regular bloaters, they pose a significant threat to survivors.

  • Runners
  • Stalkers
  • Clickers
  • Shamblers
  • Bloaters
  • Rat King

Every Infected Zombie Type in ‘The Last of Us’ Explained

In ‘The Last of Us’, each type of the infected seems to add an additional layer of fear. These are not your typical zombies; they are once-living individuals transformed gradually by a fungus that eventually controls them completely. Here, I’ll outline what drives these creatures, from their initial frenzied escapades to their ultimate grotesque manifestations.

Runners

Runners tend to attack quickly during the initial stages of an infection, typically within a day or two after a bite. They still appear human, but with red eyes and erratic movements that add to their unsettling nature. These creatures charge towards you at top speed, frequently in groups, favoring raw aggression over careful planning.

What makes them dangerous is their rapid pace; they’re not particularly hard to eliminate, but if you’re not vigilant, they can swarm and overpower you. A swift strike or a solitary shot is often enough to fell one of them, which means they have the least resilience among the infected. In the HBO series, we witness their chaotic onslaught in the hectic opening scenes as the contagion spreads throughout the city streets.

Stalkers

After a fortnight, Fungus-inhabited entities appear, marking their arrival by the emergence of spores from their bodily surface. They’re more covert than Runners, preferring to lurk in dark corners or cling to walls, biding their time for the opportune strike. The grotesque semblance of their partially human faces, marred by fungal protrusions, is undeniably terrifying.

What gives them their strength is their cleverness. Instead of attacking head-on, they prefer to sneak up on you, employing simple strategies to take you by surprise. In ‘The Last of Us Part II’, they’re seldom encountered but highly lethal, particularly in dim and confined areas. The HBO series hasn’t revealed much about them yet, but we can expect to see more of them in season two.

Clickers

In “The Last of Us,” Clickers are what develop after a year of fungal infection. These creatures are legendary for their terrifying appearance – their heads are entirely consumed by fungal growths, which split open their faces and rob them of sight. They shuffle along, using unsettling clicking noises to detect their surroundings, making any step near them an uncertain risk.

At more advanced stages, they become robust and resilient, with a thickened hide that dismisses mild impacts. To eliminate them, you’ll require substantial force or a covert strategy. In the HBO series, their museum scene in Boston is an exhilarating peak, underscoring their unyielding nature.

Shamblers

In the game ‘The Last of Us Part II’, Shamblers emerge, particularly in marshy and waterlogged zones, following a long period of infection. They are massive in size, with such heavy fungal overgrowths that their mouths are permanently agape, preventing them from biting. Instead, they expel clouds of corrosive spores that can severely damage anything nearby.

Dealing with them can be tedious – they move slowly but absorb damage as if they’re sponges. Once defeated, they erupt in a burst of spores, so it’s essential to stay on the move. They haven’t appeared in the HBO series thus far, but their grotesque appearance would undoubtedly match the show’s dark and gritty atmosphere.

Bloaters

In a world corrupted by fungi, bloaters are the colossal, armored behemoths. Emerging after over a decade of fungal domination, these bulky creatures sport tough fungal exteriors that render conventional weapons largely ineffective. Despite their lumbering pace, they exhibit an alarming strength, capable of tearing you apart or hurling spore-laden fragments as rudimentary explosives.

Fire is your most effective weapon against them – nothing else consistently breaches their fortifications as effectively. In the HBO series, it’s the Blobter from season one’s fifth episode that steals the limelight, managing to shrug off assaults and flattening anything in its path. They are scarce, but each encounter feels like a challenging boss battle.

Rat King

In the game ‘The Last of Us Part II,’ there’s a unique horror known as The Rat King, lurking in a Seattle hospital. This creature isn’t something you’d encounter in your everyday life – it’s a monstrous amalgamation that evolved from several infected types: Stalkers, Clickers, and a Bloater. Over decades of infection, they merged into one massive, terrifying beast. Imagine it as a living terror with an excess of limbs and absolutely no compassion.

Engaging with it is merciless. It requires every ounce of your strength—weapons such as bullets and bombs, flames—and yet, it can divide into multiple infected entities to keep assailing you. The HBO show hasn’t delved into this monster yet, but should it ever do so, it would be a stunning revelation. In the meantime, it remains an exclusive terror in games that continues to haunt players long after they’ve finished playing.

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2025-04-14 12:45