It has been two months since Naughty Dog released The Last of Us 2 for the PlayStation 4. Although the game received glowing reviews from most critics, some TLOU fans were not happy with the direction of the sequel, especially the gruesome fate of one of the franchise's main characters. However, despite the story backlash, The Last of Us 2 still maintained the solid gameplay of the original, especially its unique depiction of the infected.

Unlike most "infected" games, the infected in The Last of Us and The Last of Us 2 are not technically zombies. Although they do act similarly, especially in the first stage, the infected in The Last of Us are not dead people who have resurrected. Instead, the infected in The Last of Us are humans who have succumbed to the Cordyceps Brain Infection. What makes this specific infection interesting is that it is actually based in real-life but is commonly found in insects, most specifically ants. However, in the world of The Last of Us, the infection jumped from animals to humans, which resulted in the collapse of society.

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Although the infected mostly remained the same in the sequel, Naughty Dog added one new infected type and a new creature that has since become an iconic monster. Now for those interested in knowing more about the infected in The Last of Us 2, here is a breakdown of every stage of infection, their attributes, and characteristics.

Runners

Hours or days after getting infected with the Cordyceps Brain Infection, the host would start losing higher brain function, but as previously mentioned, it is important to note that they won't die, unlike traditional zombies. Instead, the host becomes what is known as Runners, and as the name clearly suggests, Runners are known for the speed and relentless pursuit of their prey.

Runners also appear the most human out of all the infected stages, and when they are idle, they appear to be crying or struggling with their growing infection. Many believe that despite losing most of their high brain function, the host is still somewhat conscious and may even be aware of what it is doing but has no control to stop it.

Stalkers

The Last of Us Stalkers in the Hospital

The next stage of infected turns Runners into Stalkers, which spans around two weeks to a year after being infected. Unlike Runners who just relentlessly pursue its prey, Stalkers would be more strategic in attacking its enemies. This second type of infected is still not as physically strong as Clickers, but it can be found hiding from its prey and attacking at opportune moments. Moreover, Stalkers can also latch onto walls allowing its infection to grow and flourish but would break to attack unsuspecting prey.

Clickers

last of us 2 clicker

The next stage of infected turns people into what is known as Clicker, which happens after about a year of getting into contact with the Cordyceps Brain Infection. Clickers got its name from the iconic and terrifying clicking sound that they produce, but looking at their appearance, it is obvious now that the Cordyceps has spread all over their bodies. The infection is more prominent on the Clicker's face, which results in them losing their eyesight.

However, to compensate for their blindness, Clickers have ultra-sensitive hearing and uses echolocation to find its prey. Unlike the Runners and Stalkers, Clickers are significantly stronger and can easily tear apart humans during close quarter combat. This is why the preferred method of killing Clickers is via stealth, but given its sensitive hearing, this is not an easy task to do.

Bloaters

last of us 2 combat watered down

Bloaters are the result of years or even decades of succumbing to the Cordyceps Brain Infection. They can be distinguished from other infected via their appearance, which is covered by thick fungal plates that serve as an armor against bullets. Given this, Bloaters are pretty hard to kill but weapons such as a flamethrower, shotgun, or Molotov cocktails would do the trick. Bloaters are also the most superior in terms of physical strength but are slower than other infected due to their heavy fungal plates. Moreover, Bloaters are also known for throwing spore bombs at players, which will reduce their health and tun them for a short while.

Shamblers

In The Last of Us 2, Naughty Dog introduced a new infected type called the Shambler, but it is worth noting that in the game's universe, the Shambler has always existed alongside other infected. Shamblers are in a way similar to Bloaters, but they are not as physically strong. They attack prey by expelling large spore clouds from their bodies, which burns the skin of its target. When killed, Shamblers would release a final burst of contagious spores into the air, and any human who inhales it would automatically become infected.

The Rat King

Another new monster that was introduced in The Last of Us 2 is what is called The Rat King. However, it is worth noting that The Rat King is not a new type of infected and appears to be a fusion of other infected types that created one super-organism. The Rat King found in the hospital in Seattle is composed of several Stalkers, Clickers, and a Bloater that are all connected by the Cordyceps fungus. Due to its enormous size, the Rat King is extremely difficult to kill, and the infected types fused into it can even break away from the super-organism, which suggests that every single infected connected to The Rat King is alive independently.

It is currently unclear whether similar creatures exist in The Last of Us 2, but it appears that The Rat King is an anomaly. Its full origins were not directly addressed in The Last of Us 2, but it is suggested that The Rat King is composed of the very first infected in Seattle, who were all sealed away in the emergency room to keep them from spreading the infection further. However, after two decades, the infected somehow fused together and created the massive blob now known as The Rat King.

The Last of Us 2 is out now exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

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