Amid the ongoing hype for The Last of Us' show and games, fans started a discussion on whether the Infected are edible. Considering that The Last of Us is set in post-apocalyptic America where resources can become scarce, the discussion brought up interesting and funny points.
In The Last of Us, the main antagonists are mutated cannibals that have been infected by Cordyceps, a type of fungus that take over the brain of its host. Collectively known as the Infected, they initially came in four developmental stages based on how long they've been exposed to Cordyceps, namely Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters. Meanwhile, The Last of Us Part 2 introduced Shamblers and the Rat King.
Since the characters are living in a world with Infected roaming around, Reddit user weedmaster6669, who disclaimed that they're not part of the Last of Us fandom, asked if there was anyone or a group of people who considered eating them. They argued that it's possible to keep a Clicker locked up, so people could harvest the "mushrooms" growing out of their bodies. They further defended that people could only get Infected if a cannibal was alive, and also suggested freezing Cordyceps to make them "sterile."
The post led to many The Last of Us fans asking weedmaster6669 what he's been smoking to come up with their post, and saying that it would be impossible to eat the Infected. There are also some who explained that the mushrooms can be cooked, but it could still poison people that consume them. Meanwhile, a few admitted that while they personally wouldn't eat the Infected, they became curious about what they would taste like.
Although both The Last of Us games and the TV series didn't seem to show people eating the Infected or any parts from them, many fans can assume that they never tried out of fear of turning. They also kill and burn people who are in the early stages of infection, making it unlikely that they're being kept for mushroom farming. Plus, people living in Quarantine Zones are often shown raising animals and keeping rations for sustenance for the last 20 years, so they probably won't need to resort to eating any Infected.
When it comes down to it, the Infected might not be appetizing to eat because of how terrifying they look. Even realistic cakes that look like Clickers already creeped people out enough that they didn't want to touch them.
The Last of Us Part 1 is available on PS5 and releases for PC on March 28.