You Won't Sleep After Seeing The Last of Us' NEW 'Smarter' Zombie

heads up: The following content reveals spoilers from the first episode of The Last of Us season 2 and the video game The Last of Us Part II.

The premiere of The Last of Us’ second season unveils a more intelligent form of the contaminated creatures referred to as stalkers. Previous seasons have already presented numerous fear-inducing types of infected beings, such as runners, which are essentially standard zombies; clickers, who have been affected for so long they’ve developed a tough protective layer; and bloaters, reminiscent of the Incredible Hulk in terms of the Cordyceps fungus. However, the series continues to keep viewers on edge with additional types of infected entities. In the first episode of The Last of Us season 2 titled “Future Days,” Ellie encounters yet another mutated variant of the contaminated population.

One common criticism levied against the first season of The Last of Us is that there were too few instances of infected creatures. In the video games, the infected are omnipresent, always looming around corners, serving as a constant danger. However, in the television series, they seldom appear. The second season seems to be addressing this issue head-on, as evidenced by Tommy’s marksmanship tutorial and the foreshadowing of an impending horde of infected heading towards Jackson. During a new type of infected encounter in a supermarket, Ellie finds herself face to face with a previously unseen kind of infected creature, suggesting that this season could bring significant developments.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Introduces “Smarter” Infected In Episode 1’s Supermarket Scene

When Ellie Falls Onto The Shop Floor, She’s Stalked By A Silent Infected

During their patrol, Ellie and Dina pursue a bloody trail leading to a bear that’s been attacked by contaminated creatures. They then chase these well-nourished monsters into a nearby supermarket filled with video game references, such as the Greenplace Market signage, a canine worker of the month, and a beer bottle thrown by Ellie for distraction. Following their defeat of the infected on the upper level of the supermarket, Ellie falls through the floor to the ground level in the same manner as she does in the game.

As Ellie stands by, anticipating Dina’s descent, a chilling thought crosses her mind: She isn’t alone; an infected lurks with her within the store. Yet, this isn’t your typical runner or clicker, but something else entirely. This peculiar infected moves stealthily, keeping pace with Ellie throughout the store, waiting patiently as it plots its next move. When Ellie detects the infected, she braces for it to charge at her like a runner or clicker would, but instead, it remains still and watches her from behind a rack.

At a later gathering in Jackson, Ellie offers testimony about an unusual type of infected she’s never seen before. She describes it as more intelligent than other infected, behaving much like a human would: it hid, ambushed, and strategized. The Jackson council, along with Ellie and Dina, are unaware of its nature, but those who play the game recognize it immediately: this is a stalker. Ellie notes that this infected had been “tailing” her in the store, which might be the name given to it on the show.

Stalkers Are The Last Of Us’ Second Stage Of Infected

In Between A Runner & A Clicker

In the post-apocalyptic world of “The Last of Us”, the infected undergo several stages of evolution. Initially, they are known as runners, then come stalkers, followed by clickers, bloaters, and finally, shamblers (which are essentially acidic bloaters). However, the shambler hasn’t made an appearance in the TV show yet. It’s not surprising that the makers of the HBO series delayed introducing stalkers until season 2. Although there are some stalkers present in the original game, they weren’t significant until “The Last of Us Part II”.

How Stalkers’ Behavior & Strengths Compare To Other Infected In The Last Of Us

Stalkers Are The Worst Of Both Worlds

In addition to bloaters and shamblers, which serve as mini-bosses, stalkers are generally considered the most irritating infected to face in The Last of Us games. Runners move faster than clickers, but they’re not as strong. Clickers are more difficult to eliminate, but they’re slow and clumsy. Stalkers combine the robustness and durability of a clicker with the agility of a runner. Just like in the TV show, they often lurk around corners, watching you, biding their time to attack. To be honest, dealing with 20 runners is a better scenario than facing off against three stalkers.

Stalkers among the infected display a more unsettling behavior compared to their peers. Unlike runners and clickers who tend to remain stationary until provoked, stalkers are far more active and stealthy. Unlike clickers that can’t see in the dark, stalkers can navigate even in darkness, moving around furtively, always on the lookout for potential threats. In most cases with infected, players must approach from behind to catch them off guard. However, it is stalkers who approach from behind, making it necessary to employ a different tactic – often standing in a confined space with a fully-loaded shotgun proves effective.

What Stalkers Mean For The Last Of Us Season 2

The Infected Encounters Are About To Get Even Scarier

In the second season of The Last of Us, the addition of stalkers may not significantly alter the storyline, but they will certainly heighten the terror during infected confrontations. Unlike the mindless zombies in The Walking Dead and George A. Romero’s movies, which include runners and clickers, stalkers exhibit intelligent thinking, making them far more menacing and challenging to subdue due to their increased cunning.

In “The Last of Us Part II”, some exhilarating action scenes revolve around characters known as stalkers. During Ellie’s journey to confront Nora at the hospital, she must stealthily navigate a dark office floor teeming with these stalkers. Meanwhile, Abby and Lev encounter stalkers while moving through a destroyed hotel that serves as a breeding ground for infected. These creatures have even infiltrated the walls, making their presence unpredictable. While it might not appear until season 3, the introduction of stalkers in season 2 implies that such an event could occur.

In the second season of “The Last of Us,” it appears that encounters with stalkers will be a new and challenging experience for most characters, as they were not commonly known or encountered before in their world. Unlike in the games where dealing with stalkers is common knowledge, these characters are green when it comes to handling them, even though they can prove to be quite formidable adversaries, posing a challenge even for experienced stalker slayers.

2025-04-14 16:18

You Won’t Sleep After Seeing The Last of Us’ NEW ‘Smarter’ Zombie

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