With The Last of Us reaching new audiences and being bigger than ever, everyone wants to know what types of Infected appear in the franchise. There are a number of different types, some appear differently in the two games and the TV show, as well as not appearing in one or the other. So, to get an idea of exactly all of the Infected, below you can find the full The Last of Us zombie types list.
Infected are the deadliest threat in the post-apocalyptic setting of the game and some of the less plentiful Infected in the world shouldn’t be sneezed at. They can absolutely destroy you in the game and surprise both Joel and Ellie in the TV show where they appear in the episodes of The Last of Us TV series. Below, you can find an overview of them, in addition to the base forms of Infected and how the stages of Infection have progressed between each form.
The Last of Us zombie types
There are a total of six different The Last of Us zombie types and versions of the Infected throughout the franchise. These are:
- Runners
- Stalkers
- Clickers
- Shamblers
- Bloaters
- Rat King
Runners
Runners are effectively the grunt Infected. They are fast and at the earliest stage of infection. They are still able to hear, see, and naturally form hordes that can quickly overwhelm you. They can be seen in all iterations of the world, including both games and the TV show.
Stalkers
Stalkers are the stealthy version of the Infected and generally aren’t seen very often as they keep to the shadows. They are between two weeks of becoming Infected and a full year, latching onto walls and letting the Cordyceps virus grow and fester on them. They can be seen in both games, although act differently in each one.
Clickers
Clickers are the strongest basic form of Infected and have been Infected for at least a year. The fungus is so advanced in terms of spreading that they are blind, only able to find their way around using echolocation. The advanced infection means they are stronger and more fearsome than Stalkers and Runners. Clickers can be seen in both games and the show.
Bloaters
Bloaters are one of the most advanced forms of Infected, after being Infected for several years. They are incredibly strong but slow and blind. With armour plating, they are capable of tearing fungus from their bodies and throwing them as bombs. They can be seen in both games and the TV Show.
Shamblers
Shamblers are another advanced form of the Infected who have spent a lot of time in swampy areas or locations that have an abundance of water. They are incredibly slow, but are capable of grappling prey and expelling large amounts of spores from their bodies which cause acidic burns. They also explode upon death, giving you yet another thing to be careful of. These hulking monstrosities are only found in The Last of Us Part 2, though they could appear in later instalments of The Last of Us TV show on HBO.
Rat King
Finally, the Rat King is a unique Infected developed in a hospital in Seattle after multiple decades of infection. It is an amalgamation of several infected which have been shoved together into a colossal, hulking threat. It is only found in Seattle during The Last of Us Part 2.
There you have it, those are all of The Last of Us zombie types and Infected types that have appeared in the franchise. Which are some of the most terrifying types in your mind? If you are just jumping into the franchise, be sure to check out our guides on the first game in our The Last of Us Part 1 remake walkthrough or who plays all the characters in the show with The Last of Us cast. The world of the game is also expanding with The Last of Us board game Escape The Darkness release date in the coming months.