The Rarest Creature in The Last of Us Video Game

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The Last of Us gained mass pop culture popularity thanks to the 2023 Max television series. But first, Joel and Ellie’s story was an acclaimed action-adventure/horror/survival video game series created by Naughty Dog in 2013. First, there was The Last of Us Part I. That installment introduced us to the world and the monsters. Then in 2020, the company released The Last of Us Part II. Not only did the sequel bring new characters and conflicts, but it scared and astonished players with additional cordyceps infected enemies.

Naturally, of course, video game enthusiasts want all the stats and lore. Within hours of gameplay and cutscenes, players started to put together walkthroughs and lists of The Last of Us collectibles — you know, like Ellie’s comics and trading cards. But people also wanted to know even more in-world info about TLOU. They asked questions like: How did the infected come to be? And speaking of the infected — with a world overrun by all sorts of nightmarish fungi, what’s the rarest creature in The Last of Us?

Well, let’s answer those burning questions below!

The Last of Us video games

The Last of Us games follow a reluctant guardian and jaded survivor named Joel. After witnessing the horror of the human reaction to the outbreak firsthand, Joel gave up on people. But then he agreed to escort a young girl to a research center. It turns out this young girl, Ellie, was immune to infection. Potentially, her DNA could be used to create a vaccine. Ellie could save the world.

Getting her there wasn’t simple, however. Along the way, Joel and Ellie encountered hundreds of enemies. Some were other humans — such as a cannibal community. Others were the cordyceps infected creatures, AKA this apocalypse’s special flavor of zombie. But don’t call them zombies! These fearsome, fungal, nightmare-fueling fiends are particularly distinct from their brain-chomping cousins in properties such as The Walking Dead.

Alright, so what’s so different about them? We’re so glad you asked.

What are the Cordyceps creatures?

In the games, a mutant cordyceps outbreak essentially ended the world. As the fungus spread, it infected and transformed millions of people. And just like in the animal kingdom, the cordyceps infection in The Last of Us took root in the brain. The infected all became aggressive and uncontrollable, mindless and bloodthirsty. Those who survived ended up in quarantine zones or found sanctuary in the wilderness. But nowhere was truly safe, not when those monsters came in so many different forms…

Spores

Spores constitute the initial infection phase. These floating fungal spores grow and pollute the air. When traversing through spores, characters must wear gas masks. If the mask breaks, they will be infected because they’ve breathed in the mutation. Emotionally, this really might be worse than getting bitten — since that’s another way the disease transmits. But we’ll get to that soon.

Runners

The Runner stage can develop within two days of spore exposure, an infected wound or bite, or other contact with the fungus. Runners’ vital systems are compromised, so their skin, eyes, nails, and hair all weaken and give them a slightly inhuman appearance. Most importantly, and disturbingly, Runners still retain some emotional responses. Displaying fear, irritability, and distress, the Runners make for a quick but haunting fight, but are overwhelming in large numbers.

Stalkers

It takes between two weeks to a year to reach the Stalker stage. These agile and ferocious evolutions usually cannot see, but they can use a croaking echolocation to find their prey. At this stage, the fungus is starting to compromise the victim’s soft tissue, including their eyes. Stalkers are encountered very rarely during gameplay/combat, but are a necessary step in the evolution to Clicker. Still, they are not the true rarest creature.

Clickers

Clickers are the most common creature in The Last of Us. They are also the most popular, becoming almost the mascots for the games themselves. Taking roughly a full year to develop from initial infection, Clickers are named for the terrifying clicks they make as their form of echolocation. They are recognizable by the flowering fungus that fully erupts from their skulls, often splitting their upper palates. Sensitive to sound, fiercely intelligent, and barely human, Clickers are the most innovative and original infected in the entire series.

Bloaters

Bloaters are extremely rare because it takes several years of infection to reach this stage. Most infected die before they can get to this point. However, multiple instances of bloaters have been catalogued throughout the world. Bloaters are slow, blind, and incredibly dangerous. Their entire bodies are plated with fungal armor and bioluminescent tissue, and they produce volatile mycotoxin “bombs”. Able to rip off a man’s jaw with ease, Bloaters exhibit extreme strength. They can only be stopped with fire, which weakens the thick mushroom armor, allowing them to be shot.

Shamblers

Shamblers and Bloaters are similar in ability and appearance. Notably, though, Shamblers only develop in wet, humid environments — such as Seattle, a location in TLOU Part II. Because of this, they forcefully emit caustic, acidic spores that burn their victims. Their armor plating is also generally soggier, making them more sluggish and less strong than Bloaters, though they are still susceptible to fire. Fortunately, being burned by their spores does not spread the infection. You still would have to inhale or get bitten/scratched. But we can’t imagine it’s all that pleasant either way.

Even with their extended development time and environmental requirements, Shamblers still aren’t the rarest creature in this world. That terrible honor goes to…

The rarest creature is known as the Rat King

Named for the real world concept of rats who get their tails in an inseparable tangle, the rat king was a massive, malformed amalgamation of multiple infected. This sickening super-organism contained stalkers, clickers, and a bloater that were all melded together by the cordyceps fungus. It was a mindless, murderous beast that dwelled in total darkness beneath a derelict hospital. The rat king’s only instinct was to hunt and kill.

Incredibly strong and resilient, the rat king could withstand extreme damage — including from fire — while also dealing major damage. Unlike the smaller infected, the rat king’s immense size gave it the ability to smash through ambulances, walls, and more with ease. Moreover, as the rat king sustained injuries, the other infected broke off and attacked on their own.

Talk about an impossible opponent! Abby first encountered the rat king in Seattle, Washington during The Last Of Us Part II. Based on how long it was trapped in the hospital, it’s more than likely that the rat king was made up of some of the first people ever infected in the city. They were exposed to endless, intoxicating spores for 25 years, and thus turned. Then they conjoined and waited for unsuspecting humans to wander into the hospital basement. Despite the overwhelming odds, though, Abby managed to defeat the rat king single-handedly. That’s our girl.

Is there a rat queen?

It is currently unknown if any other rat kings exist in the world of The Last of Us, but for everyone’s sake, we hope not. The circumstances of its creation are so severely specific that it’s no surprise this was probably a one-of-a-kind showdown.

Which type of infected would you least want to encounter? Our pick is definitely the rat king! Just in case of an impending apocalypse, grab some The Last of Us collectibles to protect you. Then, show off your collection at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network. And as always, don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!