Last of Us infected stages
Although “zombie” is a handy label, the canon refers to enemies as infected, not the undead. A mutated cordyceps fungus rapidly spreads and changes hosts over time; what you see on screen depends on both how a person was infected and how long the fungus has been in control. Infection can come from a bite or inhaling spores (noting the TV adaptation may depict this differently). Progression speed varies by wound location: minutes for the head/neck, hours for the torso/arms, and up to a day for legs/feet. These variables set up the distinct Last of Us infected stages you meet in the world.
Stage 1: Runner — speed, swarm, and panic
Snapshot: Earliest and most human-looking phase of The Last of Us zombie types. Timeframe is roughly 2 days to 2 weeks after infection. Runners move fast, attack in groups, and overwhelm through sheer numbers. Vision begins to deteriorate; aggression spikes. Best counter is to stay mobile, split the pack, and use stealth or decisive melee before you’re surrounded—classic Clicker vs Runner comparisons start here, because these early foes still rely somewhat on sight.
Field notes & tips
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Behavior: Hunched posture, thinning hair, pale/lesioned skin; sprinting and swarming are common.
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Avoidance: Don’t let them mass on you—sound discipline and line-of-sight breaks matter.
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Counter: Stealth takedowns or repeated blunt-force melee when isolated.
These traits anchor Runners as the “entry-level” in The Last of Us zombie types ladder, but their numbers make them deadly.
Stage 2: Stalker — ambush predators with proto-echolocation
Stalkers keep much of a Runner’s speed but begin to lose more vision as fungal plates protrude from the head—often leaving a single usable eye. They lie in wait, blending into rubble or fungus-lined rooms, and ambush when you pass. They also exhibit a rudimentary echolocation, bridging that Clicker vs Runner gap. Keep your distance, sweep corners, and use controlled bursts or forceful melee to stop rushdowns. This phase generally spans 2 weeks to 1 year post-infection.
Why they’re tricky
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Stealthy movement: Stalkers relocate to flank.
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Ambush AI: They punish tunnel vision and loud play.
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Counter: Patience—provoke, retreat, then isolate.
Among The Last of Us zombie types, Stalkers mark the shift from chaotic swarmers to calculated hunters.
Stage 3: Clicker — total blindness, full echolocation, armored faceplate
Clickers are the iconic face of The Last of Us zombie types. By about one year or more into infection, the host’s face is overgrown with a hard fungal “shield,” making headshots inconsistent unless perfectly placed. Vision is gone; echolocation is everything—those chilling “clicks” map their world. Keep quiet, keep distance, and use high-impact options (shotguns, crafted explosives) or stealth kills when possible.
Survival playbook
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Sound discipline: Footsteps, broken bottles, and reloading can betray you.
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Armor awareness: The cranial plate can resist small-arms headshots.
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Tools: Strong melee, short-range guns, or crafted flames when stealth fails.
Within Last of Us infected stages, Clickers embody the “hearing over sight” pivot—and anchor many Clicker vs Runner debates because their blind precision is brutal in close quarters.
Stage 4: Bloater & Shambler — tank variants and environmental hazards
The heavyweight chapter in The Last of Us zombie types comes in two late-stage evolutions—Bloater and Shambler—both typically several years into infection and both extremely resilient.
Bloater (dry, tanklike):
The host’s body is encased in thick fungus plates that shrug off small-arms fire and even heavy melee. Bloaters move slowly but hit hard and can throw mycotoxin pouches that burst into toxic clouds on impact. Keep your distance; use shotguns to control space, then finish with fire (Molotovs or flamethrower). Their predictable pathing can be exploited with traps.
Shambler (wet, acidic):
A Bloater vs Shambler comparison comes down to habitat and payload. Shamblers arise in waterlogged areas; when they close in, they spray acid, adding a DOT (damage-over-time) threat and vision denial. Mines and pipe bombs complement the same fire-based finishers you’d use on Bloaters. These two together define the tank tier of The Last of Us zombie types and reinforce the environment’s role in encounters.
Boss variant: Rat King — conjoined terror and attrition test
Rare and horrifying, the Rat King is an anomalous, likely fifth-stage fusion of multiple infected (often Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters) into one massive organism. Expect decades of infection, absurd durability, and phase changes—damaging the mass can cause a component infected to detach and continue fighting. Only engage when necessary; run, kite, and commit heavy ordnance. If The Last of Us zombie types were a pyramid, the Rat King sits at the apex of nightmare fuel.
Minimal rules of survival
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Range control: Don’t get cornered; manage lanes and exits.
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Resource planning: Save everything (fire, bombs, heavy shot) for this arena.
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Movement: Sprinting and repositioning beat trading damage.
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FAQs
What are the official stages of The Last of Us zombie types?
From earliest to latest: Runner, Stalker, Clicker, Bloater, Shambler, with the rare Rat King as an extreme variant. Stages correlate with time since infection and environment (e.g., water exposure for Shamblers).
How do people get infected—and how fast does it progress?
Infection occurs via bites or spores. Progression speed depends on wound location: minutes for head/neck, hours for torso/arms, up to a day for legs/feet. These factors shape the Last of Us infected stages you’ll encounter.
Clicker vs Runner: what’s the real difference in a fight?
Runners still use limited sight and overwhelm in groups; Clickers are blind and navigate by echolocation, with armored facial fungus that complicates headshots. Silence and positioning beat speed.
Bloater vs Shambler: which is tougher?
Bloaters are slow tanks with toxin pouches; Shamblers are their water-exposed cousins that spray acid up close. Both resist small arms, but fire (Molotovs/flamethrower) and explosives are best-in-slot counters.
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