What is a Stalker? The Last of Us Season 2 introduces terrifying new infected

Ellie faced off against a horrifying new breed of infected in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 1: a Stalker, a zombie-like creature that’s straight out of the games.

At the start of Season 2, it’s been 25 years since the world was devastated by a Cordyceps outbreak, with a mutated strain of the fungus reducing people to monsters, and America to a derelict, terrifying wasteland.

Joel and Ellie encountered three types of infected in the first season of The Last of Us: Runners (standard infected), Clickers (blind and extremely hostile), and Bloaters (tall, overgrown, and incredibly strong).

There was a glimpse of another breed, but Episode 1 shows how different (and scary) they truly are: Stalkers.

Stalkers in The Last of Us explained

HBO

Stalkers are the second stage of infected in the world of The Last of Us. They’re far more intelligent than Runners, able to detect and stalk (hence the name) their prey, but just as ferocious as Clickers.

A Stalker could be infected from anywhere between two weeks to a whole year. They don’t look too dissimilar to Runners, albeit they have the start of fungal growths on their head and face, and they make a distinctive croaking noise that can sound like a dull wail – like what Ellie heard in Greenplace Market.

While Clickers will attack as soon as they hear a noise, Stalkers are more stealthy and precise, choosing the right moment to charge at someone. They’re not any stronger than a human being, but to borrow Omni-Man’s lesson to Mark in Invincible, they’re always trying to kill you – if you’re not doing the same back, they’ll win.

In The Last of Us Part 2, their behavior somewhat evolved. They wouldn’t necessarily always attack, only becoming violent when approached or provoked (this could be a gunshot that wasn’t aimed at them). However, they can get stuck to walls, with Cordyceps growing thicker around them and locking them in place.

In most cases, they die – but if someone walks past, they could break free and attack.

There’s one more variant of a Stalker, but that involves getting into some big spoilers, so you’ll just have to wait.

Have Stalkers appeared in the show before?

HBO

Yes! A Stalker first appeared in Season 1 – specifically Episode 2, when Tess received a kiss of death before sacrificing herself.

After being bit by a Clicker, Tess told Joel to take Ellie to the Fireflies. She waits for the horde of infected in the Capitol building… but strangely, they don’t attack her. One infected walks up to her and fills her mouth with fungi – this is a Stalker.

Tess got the last laugh, though, because she blew them to smithereens.

What other types of infected are left?

There are two types of infected left that we’ve yet to see in The Last of Us TV show: Shamblers and the Rat King.

No spoilers about the Rat King, sadly (if you haven’t, you should play Part 2 to find out).

A Shambler is the final stage of infected (in almost every case), and it’s basically a variant of a Bloater that mutated as a result of heavy rainfall and humidity. They mostly occupy Seattle but they can be found in other areas in the games.

They’re large, fat creatures that spray acid when approached. They mostly move pretty slowly, though they can break into a sprint for short periods. They don’t bite their prey, but they are still incredibly strong, and the threat of their gas and pus-filled spores is plenty reason to stay away from them.

Make sure you know when the next episode of The Last of Us Season 2 drops, read about Dina’s fate in the games, and find out why Eugene is so important in Season 2.