Decoding the most dangerous and terrifying zombie species of The Last Of Us 3
Episode 5 of The Last Of Us, aired on February 11, brought many of the most thrilling and exciting action segments since this TV series debuted, with the appearance of a type of zombie.
The latest episode of The Last Of Us revolves around Joel and Ellie’s journey to escape downtown Kansas City, along with two new companions, Henry and Sam.
What is Bloater?
Bloater was officially revealed in the latest episode of The Last Of Us – Photo: HBO.
Bloater is the fourth stage in the parasitic process of Cordyceps fungus on the human body, usually taking place after many years, even decades, and is also considered the final stage of infection.
If with Clicker, the parasitic fungus only grows on the patient’s head, then with Bloater, this fungus covers the victim’s entire body, making them bigger and bulkier.
Bloater’s power
Bloater can be considered the strongest and scariest zombie series of The Last Of Us – Photo: HBO.
In the original game series, the mushroom scales on the outside of Bloater’s body also have the ability to glow in the dark, forming mycotoxin bags.
Similar to Clicker, Bloater also uses an echolocation system to determine the opponent’s location.
Compared to previous infection stages, including Runner, Stalker and Clicker, Bloater possesses superior physical strength, able to easily kill humans in the most brutal ways.
Similar to other zombies, Bloater also has a fatal weakness, fire.
Bloater’s role in the original game series
Bloaters can be considered `bosses` in The Last Of Us games – Photo: Naughty Dog.
Bloaters act as small `bosses`, appearing in a few fixed segments in both The Last Of Us games.
Fighting Bloater has never been an easy task, whether in the movie or the game.
As mentioned above, Bloater’s fatal weakness is fire.
Bloater in the TV version
Bloater TV version possesses many similar features to the original game series – Photo: HBO.
One of the reasons why The Last Of Us series received a lot of praise from both experts and mass audiences is because it sticks closely to the original, both in terms of plot and character creation.
This type of zombie still possesses a large body, with a jagged body covered in Cordyceps mushroom scales.
In addition, the time and stages of infection of Cordyceps fungus are also strictly followed and applied by HBO for its series.
Is Bloater the ultimate zombie in The Last Of Us?
Bloater is often considered the final infection stage in The Last Of Us – Photo: HBO.
Basically, an infected person in The Last Of Us will either die after a short period of time, or will live long enough to develop through all the stages: Runner, Stalker, Clicker and Bloater.
However, the game The Last Of Us II has shown that environmental factors can influence the evolution of Cordyceps fungi during different stages of infection.
Basically, this is still a zombie covered in fungal scales.
Besides, also in the game The Last Of Us II, players also have to confront an entity named Rat King.
Source: ScreenRant, Kotaku
