The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 1, titled “Future Days,” features a type of infected that has never been seen before in the show, and the fans are wondering what it is. During an encounter with Bella Ramsey’s Ellie, the infected shows that it can hide, stalk, hunt, and lure an intended prey in, just like humans without the infection. Here is everything you might want to know about it.
How is The Last of Us Season 2’s smart zombie, Stalker different from infected types?
Ellie and Isabela Merced’s Dina separate from the rest of the group during a recon patrol in Season 2 Episode 1 of The Last of Us and enter an uncleared building looking for the infected. They initially encounter a clicker, which Ellie dispatches quickly. However, she falls through the collapsing floor soon after, which traps her in an area of the building from where she can’t get out easily. As Dina tries to find a way to get to her, Ellie begins to explore the area. This is when she comes across the new form of the infected.
This particular iteration of the zombies has fungal growth shaped almost like a crown. It seems to have some intelligence, as it appears to be able to stalk someone. The one appearing in Season 2 Episode 1 hides when Ellie tries to chase it and later comes out to attack her. It even bites Ellie before she manages to kill it.
Later, after Ellie recounts what happened to Jackson’s community council, Gabriel Luna’s Tommy, who is a member of the said council, wonders if she and Dina mean that the infected were “smart.” Ellie responds, “I’m not saying it could do math or anything, but it didn’t run at me. It did what we do, took cover, planned, waited, lured me in. Stalking.”
For those familiar with the Last of Us video games, this behavior fits the stalker class of those who are infected. Stalkers exist in the second stage of the infection, positioned between runners and clickers, and the show’s adaptation of them is quite faithful.
