Fans of the The Last of Us are, by now, familiar with the Infected – humans who turn into “monsters” after getting infected with a mutant Cordyceps fungus. Since the TV adaptation premiered on HBO, viewers have been introduced to the Infected at different stages, including Runners and the terrifying Clickers. However, a rarer and somehow more terrifying stage of being Infected was introduced in Episode 5 of the series. So what exactly was that giant infected mutant that horrified everyone?
Well, the giant infected creature is called a Bloater. Even though the show didn’t take the time to explain the creature in more detail (for now), Bloaters play an important role in The Last of Us games. As viewers of the show have already noticed, they don’t look quite the same as the other infected, and they are much stronger and much harder to to take down than your typical infected. So what exactly happened to them? Here’s everything you should know about Bloaters from The Last of Us.
How Does an Infected Become A Bloater in the Last of Us Series?
The HBO series is yet to explain how an infected becomes a Bloater. However, this is quite clear in the game. Bloaters are formed after years of exposure to the Cordyceps infection, meaning an infected person has to somehow survive for many years to develop into a Bloater. Since they take so long to fully develop, Bloaters are unbelievably strong. They have thick fungus-like skin, acting as armor, making them much harder to kill. As already depicted in The Last of Us Episode 5, Bloaters are bulletproof and very aggressive.
Bloaters are the rarest form of Infected but also the most dangerous ones. Not only do they kill by ripping people apart, but they also throw sacks of deadly mycotoxin which explodes on impact and releases a cloud of deadly toxins. It is easy to understand why Bloaters feared and dreaded in The Last of Us lore.
Can the Bloater Be Killed in The Last of Us Series?
Although Bloaters are notoriously difficult to kill, it is very much possible to do it in the games. So, there’s one important question that arises: can Bloaters be killed in The Last of Us series? Craig Mazin recently revealed that, unfortunately, nobody will be able to kill Bloaters on the show. Stating, “We also thought, look, whatever this thing is and however it got that way, there was this notion that it might be scarier that at some point you realize, you’re not killing it. No one’s killing it, ever.”
Well, by the looks of it, the best that Joel and Ellie can do is simply escape Bloaters by doing everything in their power to injure them and eventually run away. Bloaters are basically giants compared to other Infected, so they’re very slow and uncoordinated. Even though they look horrifying, to say the least, they are much more predictable than Clickers and other infected. What’s important to note is that Bloaters are vulnerable to fire, pretty much like all the other infected, so fire is Ellie and Joel’s best chance to survive in the show. On the other hand, Bloaters are not that common in the game, making their rare appearance all the more impactful.
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