The Last Of Us' Clicker Infected Type Explained

The Last of Us introduced the dangerous infected in the very first episode of the video game adaptation, but those "Runners" proved to be nothing in comparison to the Clickers that were introduced later. The Last of Us is based on the highly acclaimed video game detailing an outbreak that takes over much of the world's population, turning people into infected and aggressive monsters. The series has followed the game's approach of introducing different types of infected throughout the journey, which leads to the memorable introduction of the Clickers.

The first Clicker is seen in season 1, episode 2 of The Last of Us as Joel (Pedro Pascal), Tess (Anna Tov), and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) find themselves hunted by the terrifying creatures in an abandoned museum. While Ellie has only heard rumors about these types of infected, Joel and Tess are familiar enough to be terrified of them, proving that they are more than just the average infected person. Since then, the Clickers have continued to be an especially intimidating threat for the characters.

How Clickers Are Different From Other Infected (& Why They Look Like That)

Clickers Have Been Infected Longer

Clickers are a different type of infected from the usual Runners in both appearances and characteristics. Clickers are differentiated from Runners in that they are humans who have been infected by the Cordyceps illness for longer. If a human host is infected for longer than a year, the Cordyceps fungus begins growing externally. This causes fungal growth to become prominent on the hosts' heads, completely enveloping their eyes and blinding the host. This explains their different appearance from the much more human-like runners.

The fungal growth that differentiates Clickers also acts as a sort of armor. Runners are much easier to kill, often dying with a clean shot or a hit to the brain. However, the fungal growths on Clickers harden, allowing them to take multiple shots with their brains still intact.

Why Clickers Make That Sound (& How Their Echolocation Works)

The Clickers Show A Necessary Stage Of Evolution For The Infected

The Last of Us' Clickers are named for the clicking sounds they make, which are different from the regular screams and groans of Runners. As the Cordyceps fungus begins to spread over the host's face and blinds them, Clickers develop this sound as a form of echolocation. Echolocation is used by many real-world animals to make sound waves that bounce off objects and provide echoes to determine an object's distance, size, and location.

Clickers echolocation effectively allows them to use sound as a form of sight to create a different enhanced result from the fungi Cordyceps of The Last of Us. While Clickers predominantly use sound to locate their prey, it has its limitations. Their first appearance on the show finds Joel avoiding detection by being still and silent despite the Clicker being right in front of him. In season 2, episode 1, Ellie also proves able to sneak up on a Clicker and kill it.

As well as locating prey, the Clickers' echolocation is used to navigate their surroundings. Without it, Clickers would likely wander aimlessly into walls and objects. However, Clickers can navigate dense, confined areas seamlessly through the clicking sounds they make.

How Powerful The Last Of Us' Clickers Really Are

Clickers Are More Powerful Than Runners But Not As Powerful As Bloaters

A key thing that differentiates Clickers from the Runners of both The Last of Us show and the game is their strength. The first Clicker encountered by the trio is initially shot by Joel with multiple bullets. This same Clicker is then shown grappling with Joel and having the strength to disarm him. Later in the scene, a Clicker pins Joel down which Joel shoots two more times. The Clicker then takes four more shots to the head before finally dying, showing just how strong and durable they are.

By comparison, the Runners in the series are shown to be far more vulnerable, being taken down as easily as a normal human as they are the first stage in the infection and thus haven't gained any of the durability. However, even the Clickers are not the most powerful of the infected in The Last of Us universe. Season 1, episode 5 introduced the first Bloater of the series. These infected develop in certain environments where the majority of the infected's body is covered with fungus.

This larger form of infected is slower moving and uncoordinated, but they make up for it with their durability and power. The episode sees the Bloater withstanding automatic gunfire with no issue before ripping a man's head off with its bare hands. Whereas the Bloaters are stronger than Clickers, Stalkers are smarter, with one being introduced in season 2, episode 1 as being able to sneak up on Ellie and attack her.

Do All Infected Become Clickers In The Last Of Us?

There Are Stages Of Infection Beyond Clickers

Seeing the Runners of The Last of Us become Clickers raises the question of whether all infected hosts turn into this same type of monster. The answer to that question depends entirely on how long the human host lives after becoming infected by the Cordyceps parasite.

The Last of Us establishes that people infected by Cordyceps begin to turn within 24 to 48 hours of being bitten, which turns them into the first stage of infected - Runners. After a few weeks, the infection turns the hosts into Stalkers, much stealthier versions of Runners. A year sees them turn into Clickers, which means only infected humans who survive a year after infection become Clickers.

As evident by The Last of Us season 1, episode 1's dead guy on the wall in the subway, not all hosts survive the infection. Some of them can be killed early which results in their bodies decaying while the Cordyceps infection begins to spread around them. Only infected hosts that survive the infection longer than a year become Clickers, meaning they are fairly rare within the world.

Bloaters are only created after the host survives a decade after infection, in which the Clickers' fungal growth spreads across their entire body. This coats them in almost impenetrable fungal armor, making them much more difficult to defeat. In the game, Bloaters can also emit fungal spores, which can damage non-infected humans. There is also a stage beyond the Bloaters and Clickers, which happens with groups of infected, but time will tell if it is featured in the show.

Which Kind Of Infected Are The Scariest & Most Powerful?

The Bloaters Are Hard To Beat

The Clicker's introduction in season 1 was a terrifying moment that elevated the stakes of this world, presenting an even bigger threat than the audience expected. The design of the Clickers is also nightmarish, giving the show even more of a horror element to blend with the human drama of the story. However, as scary as the Clickers are, their introduction felt like it was paving the way for the appearance of the Bloater later in the first season.

The image of the Bloater emerging from the underground in season 1, episode 5 is one of the scariest moments in the series thus far. To make it even more terrifying, the Bloater then displayed its incredible power, gruesome aggression, and seemingly unstoppable force. While the show hasn't featured the Bloaters as prominently as the Clickers, they are certainly the scariest and most powerful infected the show has delivered.

However, season 2 of The Last of Us is still in its early days and there are a lot of developments that could come. Season 2, episode 1's scene with the Stalker and Ellie suggested they were becoming more intelligent over time, which is also terrifying. This could set up the Stalkers to become the real threat going forward.