'The Last of Us' Does One Thing So Much Better Than 'The Walking Dead'

For over a decade, The Walking Dead was the quintessential 'zombie' show. It had all the classic tropes. There was an apocalypse, bands of survivors, obviously zombies, and more. While the zombies were far from the only threat the characters faced, they were enough to sustain the show over 11 seasons. The Walking Dead still lives on today through its multiple sequels and spin-offs. But most people would agree that it's way past its heyday.

Just a few months after The Walking Dead ended, a new post-apocalyptic survival show took its place. The Last of Us also centers on a wasted world ruled by the zombie-like remnants of humanity. But TLOU's clickers and TWD's walkers couldn't be more different. If you encounter a solo walker, they're not much of a threat. But run into a clicker, and it could be game over. The walkers aren't always the number one threat in The Walking Dead, but The Last of Us' clickers, along with runners, bloaters, and more, make it nearly impossible to freely wander the world. But what makes these differences so stark? And how has that helped The Last of Us succeed where The Walking Dead may have faltered? As The Last of Us gears up for Season 2, let's take a look.

Like we said, The Walking Dead is *the* zombie show. It dominated the undead-obsessed pop culture scene of the 2010s. At its peak, The Walking Dead brought in 14 to 15 million viewers weekly. That beat out any show on any network, except maybe the NFL and The Big Bang Theory. But as with many shows, ratings fell over time.

By the end of its run in 2022, The Walking Dead was drawing just 1 to 2 million eyeballs. It was clear that the zombie craze had ended. Enter The Last of Us. If you describe both The Walking Dead and The Last of Us to a viewer who's never seen either, they might seem like the same show on the surface. Apocalypse? Check. Roaming groups of survivors? Check. Undead creatures that want to destroy the living? Big check. However, how each show approaches its undead could not be more different, starting with how they're infected.

It's never explicitly revealed just what caused the zombie outbreak in The Walking Dead. That is, until The Walking Dead: World Beyond. All we initially knew about the walkers was that they were undead and craved human flesh. You know, classic zombies. The show didn't really go deeper than the stereotypical "Brains!" because it didn't have to. Zombie fever was at its peak in the 2010s, and simply featuring conventional zombies that viewers already know and love was enough. Taking on a horde of walkers could be a death sentence, but one by itself was relatively non-threatening. Like all zombies, they were slow and stumbling, and escaping wasn't too difficult. However, not every zombie show can do the same thing if it wants to stand out in today's media landscape.

The Infected in 'The Last of Us' Are a Far Greater Threat

The Last of Us didn't invent its take on the genre for the TV series. It has existed for over a decade in the video game. We all know that video game-based film and TV adaptations can be hit-or-miss, but The Last of Us is widely regarded as the best example of a game-to-TV shift. While the performances of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are highlights, the atmosphere itself can't be overlooked. And The Last of Us' infected are far more intimidating than The Walking Dead's walkers. This goes back to the very manner in which they were infected.

Right off the bat, we know why the clickers are the way they are: the mutated Cordyceps fungus. But these aren't your typical zombies. They aren't dead. Undead zombies are scary, for sure, but the concept's overall silliness takes some of the edge off. They're reanimated dead bodies that want flesh, and there's nothing external controlling their actions. But what if something took over one's brain while keeping them alive? That's a far darker concept.

Cordyceps controls its victims and turns them into mindless killing machines. It's also unclear how aware the fungal victims are of what they're doing. Their brain could be fully gone, but it also might be intact just enough to have a sense of the actions that their fungus-controlled body is taking. That's another level of horror. The concept of "something" instead of "nothing" taking over one's body is just awful.

The infected aren't your run-of-the-mill stumbling zombies. They're fast. If you're unarmed and come upon one in the wild, make peace with your god. Just look at what happened to Kathleen in Season 1. Her group encounters a horde of infected, but it's a solo small child that takes her down. Living unguarded in open areas is a death sentence. These things can kill you, and that would actually be the better end result.

Get bitten, and the fungus spreads, and you become just like them. Living with that threat for over 20 years is pure hell. Of course, some are able to set up semi-normal lives in lockdown, like Tommy, but the threat is always right outside the door. The infected are never relegated to the back burner when they are outside their safe zones, as they're always the number one threat. They're real, a constant presence, and far more of a sinister threat than conventional zombies ever were. The Last of Us Season 2 premieres April 13 on HBO and Max. All seasons of The Walking Dead can be streamed on Netflix.