The Last of Us Season 2 Introduces the Terrifying ‘Stalker’ Infected
HBO’s critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us Season 2 has returned, and it wastes no time diving back into the emotional, violent, and unpredictable world of the Cordyceps virus. In just the first episode, fans are not only reintroduced to familiar characters like Joel and Ellie but also introduced to new faces and a chilling new kind of infected that’s far more intelligent and calculated than anything we’ve seen before.
The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 1: Spoiler Warning
As the 1st episode of The Last of Us Season 2 unfolds, we find Ellie out on patrol with her love interest Dina and other members of the Jackson community. The two eventually break away to explore a long-abandoned market, setting the stage for one of the most intense moments of the episode. Ellie falls through a ceiling into a dark, deserted shop floor—and quickly realizes she’s not alone.
The infected that follows Ellie is unlike the familiar types of fans have encountered in Season 1, such as Runners, Clickers, or the grotesquely powerful Bloaters. Instead, this new infected creature moves stealthily, crawling in the shadows, and behaving with an eerie sense of awareness.
According to dialogue in the episode, Ellie notes that this infected didn’t behave like the rest. It didn’t charge or make noise. Instead, it observed, waited, and stalked her like a predator. “I’m not saying it can do math or anything,” Ellie quips, “but it didn’t run at me. It did what we do—took cover, planned, waited, lured me in, stalking.”
The Last of Us Season 2: Enter the ‘Stalker’
Fans of the original The Last of Us video game may recognize this unsettling new type: the Stalker. First introduced in the game, Stalkers are infected who’ve lived with the Cordyceps virus for a medium duration—anywhere from a few weeks up to a year. They combine the agility and speed of Runners with the aggression and savagery of Clickers, making them one of the most dangerous types to encounter.
What makes Stalkers particularly terrifying is their intelligence. They are not mindless creatures that simply charge. Instead, they hide, ambush, and seem to possess a basic understanding of strategy. The Last of Us Season 2 captures this eerily well, with the infected staying just out of sight, crawling behind shelves and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
When Dina ultimately shoots the creature, the horror doesn’t end. Ellie and Dina are later seen trying to explain the experience to Tommy and the rest of Jackson’s leadership. “So you’re saying it was what, smart?” Tommy asks. Ellie’s response—while humorous—speaks volumes about the growing complexity of the infected in this world.
A Chilling Start to Season 2
With its dark tone and deeply emotional storytelling, The Last of Us Season 2 is already setting the stage for a hauntingly memorable season. The introduction of the Stalker infected is not just a nod to the original game—it’s a clear signal that the stakes are rising, and survival is about to get even more complicated.
The show also marks a progression in character development. Ellie is now older and more hardened, and her relationship with Dina brings a fresh emotional dimension to the story. With new threats and more nuanced infected, the series promises to push the boundaries of post-apocalyptic storytelling.
What’s Next?
As more episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 roll out in the coming weeks, viewers can expect to see more of both the characters’ personal connections and the strange, infected world they’re living in. And if the Stalker is anything to go by, The Last of Us Season 2 is leaning more into the quiet, unsettling kind of horror that sticks with you.