The Infected in The Last of Us share some similar qualities to traditional zombies, but they're never referred to by that term on the show. In fact, they're purposefully never referred to as zombies in the game, either. With the post-apocalyptic series building up massive hype, the natural inclination for many audiences was to compare it to The Walking Dead. This comparison can be misleading though, as while the shows have common elements, The Last of Us is not a zombie show.
The Last of Us earns its reputation as a story-driven video game primarily for its focus on its two main characters, and is actually fairly vague and limited on the world-building aspects. With flashbacks in the TV series, viewers have gotten a better idea of the origin of the outbreak, as well as backstories for different characters and areas that better demonstrate the world. However, many of these side stories carry a message about Joel and Ellie, as they're the primary focus of the show. Whether it be zombies or the Infected, the interpersonal relationship between Joel and Ellie is what the series is about.
Infected From The Last Of Us Aren't Technically Zombies
While the Infected may share some of the menacing qualities of zombies in The Walking Dead or other pop culture, it's not correct to refer to them that way. They may want to devour humans, but the central difference is that the Infected are not reanimated corpses, nor is their intent to eat people. Instead, the Infected in The Last of Us are living victims who've been contaminated by the Cordyceps fungi, and their goal is to spread the disease, which is what viewers see happening in episode 2 when Tess dies. To add, the Infected are linked by a shared consciousness based on the zone they're in, which makes them even more terrifying, as the Cordyceps present an interconnected network that can reanimate the infect miles away.
Furthermore, some parts of people still remain when they become infected, such as Sam's deafness remaining. The origin of the infection in The Last of Us is an idea that differs in the television adaptation, with the backstory of Jakarta, Indonesia, being added in. The series provides a scientific backstory for the infection, in an effort to make it more grounded and realistic, adding to the terror in a way usual zombie shows might not. The Cordyceps fungi was delivered throughout the world in food supplies such as flour and sugar, in common items such as bread and rice, making its method of infecting victims feel all the more possible and making civilization's fall instantaneous. The series even attempts to root this cause in reality by suggesting the fungi mutated to infect humans due to global warming.
Why The Word "Zombie" Has Been Banned For The Last Of Us
To make it abundantly clear that it isn't a zombie show, the word "zombie" was banned on The Last of Us set. According to cinematographer Eben Bolter on The Credits podcast, the word was banned to keep the show's focus on Joel and Ellie. As he explained, "We weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set. It was like a banned word. They were the Infected. We weren’t a zombie show. Of course, there’s tension building and jump scares but the show’s really about our characters; The Infected are an obstacle they have to deal with." The relationship between the two leads should always be the main attraction of the show, with the Infected serving a narrative purpose that compliments the story of the characters, as well as adding some riveting action sequences.