The Cordyceps-ravaged world of The Last of Us presents many threats that come in various shapes and sizes. When it was released in 2013, the game was hailed for its compelling, yet terrifying story, which itself was loosely based on the real Cordyceps fungi which infect insects.
What Naughty Dog has managed to accomplish is quite astounding, combining beautifully lush landscapes with intense physical and psychological challenges that stay with the gamer long after turning the console off. The quieter moments that allow players to breathe are a consistently welcome respite, as we're never sure what lies around the next corner.
Military
One of the first threats the characters face is the military, specifically their indifferent callousness displayed towards survivors. During the outbreak, Joel, Tommy, and Sarah escape towards downtown Austin, where their car is crashed into. With Joel carrying a wounded Sarah, the trio flee on foot through the frenzied crowds.
Tommy holds off a group of infected while Joel and Sarah race towards the woods. Having seemingly escaped, they encounter a lone guard aiming a gun at them. Joel pleads that they're "not sick" as the soldier calls in to report them. He's ordered to kill them and fatally wounds Sarah, setting off the main story arc for Joel's character.
Seraphites
What separates the mysterious Seraphites from other surviving factions is the sheer amount of time spent engaging with them and the brutality they exhibit. Not content with simply killing their enemies, they regularly disembowel and hang them for others to see.
The first encounter with the primitive cult is downright terrifying. As Ellie traverses through an overgrown park in Seattle, a haunting whistling sound fills the air. Suddenly, an arrow comes out of nowhere and pierces Ellie's shoulder. Disoriented, Ellie frantically pulls the arrow out as the Seraphites' torches slowly approach her through the dim light.
Bloaters
Bloaters represent Stage 4 of the Cordyceps mutation; at this point, the fungus has completely enveloped the host's body, "bloating" it. Around the exterior, armored fungal plates have begun to form, making them difficult to injure and kill.
The only reason Bloaters are not higher on the list is that, while dangerous, they're relatively easier to handle than other infected types. Bloaters lack stealth and speed and can be manageable with the right game plan. However, that doesn't change the fact that if a Bloater gets too close, the gruesome death that follows is enough to make any player cringe.
Dangerous Environments
Throughout The Last of Us, Joel helps Ellie traverse water environments with wooden pallets due to her inability to swim. Unfortunately, this tactic becomes impossible when Joel and Ellie encounter a river raging through the tunnels of Salt Lake City. Using overturned vehicles for crossing, they nearly make it across before Joel becomes trapped in a bus. Ellie heroically leaps to his rescue but gets swept away when the bus overturns, sending Joel racing after her to keep her from drowning.
In The Last of Us Part II, Abby must navigate a sky-bridge construction beam hundreds of feet above the streets of Seattle. Anyone with a phobia of heights certainly could empathize with Abby's intense fear as she attempts to cross the narrow platform. The player must balance Abby while her companion, Lev, offers moral support. Though Abby nearly makes it through, she slips and falls into the building below.
Spores
Anytime a character in the games mentions "look out, spores," players know they're in for something rough. Spores are the final stage of development for an infected person; after death, the fungus spreads throughout the environment and releases spores into the air. If breathed, spores trigger the mutation in a new person, thus continuing the macabre circle of life.
Commonly located in wet, dark places, spores represent the fear of the unknown and indicate infected are likely nearby. This anticipation is enough to put any player into stealth mode and crank up usage of the "listening" assist function.
Clickers
Something Naughty Dog does so well is turning otherwise ordinary sensory devices into something terrifying; the whistles of the Seraphites are one example, or in this case, a guttural "click." Due to the fungus growing out of the skull, Clickers are unable to see and rely instead on echolocation to navigate their surroundings.
What makes Clickers so effectively scary is that they can be heard before being seen, tipping the player off that these infected are nearby. To make matters worse, Clickers can kill instantly and must be navigated slowly and carefully. One wrong movement can summon the entire hoard, and by then, all bets are off.
Ambushes
Ambushes are regular occurrences in this post-pandemic world and seemingly happen anytime players get lulled into a sense of security. Examples of this can be seen in Part II's sprawling narrative when Ellie and Dina are suddenly blown off their horse by a trip mine in Seattle or when Abby and Lev are ambushed by the Rattlers after thinking they've found the Fireflies.
Perhaps the most intricate ambush happens when Joel and Ellie are greeted on the Pittsburgh highway by a man pretending to be hurt. Wise to the act, Joel runs him over as others begin attacking their truck. A bus suddenly plows into them from the side and forces them to crash. After defeating their attackers in physical combat, Joel finds a map detailing the attack. Ellie asks Joel how he knew about the ambush, to which Joel chillingly replies, "I've been on both sides."
Stalkers
What makes these creatures truly frightening is that, unlike other infected who attack on instinct, Stalkers prefer to hide and stalk the player from behind corners and objects. Though their role in the first game is minor, the Stalkers' appearance in the hotel basement is undoubtedly the stuff of nightmares.
Stalkers play a much more prominent role in Part II, bursting out of fungal walls after appearing to be dead and circling the player in greater numbers. Their unique attack methods add credence to one of horror's most effective tropes: what you can't see is far more frightening than what you can.
"Normal People"
"At least the infected are predictable. It's the normal people that scare me." - Bill
Surviving human factions, specifically the Cannibals, present one of the most dangerous threats in The Last of Us. Following Joel's near-death experience at the University, the player is unexpectedly put into Ellie's 14-year old shoes. Her vulnerability is quickly tested when she comes face-to-face with David, the leader of the Cannibals. Despite David painting himself as an ally, the resourceful, lie-detecting Ellie sees through his facade.
The Cannibals hunt Ellie through a blizzard and she gets trapped inside a burning restaurant with David. This becomes one of the most terrifying versions of cat-and-mouse ever played as Ellie must keep moving and hiding as David stalks her like prey. When Ellie finally gets the upper hand and exacts her revenge with a machete, the relief is overwhelmingly welcomed.
Fear Of Loss
"Everyone I have ever cared for has either died, or left me. Everyone, f*cking except for you." - Ellie
At its core, The Last of Us is a story about preserving what we love the most. The fear of losing a loved one motivates many of the story's characters: it's why Joel shuns connection, why Bill prefers solitude, and why Abby cares for Lev and Yara after avenging her father's death. At one point, Ellie even tells Sam "I'm scared of ending up alone."
In the beginning, Joel prefers to not get close to anyone. However, over the course of his journey with Ellie, Joel turns on his emotional tap and allows himself to care for her. Joel's love causes him to go to greater lengths to protect Ellie and in doing so, he underestimates the sense of purpose Ellie's immunity provides her. Not only does Joel's fear of losing her cause him to murder Abby's father and many others, it selfishly denies Ellie's wish for her life to matter and the world a chance at a vaccine.