The Infected (The Last of Us)

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|-|Shambler=
|-|Rat King=
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==Summary==
The Infected are humans who have been infected and subsequently mutated into horrific new forms by the Cordyceps Brain Infection. The resulting creatures are aggressive and will attack any uninfected human on sight.
The Infected are the result of a sudden outbreak of a mutant Cordyceps fungus that now affects human beings instead of insects. The fungus reportedly originated in South American crops; various newspapers in the prologue support this claim. The fungus infects the human brain, growing mycelium inside the brain tissue and killing the brain's cells. This erases their memories and drives them insane, modifying their instincts to seek no goal other than spreading the spores to others. Eventually, the fungus kills its host and then grows out of its body to spread spores.
==Powers and Stats==
Tier: | | | 
Key: Runners & Stalkers | Clickers | Bloaters & Shamblers | The Rat King
Name: Infected
Origin: The Last of Us
Age: Varies
Gender: Varies
Classification: Zombie
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Disease Manipulation (Through their bite), Immortality (Type 2 and 7), Stealth Mastery (Can sneek up on people with enhanced senses), Natural Weaponry, Resistance to Pain and Fear | All Previous Abilities, Enhanced Senses (Can use Echolocation) | All Previous Abilities, Explosion Manipulation & Acid Manipulation (Via mycotoxin bombs), Limited Light Manipulation (Their armor glows in the dark) | All Previous Abilities, Fusionism (Is the fusion of several infected), Limited Duplication (The Clicker half of the Rat King can split off from the main body, making there be 2 combatants)
Attack Potency: Wall level (Can harm individuals like Joel and Abby, The Last of Us (2013)The Last of Us Part II (2020)) | Wall level ( Joel and EllieThe Last of Us (2013)The Last of Us Part II (2020)) | Wall level (The Last of Us Part II (2020)) | Wall level (The Last of Us Part II (2020)) 
Speed: Athletic Human combat speed and reactions (Can catch up to sprinting humans with ease) | Athletic Human (At least comparable to other Infected. Can easily outrun Ellie and Abby) | Athletic Human | Athletic Human 
Lifting Strength: Peak Human (Somewhat scalable to Joel and Ellie) | Class 1 (Can easily overpower Abby, requiring her to use a shiv to get them off of her) | At Least Class 1 | At most Class 5 (Could shake around an ambulance truck. Easily lifted Abby into the air)
Striking Strength: Wall level | Wall level | Wall level | Wall level
Durability: Wall level | Wall level | Wall level (The Last of Us Part II (2020)) | Wall level (The Last of Us Part II (2020))
Stamina: Superhuman (Can run and fight for long periods)
Range: Standard Melee Range
Standard Equipment: Fungal Armor (Bloaters and Shamblers), Spore Pods (Bloaters), Corrosive Spores (Shamblers), Fungal Claws and Teeth (All Stages)
Intelligence: Animalistic. The majority of the Infected exhibit limited cognitive abilities, akin to those of feral animals, driven primarily by instinctual aggression. A notable deviation from this behavior is observed in the Stalkers variant. These creatures demonstrate a more sophisticated approach, embodying the traits of ambush predators. They possess the skill to stealthily stalk and assault their targets, leveraging the element of surprise to their advantage, especially in environments with low light.
Weaknesses: A key vulnerability of the Infected, consistent across all stages of mutation, is their susceptibility to brain damage; any significant harm to this area results in their death. Another constant weakness is their sensitivity to fire, effective in destroying them at any stage. Additionally, as the Infected progress through more advanced stages of mutation, they experience a marked decrease in visual acuity, trading off sight for heightened hearing and increased physical strength.
==Notable Matchups==
Victories:
Losses:
Inconclusive:
==References==
Category:Characters
Category:Zombies
Category:Undead
Category:Monsters
Category:Immortals
Category:The Last of Us
Category:Game Characters
Category:Primary Antagonists
Category:Final Bosses
Category:Enhanced Senses Users
Category:Sound Users
Category:Disease Users
Category:Bodily Weaponry Users
Category:Horror Characters
Category:Fungi