MOVIE NEWS – The new Stalkers in The Last of Us Season 2 are far more than a rehash of the game—they’re unsettling, intelligent, and terrifyingly human, bringing a fresh kind of horror to the series.

The second season of The Last of Us opens with a bold shift in tone—darker, more personal, and brimming with tension. Right from the first episode, it becomes clear that this is not a simple retelling of the game. This season isn’t just here to jolt viewers with sudden scares—it’s diving into psychological horror territory. Among its creepiest additions is a new breed of infected that rewrites the rules: the Stalkers.

Heads up: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1 of The Last of Us Season 2. If you haven’t seen it yet, consider reading later.

So, what exactly are these things?

Veterans of the game will recognize the Stalkers instantly. But while they’ve always existed in the franchise, the series elevates their menace to a new level. In the games, they fall between the frenzied Runners and the blind-but-lethal Clickers. In the show, they’re more cunning, more unpredictable, and eerily human in both behavior and appearance.

The moment things go south begins with Ellie and Dina on patrol outside Jackson. They enter an abandoned supermarket—a routine sweep. But Ellie crashes through the second floor and gets separated from Dina. That’s when the unease sets in. She realizes she’s not alone. Something moves in the shadows. She stays silent. She doesn’t run. She watches. She stalks.

From this point, the show plunges into full-blown psychological horror. The audience sees the Stalker before Ellie does—a clever move that cranks the tension to eleven. The creature shifts between shelves, crouches behind debris, and moves like a calculating predator. Unlike Runners who charge blindly, or Clickers who track by sound, this infected thinks. It plans.

This Stalker variant isn’t just more dangerous—it’s smarter. Empire magazine notes that the fungus has preserved parts of the host’s brain, letting them “coordinate, hide, and do things we haven’t seen before.” The one shown in Episode 1 is disturbingly human: fungus crowns its head, but the way it moves is undeniably human. It walks. It hunts. It remembers.

In the game, Stalkers already induced panic—slinking in the shadows, waiting to strike. But the series takes it up a notch. Their presence carries emotional weight. When Ellie hears the creature’s moans, it’s not the usual infected growl. It’s something deeper. A mournful, almost ghostlike cry. Human, but wrong.

We only meet one Stalker in the first episode, but this doesn’t feel like a one-off. Its introduction feels deliberate, opening the door to more. These infected could appear in groups. They move with stealth, speed, and lethal intent. If the show explores them further, they could become the most horrifying enemy in the franchise.

Season 2 of The Last of Us is not content with repetition. It’s taking risks, enriching the universe, and challenging expectations—just as it did with Bill and Frank in Season 1. Now it’s doing the same with the infected. The show treats its viewers with intelligence and respect, offering a mature, gripping experience that pushes boundaries without losing its soul. Follow Joel and Ellie’s harrowing journey every week, only on Max.

Source: 3djuegos