This is not explained in the HBO series, but the players of The Last of Us are very familiar with the so-called “hot guys”.
The giant infected, which was shown to us in the next episode of The Last of Us series, is called “toplyak”. This is one of the final stages of infection with mutated cordyceps – when the infected person becomes large, and his body is completely covered by the fungus.
As Joel mentioned in the second episode, most of the infected live for about a month, and the scales and goblins stay infected for so long that they completely lose their sight and navigate in space using echolocation.
There are much more nutcrackers, and they can turn into gobblers if they live a little longer – at a new stage, the infected will get a bulky body with pus bags, which they will use to attack their victims.
What do the hobgoblins do in The Last of Us games?
Toplyaks appear as mini-bosses in the main The Last of Us and its sequel. An enemy debuts in survivor Bill’s fortified city – but the third episode of the series took a completely different approach to the story, leaving the giant infected for the events in Kansas City.
This is a particularly strong enemy that can kill a victim with a single blow. Perry’s death in the series, where a thug rips his head from his body, looked especially “sensitive” and it’s good that HBO decided to show this scene only in the background.
This moment haunts me. #TLOU pic.twitter.com/wC7q0MtCip
– Hero Mode | HBO Max (@HeroMode) February 12, 2023
It is impossible to kill a woodchuck with only one Ellie knife. He will have to be shot or attacked with a Molotov cocktail. In the games, there are several hot spots that you can carefully walk through and avoid combat. But if this fails, you will have to spend a lot of resources to eliminate the enemy.
Is this the final stage of infection?
In theory, a normal infected person will either live long enough to become a goblin, or die, and the fungus will grow out of their body and into the environment (in the first episode, Tess and Joel came across a dead infected person that was almost growing into a wall in the Boston quarantine area). However, environmental factors can lead to the development of Cordyceps at various stages of infection.
The Last of Us Part II takes place mainly in Seattle, and while there, Ellie encounters another variant of the final stage of the infection – the skunk. Similar to the hotbeds, these infected are covered from head to toe in fungus, but differ in that they spray acid from their bodies and explode when killed. The reason for this different reaction to the infection is hinted at in the notes found in Seattle – where it is assumed that it was due to the rain and excessive humidity in the city.
The most severe and final form of infection was shown in “The Last Of Us Part II” – the rat king. This gigantic monster appeared due to the fact that several infected people grew into each other and was located on the lower floors of the Seattle hospital – the center of infection in the city.
Toplyak is a rarity in the universe of The Last of Us, so their every appearance in the game is impressive. In the series, the scene also looked quite dramatic, but we will have to wait a little, as HBO will explain the appearance of the firecracker.
We remind you that the first season covers nine episodes, each lasting from 46 to 81 minutes. The series will be released every week, and the final will appear on the air on March 12.
Source: Kotaku