What is a clicker in The Last of Us – and can you kill one?

IF you’ve already watched the first couple of episodes of the HBO series The Last of Us you’ve already seen a clicker.

But what are these terrifying victims of the Cordyceps infection, and why are they called clickers?

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Clickers are very dangerous in the games too.[/caption]

Can they see you, why they want to hurt you and how, if at all, can you kill one in the game?

If you’re puzzled by these questions, read on for everything you need to know about clickers in The Last of Us.

What is a clicker in The Last of Us?

Clickers are humans in the third stage of the Cordyceps brain infection, in which the fungus has spread throughout the whole body.

In the game, clickers are people who have had the infection for at least one year.

Their fungal growth has spread to the point of almost completely covering their heads.

Clickers’ prolonged exposure to the Cordyceps fungus has rendered them blind.

Nevertheless, the fungal infection has also increased their physical strength and made them very aggressive.

How do you kill the clicker in The Last of Us?

The best weapons to kill a clicker are the shotgun, the El Diablo pistol, and the flamethrower.

Killing a clicker with bare hands is almost impossible, as the clicker will grapple you after three punches.

If you’re grappled by a clicker and don’t have a shiv, the clicker will inevitably bite you and then it’s game over.

You can kill a kicker by stunning them with a brick first, and then using another weapon to finish them off.

Another melee weapon can also kill a clicker if you sneak behind them and catch them by surprise.

Why are they called clickers?

Clickers are called like that because of the clicking sounds they make with their mouth as they roam around.

These sounds are a crude form of echolocation they have developed due to their blindness.

By making these sounds, clickers are able to make sense of their surroundings, thanks to their unusually strong hearing.

Can clickers see you?

Clickers can’t see you, because their faces are almost entirely replaced by fungal growth which makes them completely blind.

However, their blindness has honed their other senses, giving them strong hearing.

They can perceive your presence even by the most muted sounds you make.

Also, clickers can “see” you, if you are standing directly in front of them.

To avoid clickers, you need to keep your distance and stay completely silent.

If you want to sneak away from a clicker, you can throw a bottle or a brick to distract them.

Written by Stoyan Ovcharov on behalf of GLHF.