Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2, episode 5!

Stalkers may not be the scariest type of Infected that is introduced in this The Last of Us story, as season 2 has already hinted that the scariest monster from the game could be appearing soon.

The Last of Us season 2, episode 5 brings Ellie and Abby closer to colliding, with Ellie and Dina making their way to Lakehill Seattle Hospital. After encountering a group of Stalkers, the duo is rescued by Jesse. However, the gunshots alert a group of WLF soldiers. After running from the soldiers and a group of Seraphites, Ellie gets split up from Dina and Jesse, with her eventually getting inside Lakehill. There, Ellie chases Nora into the basement of the hospital, with her being unaware that The Last of Us' most dangerous Infected character is nearby.

The WLF's Mention Of Rats Sets Up An Appearance By The Last Of Us Part 2's Rat King

Here's How It Is Teased

In The Last of Us season 2, episode 5, it is revealed that Lakehill is a hotbed for Infected, with a group of WLF soldiers venturing into the basement and becoming infected by airborne spores. In the episode's opening scene, one WLF soldier is telling a higher-up how this happened, with her explaining that they didn't know the spores were in the basement. According to this soldier, they thought the basement was completely empty, with her stating that "not even rats" occupied the bottom of the hospital.

While they may seem like an exaggerated descriptor of how empty Lakehill's basement was, it actually acts as a tease of the Rat King. The Rat King is a monster from The Last of Us Part II, with it being one of the most memorable parts of the game. The Rat King will most likely appear sometime in HBO's The Last of Us series, with this mention of rats setting up the monster for the future.

What The Rat King Is & Why It's The Most Terrifying Infected Variant In The Last Of Us

It Will Be Horrifying To See In Live Action

The Rat King is a boss infected in The Last of Us Part II, with it being one of the most memorable and terrifying parts of the game. The Rat King lives in the basement of Lakehill Seattle Hospital, with it being a connected blob of some of Seattle's earliest Infected. It looks like a horrifying blend of various Infected body parts, with it featuring a Bloater, Clickers, and Stalkers.

The player faces the Rat King while playing as Abby, and it is a fierce boss to defeat. The Rat King is named after the real-life rat king phenomenon, in which multiple rats become stuck together when their tails are tied or when they encounter a sticky substance. The Rat King is simply gross, which is why it will be so scary to see it in live-action.

When Will The Rat King Appear In The Last Of Us Show?

It Will Probably Be In Season 3

Although the Rat King is already being teased, it probably won't appear until much later in The Last of Us. In The Last of Us Part II, the player controls Ellie through her three days in Seattle, with the game then letting the player control Abby through her three days as well. The Rat King doesn't appear until Abby's side of the story, and there is still a bit of Ellie's left before we even get to Abby.

Although it hasn't been confirmed, it is expected that The Last of Us season 3 will tell Abby's side of The Last of Us Part II. There isn't enough time left for Abby in The Last of Us season 2, but there is plenty of time to finish Ellie's story before doing the big switch in season 3.