Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are taking on the main roles, and trailers for the new HBO show have shown fans a glimpse of how they will encapsulate characters who have quickly become iconic. The game released at a time when zombies were all the rage, but the enemies they face are rooted in reality, being affected by a mutated cordyceps fungus that causes severe psychological and motor deficiencies. One is the most menacing of all, and the enemy type will feature in the show, but the Bloaters have to be as threatening as the ones present in the Naughty Dog masterpiece.
RELATED: The Last of US TV Series Needs to Touch on Joel and Ellie’s Little Moments
Bloaters Have So Much Narrative Potential
The story of The Last of Us is carved out of a gameplay loop that has players battling through zombie-like enemies. The unnerving tone throughout rests on the threat of the infection, and how the world has changed in the 20 years that the virus has been in effect. Bloaters are the result of the outbreak taking its toll the longest, with the fungus spreading rapidly to all parts of the body and creating the most spores. From Joel and Ellie’s first encounter with a bloater in the school gym, it is made clear that the enemy is a tough challenge to overcome, and when they sporadically pop up they make for tense gameplay moment. Even more importantly, the Bloaters instill a genuine sense of dread that they could be around every corner.
The HBO show doesn’t have the luxury of using gameplay to make those experiencing the story feel anxious, but thankfully Bloaters offer narrative potential, too. Should Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie come across one -and the trailer implies they do - the episode in which it appears can center around the encounter, and adequate time should be given to making them feel truly terrifying. Bloaters give players/viewers the chance to learn how the two protagonists handle something almost beyond their capabilities, capturing them during a moment of pure adversity, thus strengthening their heroism when they narrowly escape with their lives.
HBO Brings Expectations for The Last of Us
Recreating The Last of Us for television is a huge undertaking, but HBO is the most natural fit to make it something special. It’s a network that has plenty of stellar shows like Euphoria, Succession, and House of the Dragon, all of which never shy away from mature themes. Bloaters in The Last of Us offer moments of brutal action, but also something utterly terrifying, and fans of HBO who have never experienced the Naughty Dog game will expect the show to wield its maturity on its sleeve.
The Last of Us is as uplifting as it is frightening, but retaining the dread that is felt when stumbling across a Bloater has to be replicated in the show if it is going to capture all sides of a game that has quickly become one of the best ever made. They provide the most tense combat encounters throughout, and do well to balance the high number of stealth segments. The show has the gift of being able to replicate the fights, and plenty of fans will be eagerly anticipating the moments where Joel and Ellie take on The Last of Us’ biggest and most formidable foe.
The Last of Us Part 1 is available for PlayStation 5.
MORE: Why The Last of Us Series’ Savage Starlight Would Make Sense as Naughty Dog’s New IP
