While the main obstacle that players will need to overcome in both Left 4 Dead games is the incredibly fast and dangerous zombies, there are also a few slightly more powerful enemies who they will similarly need to deal with, and these are known as the Special Infected. These zombies have mutated in unique ways to grant them a special ability that can prove to be incredibly dangerous if they manage to use it on a survivor, especially if they're separated from the rest of the team.
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Luckily, Special Infected zombies will let out some sort of noise to signify that they're nearby, but these are often terrifying screeches or unnerving howls that are guaranteed to send a chill down the spine of even the most seasoned horror veterans. All of these unique enemies are scary in their own ways, but there are several that really take the cake for being utterly horrifying, and it's these enemies that this list is going to focus on today.
6 The Smoker
The Smoker's Grotesque Design And Dangerous Tongue Ability Makes It A Terrifying Sight To Behold
The Smoker's unique ability is its absurdly long tongue, which it can use to drag in survivors from a distance, and while this might not seem to be much of an issue at first, it's when this enemy appears over a gap or near a car alarm where it becomes a real threat. Smoker can easily pull the player into a noise to alert the horde, and can even drag them over a cliff if they're set up in the perfect position, and while their constant coughing does give away their position, it's also much more subdued and harder to catch compared to the other Special Infected.
It also needs to be noted just how unnerving the Smoker's design is, especially in the second game where the person that initially became infected has mutated beyond the point of recognition, with large sacks covering most of their face and more than a few tongues dangling around their body.
5 The Tank
The Only Way To Avoid Getting Clobbered By The Tank Is To Run As Far Away As Possible
It's not necessarily the muscular design or loud yelling that makes the Tank such a menacing sight, it's simply knowing just how much carnage he's capable of causing if he manages to get up close and personal with the survivors. While he's able to fling humans across an area with a simple punch, he's also capable of flinging cars at them, or even ripping out a chunk of concrete to lob their way if he's struggling to reach them.
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He's a true force to be reckoned with, and the intense music that plays when he's nearby is a warning to run as far away as possible since this behemoth is capable of wiping out an entire team without even breaking a sweat, and it's this immense power that makes him such a scary enemy.
4 The Jockey
The Small But Fast Jockey Lets Players Know It's Nearby With Its Constant Disturbing Giggles
Because the Jockey is so small and fast on its feet, it makes it incredibly hard to actually know where it is, even though its disturbing giggles can be heard from a mile away. If the Jockey manages to leap onto its target, it will then ride them in the direction of its choosing, and while other survivors are able to knock him off with a simple melee attack, it's also very easy for the Jockey to silently steal away a survivor without anyone even knowing.
What's more is, the Jockey is even capable of riding a survivor off a ledge or cliff which will instantly kill the player, making them an incredibly dangerous, but also very unnerving enemy, especially when also taking into consideration their small impish design and cackling noises that can occasionally be heard.
3 The Hunter
The Hunter's High-Pitched Screech Is A Noise That No Left 4 Dead Player Can Ever Forget
The Hunter's ear-piercing screech that it lets out when using its leap attack might just be the most terrifying noise out of all the Special Infected. When he's crouched and searching for his prey, the Hunter will only make a slight growl which can be incredibly anxiety-inducing, since it means that at any moment, he's going to pounce on an unlucky victim. This becomes twice as distressing when a player is left on their own and separated from the team since it makes them the perfect target for the Hunter to attack.
Unlike a lot of its peers, the Hunter actually doesn't show a lot of its body or face, since most of it is concealed in darkness. With that being said though, it's still possible to see its grizzly mouth when up close, which is dripping with blood, along with its bright red beady eyes, which are often the last thing their victims will see before being torn to shreds.
2 The Spitter
The Spitter's Monstrous Design And Unnerving Noises Make It Pure Nightmare Fuel
While the Spitter's ability is pretty straightforward and easy to avoid, it's her design and audio queues that make her such a scary enemy to be around. The Spitter has a grotesquely large mouth that suits its ability to hurl out acid projectiles at the survivors, and when it's simply walking around trying to find the best angle to take its shot, it can be seen drooling acid onto the floor, which is an incredibly creepy visual.
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She doesn't have a large screech or yell that lets people know that she's hunting her prey. Instead, the Spitter has a very faint but uncomfortable squealing noise that sounds as though it's struggling to contain all the acid building up in its body. Valve really went above and beyond to make the Spitter's design truly horrifying, looking like a monster that was ripped straight out of Silent Hill or Resident Evil.
1 The Witch
She May Look Weak, But The Witch's Deadly Attacks And Creepy Music Make Her A Truly Horrifying Enemy
There are a lot of unwritten rules in the Left 4 Dead games that players must follow in order to make it through each area in one piece, but by far the most important one is to be quiet when hearing a Witch's cries because otherwise, it can end in disaster extremely quickly. The Witch is a Special Infected who can usually be found sitting alone in a random spot on the map while crying her eyes out, and while it can be easy upon first glance to mistake her for a troubled survivor, the whole thing is a ruse to try and lure humans in, before attacking them with a fierce barrage of slashes which will instantly down them.
The Tank may be an absolute powerhouse in his own right, but at least his cumbersome physique makes him fairly easy to outrun. In the case of the Witch, she will relentlessly chase down anyone who provokes her until they finally give up running and simply accept their fate. The Witch's giant claws and long flowing hair are very reminiscent of The Grudge, along with her menacing red eyes which will always be dead-set on her attacker. Pair this with a frightening choir medley that plays when she appears, and the fact that she can walk around in the second game, and it makes the Witch one of the scariest enemies in all of gaming.
