Highlights
- The Last of Us franchise is inspired by real-world phenomena such as the Cordyceps virus that infects insects, and the Rat King phenomenon where rats' tails become entangled.
- The Rat King in The Last of Us 2 is a grotesque enemy, representing the peak of Cordyceps infection. The boss battle against it is memorable and disturbing.
- Naughty Dog based the Rat King on the real-world Rat King phenomenon, where rats' tails become intertwined. The studio wanted to depict what would happen if infected creatures became stuck together, resulting in a horrifying end.
The Last of Us franchise may be fictional, but its real-world inspirations may be startling for some fans to realize how grounded in fact the series actually is. The fungus which actually spreads across the world is based on a real-life virus known as Cordyceps that infects insects and essentially makes them mindless vessels for the disease. Although it is highly improbable for this to spread to humans, just the fact that it exists at all is enough to send a chill down someone's spine.
This real-world inspiration carries over into the sequel, The Last of Us 2, which introduced a freakish new enemy. The Last of Us series is filled with many grotesque abominations for Joel, Ellie, and the rest of the crew to contend with, but the Rat King stands above the pack as possibly the most nightmarish of them all. Adding fuel to the fire is that once again, this horrible entity was once again created based on real-world facts and science.
Rat King in The Last of Us 2
For those unaware or players who need a reminder, the Rat King was a boss battle that took place during the latter half of The Last of Us 2. While playing as Abby and scavenging the lower levels of a destroyed hospital for supplies, she crosses paths with a hulking creature that is haunting to look at. Essentially just a gigantic blob of numerous undead fused together, it is the peak of what Cordyceps infection can become.
The battle itself is quite lengthy and suspenseful, taking up nearly the entirety of a player's ammo on hand to finally bring the monster down. It makes for one of the game's standout moments and likely stuck in the minds of players long after the game's credits began to roll. However, as ghoulish as the actual in-game boss battle may have been, it's even more disturbing to learn that Naughty Dog didn't pull this idea out of thin air, and instead based on a phenomenon that can actually happen with rats in the wild.
Rat King Phenomenon Explained
The term "Rat King" references a real-world event in which a group of rats all have their tails intertwined, becoming stuck together. This can be caused by a substance like a stick of gum or string becoming entangled with the tails, or they were intentionally crossed together by the animals themselves. This discovery dates as far back as 1564, with numerous other examples of Rat Kings propping up at other points throughout history.
A possible explanation as to why this actually happens is still open for debate among scientists. While some believe that it's completely natural, and happens as a consequence of clusters of rats sleeping together for warmth and becoming stuck, others believe it's a fabricated hoax of people purposely connecting their tails. Whatever the actual cause of this may be, the common prevailing theory is that it's the end result of what happens when numerous rats somehow get their tails woven into a bundle and cannot break free.
Based on this explanation, it's understandable why Naughty Dog wanted to use the real-world name of "Rat King" for its in-game boss battle. The studio wanted to similarly depict what would happen if numerous infected became stuck together after a large period of time. Considering the chilling real-world implications and frightening end result within The Last of Us 2, it's safe to say that the team once again took a real-world concept and translated it into a nightmarish hellscape of something that could potentially happen.
The Last of Us 2 is available on PS4.
