Origin stories in pop culture are very fascinating to explore. You may be familiar with the origin story of Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” villain, Maleficent, discussed in the 2014 self-titled film. Disney also managed to narrate the origin story of “101 Dalmatians” archenemy Cruella de Vil in a recent movie titled “Cruella,” portrayed by 2024 Oscars Best Actress, Emma Stone. Of course, will we forget about the dramatic telling of the origin stories of Batman’s villains in Fox’s “Gotham”?
In gaming, learning the origin stories of game characters is also worth your time, such as the disgusting Rat King in “The Last of Us Part II.” Did you know that its origins date back to the 16th century? This and more as you read on.
The Rat King
The Rat King is the name given to a terrifying Infected in the second game in “The Last of Us” franchise. It is a superorganism comprised of several clickers, stalkers, and a bloater that the Cordyceps fungus has connected together. It may be named a “rat,” but its size is almost the same as that of a human!
Its Origins
The Rat King isn’t something Naughty Dog just thought of out of nowhere. It’s actually based on history. The first known sighting of a Rat King was in 1576 when servants in Antwerp, a city in Belgium, stumbled upon seven rats with tails tied together in a knot. Just imagining that is already disgusting. Rat Kings then became a staple in folklore horror, inspiring several storytellers, including even Stephen King.
If you ask how those rats managed to tie their tails together in a knot, it’s actually by accident. So happened that their tails got tied together while asleep. It has been said that they eventually die after this.
It is also interesting to note that rats were also the carriers of the world’s first pandemic, the bubonic plague, which came from fleas on rats, whose second wave was during the 1500s (the first wave was in the 14th century).
This Rat King from the 16th century became the basis of Naughty Dog’s Cordyceps virus – and it had been years in the making. Interesting.
The developer had actually been in possession of the idea of including the Rat King in the game, but they found no place to put it.
“Even during development of the first game, we were thinking about what two infected stuck together would look like,” Anthony Newman, co-director of “The Last of Us Part II,” said. “Visually, it was just a really exciting idea.”
They almost gave up as the monster was eventually set aside as Naughty Dog struggled to find a scene where it could belong within Joel and Ellie’s original journey.
But, all hope isn’t lost when, several years later, the studio storyboarded a trial-by-fire sequence for Abby, the second protagonist in the game. That was when the Rat King found its place.
How To Defeat The Rat King
So, how do you beat the Rat King when you encounter it in the game? The first is just to run away. From the moment the Rat King attacks, just run away and never turn back. Keep running until you get to an open space where Abby will say she’s willing to fight back. A way forward will present itself to you.
But once you’re in the open space, don’t go looking for an exit. The only way out is by killing the Rat King. Use some incendiary shotgun shells to shoot it. Or, use your flamethrower to blast it. But you must still keep running. If the Rat King breaks into a couple of clickers, use a shiv to kill them.
Standing your ground and shooting are not the best moves, as you’ll just get defeated. Short bursts are ideal for the Rat King’s downfall.
Play “The Last of Us Part II” on PlayStation 4 and 5.
