The Last of Us 2: How to Beat the Rat King (The Easy Way)

The Last of Us 2 has many terrifying new enemies from its predecessor, but the Rat King is by far the worst. Here's how to destroy this monster.

When players reach the Ground Zero chapter of The Last Of Us Part 2, Abby will encounter the Rat King boss in the hospital. While this boss isn't like any of the other tougher enemies from the franchise, it is the most challenging one to beat. Since the Rat King is part Bloater and part Stalker, it is bound to have unique abilities that can be hard to deal with if players aren't well prepared.

The Rat King is perhaps the most demanding and terrible boss in the game, and it would be prudent that players have enough resources to craft ammo, throwables, and healing items before heading into this battle. The boss can rush players and instantly kill Abby if it manages to grab her. The Rat King can move as fast as a Clicker and has brute strength comparable to a Bloater. Therefore, it is necessary to use a specific tactic to defeat this boss.

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The best tactic to use in The Last Of Us Part 2 is to always be on the move and use the environment to block the Rat King's access to Abby. Players must always keep a safe distance from the Rat King as it can instantly kill Abby by rushing her. Therefore, players are advised to make use of all obstacles, such as walls and barriers, to slow down the Rat King. These obstacles can slow down the Rat King if it crashes into any of them.

The Rat King can break through walls, giving Abby access to a whole to get away, as it also slows down the boss' movement.

With enough distance between the Rat King and Abby, players should use Pipe Bombs to do considerable damage to the Rat King; a method also used to kill a Shambler. However, it is necessary to always be at a safe distance so that players have enough time to craft more Pipe Bombs. Alternatively, players can also use a Flamethrower as it is quite effective against the Rat King.

While running, make sure to collect all resources scattered around the area, such as ammo, alcohol, canisters, and explosives.

After some while, a cut scene will depict a Stalker separating from the Rat King, who will also start hunting Abby along with the Bloater half. Since there are two different types of zombies to deal with, players are recommended to first kill the Bloater half.

Players must keep a safe distance from the Bloater half of the Rat King and keep damaging it with Pipe Bombs, Shotgun shots, and the Flamethrower, all while avoiding the Stalker as well. Eventually, the Bloater will be defeated; however, the boss fight isn't over yet. Therefore, players should collect all resources and craft every offensive item in their inventory.

Then, head towards the Exit, where they will once again encounter the Stalker. The most effective way to kill the Stalker is using the Double Barrel Shotgun with Incendiary Shells. Once the Stalker has been defeated, the Rat King boss fight will end.

While The Last Of Us Part 2's Rat King boss might be the longest and toughest boss battle in the series, following the above strategy has proven to be the most effective. The Rat King only appears once in The Last Of Part 2, but players still have plenty of the story to experience after this battle.

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India MacGregor is a writer, illustrator and gamer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is a Full Sail graduate with her bachelor's degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment. As a connoisseur of high fantasy and post-apocalyptic media, she prides herself on digging up lore.