How to kill a Clicker in The Last of Us Part 2

The Last of Us 2 is one of the most brutal games to grace the PlayStation, with various types of infected out to ruin your day. The clicker is one of the most challenging monstrosities you will have to face in the game.

While a Clicker might not be as hard to kill as the Shambler, it’s still a worthy opponent, that when part of a group of infected can easily take you out in seconds, and they’re rarely found alone. Thankfully, even when the odds seem overwhelming, there are a few tricks that can help you become more efficient at killing Clickers in The Last of Us 2, and hopefully save your life.

Understanding Clickers

Before going head-to-head with a clicker, it’s worth understanding your enemy, their strengths, and their weaknesses.

Strengths:

• Extremely sensitive to sound
• Lethal if they grab you without proper tools (like a Shiv)
• Tougher than regular Runners and require more effort to kill

Weaknesses:

• Blind and unable to see light (you can use your flashlight safely)
• Vulnerable to stealth attacks and explosives
• Easily distracted by noise (Such as bricks and bottles)

While Clickers in The Last of Us Part 2 might be a strong foe, they are easy to sneak past, thanks to their lack of vision, and can also be easily distracted for the same reason, making them one of the easiest enemies to sneak past undetected. In most cases, players can simply throw a brick or bottle, distracting them and giving them time to make their escape.

If you’re not really the type to walk away from a fight, you can use their blindness as an advantage and completely avoid combat with them. To do this, simply crouch and stay low; this will minimize noise, making it harder for them to detect you. Throw a bottle or a brick to distract them, and use the opportunity to sneak up on them and shiv them, killing them in one single blow.

Killing a Clicker The Loud Way

OK, so how do you kill a Clicker in The Last of Us Part 2 if you don’t have a shiv, are not a big fan of stealth combat, or, in my case, have raging ADHD and don’t have the patience to do things slowly?

Guns and Ammo

• Use a Shotgun: A shotgun can take down a Clicker with one or two well-placed shots, but it’s loud and may attract more enemies
• Aim for the Head: Precision is key. A well-aimed revolver or hunting rifle shot can quickly dispatch a Clicker

Melee Weapons

• Craft and Upgrade: Melee weapons like crowbars or machetes are highly effective. Upgrading them ensures they deal more damage
• Dodge and Counter: If a Clicker lunges at you, use the dodge button (L1) to avoid the attack and create an opening to strike

Explosives

• Molotovs: Fire is a Clicker’s weakness. A single Molotov can kill multiple Clickers if they’re grouped
• Pipe Bombs: Great for clearing rooms with multiple infected, but be cautious of the noise, it could end up attracting more infected and causing you a bigger headache

Be Prepared!

As Jeremy Irons once said, be prepared. And while I’m sure he was talking about the murder of his brother, not a person with an overly aggressive fungal infection, it’s still solid advice that works just as well for Clickers as it does animated lions.

As you progress through the game, Clickers quickly become a much more common enemy, and as I found out the hard way, one of the best ways to defeat a Clicker is to simply make sure you’re stocked up and prepared. Every time you use a Shiv, make sure to craft a new one to replace it. Keep a healthy stockpile of Molotovs, and use R1 frequently to activate listen mode and see what’s around the corner.

While these are simple tasks, they can mean the difference between life and death. So make sure to keep checking your inventory, and don’t ever get caught in a fight against a Clicker without the right inventory to come out on top.