How The Last of Us Bloater came to life for the HBO show

The worst of the worst of the infected has arrived at the HBO show The Last of Us. Season 1 episode 5 titled “Endure and Survive”, introduced for the first time on live television, the Bloater.

The Bloater is the fourth and final stage of infection, and it looks just as gruesome as you can imagine. It seems just when Joel and Ellie are out of the woods, the infected make sure to reveal themselves at the most inconvenient or convenient (depending on if you are Team Kathleen or not) of times.

How did the show bring such a monstrosity to life? In short, it wasn’t easy.

An article by Variety provided all the juicy details, including the fact that the Bloater was played by stuntman Adam Basil whom you might recognize from Game of Thrones. Standing at 6’6″, Basil works with prosthetics designer Barrie Gower, who has quite the resume which includes Stranger Things and Game of Thrones.

The Last of Us: How the Bloater was made

The Bloater suit would weigh 40 kilograms (88 pounds) or more, compiled of a soft and wet suit, separated into sections. Gower explains, “We cast it out of a foam rubber and foam latex, which is very lightweight. It’s almost like an upholstery foam, a very spongy sort of material.”

The process of course, wasn’t over yet. “We had lots of little spines and spiky hairs punched into his body, like little growths burrowing out. To get the shapes to read, we had to cover them in a gloss.”

If you are interested, the article also detailed how Clickers were made. While they are not Bloaters, they are still terrifying, nonetheless.

We’re curious what you thought of season 1 episode 5? When do you think Bloaters will make another appearance on the show?

What did you think of the Bloater from season 1 episode 5 of The Last of Us? Let us know in the comments below!