You remember the feeling. That heavy, damp dread when you hear the gurgling rattle of a Bloater. Usually, in the world of The Last of Us, seeing one of those fungal tanks means one thing: run. Or, if you're feeling brave, throw every Molotov and shotgun shell you own at it and hope for the best. But then came The Last of Us Part II, and we watched a flashback where joel kills bloater with machete like it was just another Tuesday in the apocalypse.
It was shocking. Honestly, it still is.
Seeing Joel Miller, older but clearly still a powerhouse, take on the most dangerous stage of the Cordyceps infection with nothing but a blade felt like a massive shift in power dynamics. We had spent years fearing these things. In the first game, if a Bloater grabbed you, it was game over. Literally. They’d rip your jaw apart in a scripted death animation that still gives people nightmares. But in that Finding Strings chapter, Naughty Dog decided to show us exactly why Joel survived twenty years of the end of the world. He isn't just a survivor; he's a force of nature.
The mechanics of the flashback fight
Let's look at the context. This isn't just a random gameplay loop. It’s a scripted, narrative-heavy sequence that takes place about two years before the main events of the second game. Joel and Ellie are out looking for strings for Ellie's guitar (hence the chapter name). They drop into a music store, and everything goes south.
When the Bloater crashes through the wall, the tension is sky-high. Most players immediately reach for their rifle. You expect a boss fight. You expect to kite the monster around the room, dodging spores and praying you don't get cornered. But the narrative takes over.
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Tommy gets pinned. Ellie is struggling. And then Joel moves.
The way joel kills bloater with machete is a masterclass in animation and "weight." You can practically feel the resistance of the fungal plates as the blade sinks in. It’s messy. It’s unrefined. It’s desperate. Most importantly, it’s a moment where the game stops being a "survival horror" and starts being a character study. Joel isn't thinking about conservation of resources here. He's thinking about his family. He hacks away at the creature's legs and shoulders, showing a level of aggression that we rarely see in the more calculated gameplay of the older Joel.
Why this specific kill broke the rules
In the universe established by Neil Druckmann and the team at Naughty Dog, Bloaters are supposed to be tanks. Their skin is thickened fungal armor. You aren't supposed to be able to melee them. If you try it in the standard gameplay of the first game, you get an immediate death prompt.
So why did it work here?
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- Experience over gear: Joel has been doing this since the Boston QZ was established. He knows where the joints are. He knows that even a tank has weak points in the connective tissue.
- The adrenaline of "Dad Mode": We’ve seen Joel do impossible things when Ellie is in danger. This is just the peak of that capability.
- The Machete itself: In the game's mechanics, the machete is a high-damage, low-durability item. It’s the only melee weapon that actually feels like it could carve through bone and fungus.
Actually, if you look at the technical side of the game’s development, this scene served a dual purpose. It established the "new" Bloater mechanics for the sequel. In Part II, Bloaters are faster. They charge. They don't just throw spores; they are physical threats that can bust through covers. By having Joel take one down in a cinematic fashion, the developers were showing the player: "The stakes are higher now, and the rules have changed."
The emotional weight of the blade
There is a subtle detail people often miss. After joel kills bloater with machete, he is exhausted. He’s breathing hard. He looks his age. This is one of the last times we see Joel in his prime "protector" role before the tone of the game shifts into the bleak reality of the Seattle chapters.
It’s also a point of contention among fans. Some people felt it made the Bloaters look "weak." I disagree. If anything, it made Joel look terrifying. It reminded us that the man we were playing as wasn't just a tired guy in a flannel shirt; he was the guy who fought his way across a decimated United States and came out the other side.
The machete choice was deliberate. A gun is loud and distant. A machete is intimate. It requires you to be close enough to smell the rot. By forcing Joel into that range, the game emphasizes his willingness to get dirty to keep his people safe. It’s a stark contrast to the way Ellie fights—she’s quick, uses her switchblade, and relies on agility. Joel is all about brute force and leverage.
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How to handle Bloaters in your own playthrough
If you’re playing through The Last of Us Part II or the Remake of Part I, don't try to replicate this exactly. You aren't in a cutscene. Trying to melee a Bloater in standard gameplay is usually a one-way ticket to a loading screen.
However, you can take some "Joel-isms" into your strategy.
- Leg shots are king: Even if you aren't using a machete, focus on the legs to slow them down. A Bloater that can't charge is just a slow-moving target.
- Fire first, talk later: Fire weakens the fungal armor. Always lead with a Molotov. It "softens" the target, making your bullets (or Joel’s blade in that specific scene) much more effective.
- Environmental awareness: In the music store, Joel uses the tight space to his advantage. In your gameplay, never stay in a corner. Bloaters thrive on trapping you.
What this means for the future of the franchise
With the HBO show bringing these characters to a wider audience, the "power levels" of characters like Joel are often debated. Seeing joel kills bloater with machete provides a benchmark. It tells us that in this universe, human will and sheer violence can overcome biological monstrosities. It sets a high bar for any future iterations of the character, whether in a rumored Part III or in future seasons of the television adaptation.
The sheer physicality of that scene remains a high point in Naughty Dog's transition from gameplay to narrative. It didn't need a ten-minute dialogue. It just needed a man, a blade, and a monster.
Actionable Insights for Players
- Study the "Finding Strings" chapter: Watch Joel’s positioning during the fight. He stays behind the Bloater as much as possible, a tactic you should use in open gameplay.
- Weapon Upgrades: If you want to feel as powerful as Joel, prioritize the "Melee Upgrades" in Ellie or Abby’s skill trees. While they won't let you one-shot a Bloater, they significantly increase your survivability in close quarters.
- Photo Mode Details: If you have a save file near this encounter, use Photo Mode to zoom in on the Bloater’s model during the machete strike. The level of detail in the "shattering" fungal plates is some of the best technical work in the game.
- Dodge Timing: Use this flashback to practice your dodge timing. The Bloater’s swings are telegraphed, and learning the rhythm here will save you during the harrowing "Restaurant" fight later in the game.
The legacy of the Miller brothers isn't just about survival; it's about the lengths they would go to for the people they loved. That machete strike wasn't just a kill. It was a statement. In a world of monsters, Joel Miller was the one things should have been afraid of.