How to defeat the Rat King in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered No Return

Defeating the Rat King in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered No Return roguelike mode isn't a small feat, given it's one of the toughest boss battles in the entire base game. Although the Rat King is relegated to Abbey's storyline in the base game, the boss can appear regardless of your chosen faction (Ellie or Abbey) at the start of a fresh run.

Apart from his intimidating appearance, which far surpasses the scare factor of other infected enemy types like the Clickers, Stalkers, Shamblers, and even the Bloaters, what makes the Rat King a formidable force is his sheer strength and ferocity. And if you're not well-prepared to take on the boss, you will have a tough time.

Thankfully, the Rat King isn't invincible and has a few weaknesses you can exploit to get the upper hand on the boss. Here's a comprehensive guide on easily defeating the Rat King in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's base game and the newly-added roguelike mode, No Return.

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Tips and tricks to easily defeat the Rat King in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

The Rat King serves as the final boss of Abbey's first complete run in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's No Return mode, as well as one of the main bosses in the second half of the base game. After defeating Rat King on your first attempt as Abbey in No Return, the boss can appear in repeat runs randomly, even in Ellie's runs, or any other character for that matter.

While on Mediocre or lower difficulty presets, the boss fight against the Rat King isn't particularly tough, but in Hard or higher difficulties, it can be quite an ordeal, especially due to the bullet-spongy nature of the boss. Here are some tips that should help you defeat the Rat King in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered:

• The Rat King, similarly to a Bloater, takes a lot of ammunition before it goes down. However, you can deal additional damage to the boss if you target its specific weak points.
• There are basically two ways to defeat the Rat King, the first involves unloading as much ammunition as you have access to on the boss. The second method involves breaking the boss fight into two phases.
• If you target Rat King's right appendage, you can basically separate a Stalker from the boss, dealing a ton of damage to it in the process. Doing so also makes the Rat King much more nimble while reducing its defenses.
• However, make sure you kill the Stalker first. If the Stalker is left alive for too long, it can complicate the boss fight significantly, as it can attack you from hiding spots, deal damage, and leave you vulnerable to Rat King's attacks.
• Once the Stalker is dealt with, unload all the ammunition you have at your disposal on the Rat King. I highly recommend targeting the right side of the boss, which is much more vulnerable once the Stalker is detached.

This method works for both the base game and the No Return roguelike mode. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is now available exclusively for the PlayStation 5.