Horses in video games usually feel like tools. You press a button, they appear, they carry you from point A to point B, and you forget their names the second the credits roll. But Shimmer from The Last of Us is different. If you’ve played through the opening hours of Naughty Dog's 2020 sequel, you know that this isn't just a traversal mechanic. She’s a character.
Honestly, it’s kinda brutal how Naughty Dog handles her.
Shimmer is Ellie’s loyal companion during the trek from Jackson to Seattle, a beautiful bay horse with a white blaze on her face. She isn’t just some random animal Ellie found in the woods. There’s a history there. She was actually born in Jackson, which is a rare bit of "normalcy" in a world that has basically ended. When you're riding through the snowy outskirts of Wyoming, Shimmer represents the stability of the life Ellie is leaving behind to go on her self-destructive quest for revenge.
What Happened to Shimmer in Seattle?
The moment everyone remembers—and probably the moment that made you want to put the controller down—happens on Day 1 in Seattle. Ellie and Dina are riding through the city, trying to track down Tommy. It’s quiet. Too quiet. Suddenly, a tripwire trap set by the WLF (Washington Liberation Front) goes off.
It’s a horrific scene.
Unlike many games where the horse is "essential" and therefore invincible, The Last of Us Part II doesn't give Shimmer that plot armor. The explosion happens right under her. The force of the blast is enough to throw Ellie and Dina into the pavement, but Shimmer takes the brunt of it. What follows is a short, desperate sequence where Ellie tries to get her bearings while Shimmer struggles on the ground. Then, a WLF soldier shoots Shimmer in the head to finish her off.
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It’s fast. It’s mean. It’s Naughty Dog.
Why does this matter so much? Because it’s the turning point for the player’s empathy. Up until that point, you might feel like Ellie's mission is justified. But seeing a literal innocent—an animal that has nothing to do with Abby or Joel—get caught in the crossfire changes the vibe. It raises the stakes. Suddenly, Seattle isn't just a place where you're hunting people; it's a place that destroys everything good.
The Connection to Joel and Tommy
People forget that Shimmer has ties back to the first game’s legacy. In the Jackson prologue, we see the stables where the community keeps their livestock. Shimmer was one of the horses used for patrols. There’s a specific nuance here: Shimmer was actually the offspring of one of the horses Joel and Tommy used.
This creates a subtle, almost invisible thread. Shimmer is a living link to the safety Joel tried to build for Ellie. When she dies, another piece of Joel’s legacy dies with her. It’s one of those storytelling details that Naughty Dog is famous for—they don't shout it at you through a megaphone, but if you're paying attention to the lore notes and the environmental storytelling, it’s there.
Why Shimmer’s Death Is More Than Just Shock Value
Some critics argued that killing the horse was "cheap" emotional manipulation. I get that. It’s an easy way to make the player hate the villains. But if you look at the game's broader themes of "cycle of violence," Shimmer is a perfect metaphor.
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- She represents innocence in a world of monsters.
- Her death is collateral damage, much like the many NPCs you kill as Ellie.
- She is the first major loss Ellie suffers on her journey after leaving Jackson.
Think about the gameplay for a second. Without Shimmer, the scale of Seattle changes. You go from being a mobile, fast-moving hunter to being a grounded, vulnerable target. The game forces you into the mud. You have to crawl through tall grass and hide in broken buildings. The loss of the horse isn't just a cutscene event; it’s a shift in how you experience the world. You feel slower. You feel more exposed. You feel like the city is swallowing you whole.
Real-World Horse Animation and Realism
One reason Shimmer felt so "real" was the technical work behind her. Naughty Dog used extensive motion capture on real horses to get the gait and the ear movements just right. If you watch Shimmer when Ellie isn't moving, she’ll flick her ears toward noises or shift her weight. These micro-animations are what make her death hit harder. You aren't losing a vehicle; you're losing a creature that felt alive.
Lead animator Jeremy Yates mentioned in several interviews that the team spent an absurd amount of time studying horse biomechanics. They wanted the player to feel the power of the animal. When Shimmer gallops, the haptic feedback on the controller (especially if you're playing the Remastered version on PS5) gives you that rhythmic thud. It’s immersive. And then, in a split second, that rhythm is gone.
The Comparison to Callus and Alice
You can't talk about Shimmer without mentioning Callus, the horse from the first game. Callus met a similarly grim end, though it felt slightly different because Ellie was younger and more desperate then. Shimmer’s death feels more "adult." It feels like a consequence of a war Ellie chose to enter.
Then there’s Alice. Alice is the dog that Abby spends time with.
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The game mirrors these two animals perfectly. Ellie loses Shimmer to the WLF (Abby's people), and later, Ellie kills Alice (Abby's dog). It’s a symmetrical tragedy. If you felt bad for Shimmer but felt nothing for Alice, the game is basically calling you out. It forces you to realize that everyone is the protagonist of their own story, and everyone has a "Shimmer" they’re trying to protect.
How to Appreciate Shimmer on a Replay
If you’re going back through the game for a second or third time, there are a few things you should look for regarding Shimmer that you might have missed.
- Dialogue triggers: In the "Downtown" section of Seattle, there are several optional conversations Ellie and Dina can have while on horseback. These lines reveal a lot about their shared history in Jackson.
- The Journal: Check Ellie’s journal entries before and after the explosion. The shift in tone is jarring and shows how much the loss affected Ellie’s mental state.
- Photo Mode: Use the photo mode to look at the detail on Shimmer’s coat and eyes. The level of "soul" they managed to put into a digital animal is honestly staggering.
The loss of Shimmer remains one of the most effective, if heartbreaking, moments in modern gaming. It serves as a reminder that in the world of The Last of Us, nothing is sacred and no one is safe.
Actionable Insights for Players
To fully experience the depth of Shimmer's role in the story, take the following steps during your next playthrough:
- Don't rush the Downtown Seattle section. This is the only time you get significant "free roam" with Shimmer. Explore the music shop and the synagogue to hear the most horse-related dialogue.
- Pay attention to the horse's "nervous" animations when you are near WLF territory. The AI is programmed to react to the presence of enemies before the player even sees them.
- Compare the "Jackson" patrol horse sequences with the Seattle ones. You’ll notice Shimmer is much more skittish in the city, reflecting the environmental tension.
- Engage with the "Remastered" Commentary. If you have the 2024 Remastered version, turn on the developer commentary. They provide specific insights into the technical challenges of the "Tripwire" scene and why it was framed the way it was.
The tragedy of Shimmer isn't just that she died; it's that her death was the final goodbye to the peace Ellie had found in Jackson. Once Shimmer is gone, there is no riding back. There is only moving forward into the dark.