In The Walking Dead season 8, the AMC series tragically killed off Shiva, Ezekiel’s tiger. Introduced early in season 7, the show’s only tiger served as a faithful companion to the Kingdom’s leader. It was said that Shiva came to be in Ezekiel’s company after he saved the wounded zoo animal at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse.
Shiva was by his side when Khary Payton’s Walking Dead character finally made his long-waited debut in season 7’s second episode. She stuck with him closely, and also proved to be a formidable ally in combat against both the zombies and their human enemies, the Saviors. The tiger made multiple recurring appearances in the series, with her last coming in The Walking Dead season 8, episode 4, titled “Some Guy”, which was when the Kingdom was defeated by Negan’s army of Saviors.
After being absent for most of the episode, Shiva showed up at just the right moment. Jerry (Cooper Andrews) and Carol (Melissa McBride) were struggling to get a badly injured Ezekiel to safety. Based on his condition, the heavy losses they had already endured, and the approaching zombies, their outlook wasn’t good. That changed when Shiva appeared out of the blue and sacrificed herself to save her companion. Shiva fought hard, but was ultimately brought down by the zombies, much to Ezekiel’s horror. The way Shiva’s death happened in the show closely mirrored her fate in the comics, which was the show’s intention.
According to The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Shiva dying to save Ezekiel from zombies was a “huge turning point” for his character in the comics, and that’s why it had to happen in the show as well. [via Comic Book]. Just as it was in the comics, Shiva’s death was an important loss for him. Khary Payton has explained that to Ezekiel, Shiva was a “symbol and embodiment of the Kingdom itself”, which further demonstrates how truly symbolic and devastating her death was for him [via THR]. It drove home the point that Ezekiel had lost everything that he had built with the Kingdom. Given everything that happened and how much Shiva meant to him, it’s not surprising that these events launched Ezekiel into a state of disillusionment. It changed his character, and sent him on a load road to being a leader again. For a long time, Ezekiel struggled with self-doubts, as he blamed himself for what happened.
How the scene was set up and how her violent demise played out helped make it one of The Walking Dead’s most heartbreaking deaths. Aside from her strong bond with Ezekiel, Shiva contributed a number of memorable moments to the show, with one of the biggest being when she made a grand entrance in the season 7 finale, saved Carl from Negan, and took out several of the Saviors. Though an entirely CGI character, Shiva quickly evolved into a fan favorite. Shiva endeared herself even more to viewers with her final, selfless act in The Walking Dead season 8.
