Terraria: All You Need Know About Shimmer (Update 1.4.4)

Shimmer is a pink liquid which is made from a bottomless water bucket and 10 luminite bars. When in it for a short amount of time, you will lose control of your character and start moving down, and keep moving down until a open spot is found that the player can fit in, after which you regain control. Shimmer also will turn into aether block if it comes into contact with other liquids. Shimmer will also reflect any projectile off of it, and cannot be fished in or put in a bucket. You also can’t use your grappling hook in it.

The main point of this liquid is shimmering: transforming objects and npcs that land in the liquid into something completely different.

Slime > Shimmering Slime

Critters > Faelings

Town NPCS will swap between their normal form and their “Shimmered” form. I don’t know if all of these are, but I know some of these are references to other games/media.

The Town Pets have no variations.

The cultists do… something. They disappear like they were shimmered, but instead of shimmering, they just slowly fade back into existence.

Bosses don’t seem to be affected, but I haven’t tested all of them.

Any items not listed here either aren’t affected or will be split into their crafting recipe’s components if it is a craftable item.

Star cloak > Chromatic cloak

Rod of Discord > Rod of Harmony

Torch > Aether Torch

Arrow/Hellfire Arrow > Shimmer Arrow

Any Fruit > Ambrosia

Life Crystal > Vital Crystal

Life Fruit > Aegis Fruit

Mana Crystal > Arcane Crystal

Enchanted Sundial > Enchanted Moondial

Spell Tome > Advanced Combat Techniques: Volume 2

Clentaminator > Terraformer

Gold Worm > Gummy Worm

Any non-normal wood > Wood

Wood, any stone, and any mud > dirt

Ice block > Snow Block

Cycle between Discount Card > Gold Coin > Gold Ring > Discount Card

Cycle between Weather Radio > Fisherman’s Pocket Guide > Sextant > Weather Radio

Cycle between Pumpkin > Cactus > Pumpkin

Cycle between Bottomless Water Bucket > Bottomless Shimmer Bucket > Bottomless Water Bucket

Angel Statue > Aether Monolith*

The Aether Monolith is a special case. When equipped or placed and activated, almost everything will go pitch back with a starry background. When some blocks are near a light source, they will glow, even after the light source is removed. I am currently unsure to whether or not this relates to if they can be shimmered or not.