Shadow and Bone

Our Sun Summoner Alina had a lot on her plate this season, forced to protect Ravka from further chaos by attempting to bring down the Fold and Kirigan's reign ...

"Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. "The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now that would be epic. Shadow and Bone season 3 plot: What will the third season be about? (With some new allies in tow, of course.)

In "Shadow and Bone," which is now on Netflix, Barnes plays the baddest of villains. He told Polygon that he just wants to be in a rom-com.

"Who you are as a person will always seep through in the tiniest ways," Barnes said. [Barnes as the Darkling,](https://www.insider.com/shadow-and-bone-creator-explain-darkling-kirigin-fold-backstory-scene-2021-4) a morally-gray man who is willing to destroy the world in order to protect his people. "I keep asking my agents, 'I just want to do a rom-com,'" the 41-year-old actor said. Barnes agreed, saying: "A nice rom-com in a nice cardie." or just kind of douchey characters." Even if they're not the one you're rooting for."

After not hearing from Mal, Alina falls for General Aleksander Kirigan (Ben Barnes), the leader of the Grisha army and a shadow summoner himself. In episode ...

The sun and shadow summoners are also in this group. However, the entire time Nina has been keeping the secret that she is a spy for the Ravkan army. On the ship, she meets Matthias and the two butt heads. It is worth noting that many people see Alina as a saint since she was prophesied, meaning it may be hard to travel the world without being recognized. In the books, they are created using merzost magic and can reform after attacks from swords and guns. Kirigan then manages to find a way to control Alina using the Stag's antlers. Alina is then taken in by the Grisha and separated from Mal. The Morozovas were the only family able to shadow summon and, in fact, Kirigan's grandfather created creatures, such as the Stag, as amplifiers for all Grisha out of his own bones. But he then reveals his true plan: expanding the Fold to attack West Ravka, whose people have been fighting for its independence from the rest of Ravka. [It is prophesied that only the sun summoner](https://www.insider.com/tv-series-that-are-similar-to-shadow-and-bone), who can summon light, can destroy the darkness called the Shadow Fold. [In season two of the Netflix series](https://www.insider.com/shadow-and-bone-author-leigh-bardugo-interview-2021-4), Alina is still on her mission to destroy the Fold. It was created hundreds of years ago by a Grisha, the name for wizards in this world,

Season 2 puts one particular aspect of Grisha culture at the heart of things, as Alina (Jessie Mei Li) and Mal (Archie Renaux) take on the mission of tracking ...

The creature is considered the symbol of Ravka and tied tightly to its history. According to legends, the firebird’s flight path is what drew Ravka’s original borders and the Lantsov family is even said to be descended from the creature. Though Mal gets his life back, he loses his abilities as an amplifier, and with it his tracking abilities and innate sense of his “true north.” Alina also must pay the cost of using merzost. This total slay is what earned Vasilka the title of Saint of Unwed Women. The stag played a prominent role in the first season of Shadow and Bone. But the firebird isn’t the third amplifier; Mal is. Alina gives the order to capture it alive, confident that the sea whip will choose to bestow its power on her the same way the stag did. In the books, we’re given a bit more backstory on the sea whip. However, some residue of the stag remains in Kirigan’s hand, creating a psychic link between him and Alina that persists until Baghra cuts off his hand in her dying moments in season 2. When Mal and Alina find the stag, Alina discovers she doesn’t need to kill it, since the stag chooses to share its power with her. Season 2 puts one particular aspect of Grisha culture at the heart of things, as Alina (Jessie Mei Li) and Mal (Archie Renaux) take on the mission of tracking down amplifiers in order to destroy [the Fold](https://www.polygon.com/22397995/shadow-and-bone-map-ravka-grishaverse). Hundreds of years ago, Morozova set out to create a way of increasing Grisha power to help them better protect themselves from persecution — which is the same line of faux altruism Kirigan hides his own hunt for power behind.

The beginning of a new adventure for this well-received adaptation of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse novels continues its high standard of quality.

This culminates in a fun [Pirates of the Caribbean-esque](https://gamerant.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-best-movies/) chase sequence, buffeted by plenty of slapstick and sight gags, before Alina and Mal charter a ship to a new adventure. The second season continues to raise the bar, helped along by the expectation of understanding that one earns with a second season. Shadow and Bone season 2 is off to a great start. [the conclusion of the first](https://gamerant.com/shadow-and-bone-netflix-season-2-renewed/). The interesting thing about Shadow and Bone is that it really does have something for everyone. For the uninitiated, or those who don't remember, Shadow and Bone takes place in a fantasy world in which a percentage of the population is born with supernatural gifts.

For the second season, the show dispenses with filler and clichés in favor of more characters, settings, plot, danger, fighting, and horniness.

If the power dynamics explored in season one were along ethnic divides—shown through the racism Alina was frequently the target of—then season two is more focused on the power of bad men and the struggle of women to triumph in a patriarchal society. (Showrunner Eric Heisserer famously refused to come on board unless Netflix acquired the rights to Bardugo’s duology Six Of Crows in addition to the Shadow And Bone series.) For all the powers and heists and fights, at heart Shadow And Bone is about people trying to figure out what matters enough to fight for. The latter is meaningful and compelling, but in comparison to Alina’s quest, it feels a little light, and the first few episodes of season two occasionally come off as two separate shows. He’s much more in the background this time around, initially focused on trying to (again) get Alina to partner up with him so they can rule together and then, when she rejects him, turning to the incel playbook and deciding to destroy everything. It’s a vast cast, and the show sometimes struggles to juggle everyone. Our introductions to new characters are also quick, although the acting is generally so good that it’s easy to get a handle on everyone. This season is supersized: more characters, more settings, more plot, more danger, and more fighting—which is partly because it combines the second two books of Bardugo’s trilogy (Ruin And Rising and Siege And Storm). (Those scenes of young Mal and Alina in a field wore out their welcome fast.) Matthias, in particular, suffers and he’s so absent for such large swaths that it’s easy to forget he exists. Oh, and General Kirigan/The Darkling (Ben Barnes) was presumed dead—but in fact walked out of the Fold scarred and followed by some gigantic shadow monsters. Is the fight with others or with ourselves?

It's not just our hero Alina Starkov's love triangle, or mercenaries Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa's “will they, won't they”; this season, it seems that no one's ...

The rapport Alina and Nikolai develop becomes somewhat transformative for both of them; Nikolai, like Alina, is driven by a desire to change the world for the better, but he’s also got a sense of humor that grants Alina the levity she’ll need at times if she’s really going to save the world. That’s not to say that Alina is all doom and gloom this season; while there might not be any baby goats this season (bring back Milo!!!), we do meet a few new players who help to lighten the mood. It turns out, he used a dark kind of magic to create those shadow monsters that stepped out of the Fold with him last season, after Mal and Alina thought they’d left him for dead. Called the Sun Summoner, she must find and harness the power of three magical amplifiers (she found one last season) and use her powers to summon an incandescent burst of light that can cut through the shadows. For those of us who watched the series when it first premiered, jumping back into Season 2 feels a lot like the first; there might be questions like “Where is Ravka, again?” and “What the hell is merzost?” ( [An explainer](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/shadow-and-bone-season-2-all-the-backstory-you-need-to-know) never hurts.) When we first reunite with our central heroes, Alina (Jessie Mei Li) and her best friend (slash longtime crush) Malyen “Mal” Oretsev (Archie Renaux), they are on the run and working to keep Alina’s identity a secret.

Although few know how many exist, the amplifiers Grisha can make and use are important in Shadow and Bone, and become even more so in season 2.

[amplifiers in Shadow and Bone](https://screenrant.com/shadow-bone-morozova-creatures-amplifiers-powers-explained/), there is some debate about which is most powerful. This is what makes the search for the Sea Whip and the Firebird so critical in Shadow and Bone season 2. Throughout Shadow and Bone season 1, the only human amplifiers in the series were Ben Barnes' General Kirigan and his mother, Baghra, played by Zoë Wanamaker. Shadow and Bone season 2 reveals a critical twist that the third of Morozova’s amplifiers, the Firebird, was not a magical creature at all, but a person. Each of these creatures is said to have been made from one of the powerful Grisha’s bones, and each can bequeath their power to one that they choose upon their death. The first sect of these is Morozova’s creatures: the Morozovan Stag, the Sea Whip Rusalye, and the fabled Firebird.

Season 2 of this solid adaptation is cleverly blending multiple Grishaverse stories into an engaging and expansive series.

Episode 2 "Rusalye" is packed with some of the best action in the series so far. Fans will just have to wait and see how the show pays off all the fuses it's been lighting. General Kirigan was presumed dead after the events of the first season finale, but he returns with some nasty scars and a thirst for vengeance. People who enjoyed the unique take on fantasy action will find even more to love. [two new members of](https://gamerant.com/shadow-and-bone-new-characters-season-2/) the Crows already have great chemistry with the existing trio. Fans familiar with the Six of Crows novel will likely be giddy to see the series take more of its source material to the screen. With the help of There's a greater emphasis on playing with new cultures as the show continues to expand its reach. [Shadow and Bone's second season](https://gamerant.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-trailer-prince-ravka-wylan-hendriks/) are directed by Bola Ogun. Mal's talents as a tracker make him invaluable among the crew, while Alina makes new connections with people who are less likely to burn her at the stake. Alina is convinced she'll need a second boost in power if she wants to unfold the Fold before it consumes all mankind. Its supernatural elements don't clash with its more dystopian dramatic ones, and that's part of its success.

With its sprawling second season, Netflix series may be growing up, but it's leaning heavily on its YA roots.

Shadow and Bone may be growing up, but it’s not in a go-to-college-do-your-taxes way. In a post-YA franchise world, this sophomore season may be the closest thing we have to a successor, and it couldn’t be better equipped for 2023 audiences. It’s also clear there’s still room to turn things up to 11 — the series ends with a terrifying cliffhanger that changes everything. That’s not even mentioning the strange psychic bond between Alina and the Darkling that screams Rey and Kylo. It established the world of Ravka, torn in two by a mystical dark cloud full of terrifying creatures. Season 1 of the series did all the hard work.

Binge-friendly show spins traditional tropes into intriguing new directions that could be called “Romanov-chic”

These have made her a person of interest to the Darkling, a Ravka general and magic user. Her talents are highly sought after – especially by Six of Crows gang leader Kaz (Freddy Carter) However, she will help only if they agree to spring a loved one free from a maximum-security prison. But knowledge of books is not necessary. Their home is Ketterdam – a riff on mercantile Amsterdam, full of cutthroats, thieves and corrupt officials. Its denizens also include Nina Zelik, a magical “heartrender”, whose sorcery can flense an enemy’s internal organs and who is played by Dublin actor Danielle Galligan. The look is what might be called “Romanov-chic”, with the kingdom of Ravka explicitly modelled on Imperial Russia.

With the beautiful Ben Barnes taken off the playing field for good, Alina turns her focus back to Mal. Nina fails to bring him back, but then the Sun Summoner ...

And the worst thing of all is that's smiling as she uses it, much like the Darkling used to... We really, really need to know what happens next, and because of deviations in how this season was adapted, Leigh Bardugo's books aren't going to be particularly useful on that front unfortunately. The chemist who created it fled once he realised what he had on his hands, but the Fjerdans quickly captured him with the intent to weaponise the drug for themselves. Nikolai gives Mal his special compass before he leaves, and even dubs him the new Sturmhond, which is rather nice of him, if we do say so ourselves. So with that, he and Alina decide it's best if they separate so Mal can go off on a new path as a privateer. Alina tries to connect to the Firebird's power anyway but pesky Kirigan interrupts and brutally injures Mal with the Cut. When Nikolai looks into the mirror, a shadow monster stares back, which suggests the King of Ravka might just be turning into one himself. Nina can't heal Mal in time so he asks Alina to kill him and save everyone as he's dying anyway. He then asks Alina to join him one last time, which is kind of dumb given how brutal he's just been over Mal, so of course she refuses. Well, no, actually, because that means Mal has to die if Alina's going to fulfil her destiny and save Ravka. [Shadow and Bone](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a36130405/shadow-and-bone-netflix-review/) really took its name to heart in that final episode of season two. [Shadow and Bone](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a36145305/shadow-and-bone-season-2-release-date-netflix/) spoilers follow.

It turns out, Heisserer is already hard at work on a Six of Crows spinoff for the series' misfit band of thieves. Heisserer confirmed the potential spinoff in ...

During Shadow and Bone season 2, Heisserer worked with Deagan Fryklind as a co-showrunner, in part because Heisserer was also working to develop the Six of Crows spinoff, and the two hoped they could share the responsibilities of the two series going forward. For the [Netflix version of Shadow and Bone](https://www.polygon.com/23638754/shadow-bone-season-1-ending-explained), Heisserer decided to bring the Crows in as a major part of the story earlier, essentially combining elements of the Six of Crows books and the first book of the Shadow and Bone main series. [main Shadow and Bone series](https://www.polygon.com/23641219/shadow-bone-amplifiers-firebird-explained).

After two long years, season 2 of Shadow and Bone debuted on Netflix and we finally learned where Alina Starkov, Mal Oretsev, the Crows, and the others ran ...

Shadow and Bone season 1 premiered on April 21, 2021, and was renewed in June 2021. Season 2 premiered on March 16, 2023, and although its future is unknown, it’s possible that a renewal announcement could come within the next month or two. No word on this just yet, as Netflix still needs to confirm that season 3 is happening. The show is based on not one, but *two* series by author Leigh Bardugo: the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. All eight episodes of Shadow and Bone season 2 are now available to stream, but ofc, fans are already wondering when season 3 might drop — or if it’s even happening. I want to spend more time in their world.” Fingers crossed.

Netflix's Shadow and Bone is a hit, but showrunner Eric Heisserer has his eyes set on a different story.

[Entertainment Weekly](https://ew.com/tv/shadow-and-bone-spin-off-six-of-crows/), the show is in “early stages” and does not currently have the go-ahead from Netflix. Heisserer said that he stepped back into a co-showrunner role in season two because “I was busy with the writers’ room for Six of Crows. Although if we were being honest with ourselves, the Crows have always been a high point of the series. According to [Variety](https://variety.com/2021/tv/features/shadow-and-bone-how-they-made-it-1234969633/), he stated that having access to [those characters](https://gizmodo.com/netflix-shadow-and-bone-patrick-gibson-nikolai-sturmhon-1850223814) was absolutely essential for him to sign onto the show. [Shadow and Bone](https://gizmodo.com/shadow-and-bone-season-two-review-netflix-six-of-crows-1850229320) series, he had one condition. Netflix had to get the rights to [Six of Crows](https://gizmodo.com/shadow-and-bone-netflix-season-2-interview-six-of-crows-1850228343) for him too.

With the Crows and Alina (Jessie Mei Li), Nikolai (Paddy Gibson), Mal (Archie Renaux), and all their allies fighting against General Kirigan aka The ...

The Apparat and Nikolai look shocked, and the camera closes in on Alina whose face turns from shocked to a small smile. Because a Fjerdan woman, a Heartrender, is clearly under the influence of Jurda Parem and uses her abilities to attack the king and his guests. Plagued by steamy dreams of Nina and struggling with the emotions he feels for the woman who sent him to prison, he goes to Pekka Rollins (Dean Lennox Kelly) in Hellgate and asks him to put him into a fight even though Kaz has paid to keep him out of them. Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta) and Genya come to visit her and the three of them form a Triumvirate together. And when the Apparat leaves, we see Nikolai undress and see that when he was attacked by the nichevo'ya, and the attack left him scarred with merzost. Nikolai gives him the title of Sturmhond, knowing that Mal wants to be a privateer, and Alina encourages him to take it. In the final episode, we cut to the Fjerdans who see that the Fold is gone in Ravka. Knowing that he is about to die, Mal pleads with Alina to kill him and claim him as the third amplifier, and after a tearful and emotional goodbye, she does so. And when Alina shoves him to the ground, his shadow monster attacks Alina even when he orders it not to. When the whole group is reunited, Alina goes to speak to Mal who reveals that the feeling he had, the connection he felt toward Alina, is gone. She tells him that the world will remember that she and Mal tore down the Fold, but he warns her that what she's done has solved nothing. In the penultimate episode, we see Alina and The Darkling face off, with the two of them using the cut against each other (with Alina's made of light).

In the season 1 finale, Alina wielded her newfound powers as a Sun Summoner to defeat General Kirigan, a.k.a. the Darkling, in battle in the depths of the Fold.

The second season of Shadow and Bone will see the Darkling emerge from his near-death experience in the Fold with a terrifying new power, the ability to create and control shadow monsters known as nichevo’ya using merzost, the power of creation. Meanwhile, the Crows were headed back to Ketterdam to deal with the fallout of failing to kidnap Alina and hand her over to Dreesen (Sean Gilder), the wealthy merchant who hired them to do the job. However, the final scene of the season revealed the Darkling was still alive and had managed to make his way out of the Fold accompanied by some menacing new shadow figures. The Darkling had captured Alina after killing Morozova’s stag, an ancient mythical creature whose antlers have the power to amplify Grisha abilities, and cementing a connection between himself and Alina by welding an antler collar around her neck and embedding another piece of antler in his own hand. [according to showrunners Eric Heisserer and Daegan Fryklind](https://ew.com/tv/shadow-and-bone-season-2-adapt-siege-and-storm-ruin-and-rising/). Season 2 will also once again incorporate characters and plot points from [Six of Crows](https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/5898504/six-of-crows/), the debut entry in a subsequent duology from Bardugo set in the same world.

Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov; Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker; Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa; Kit Young as Jesper Fahey; Archie Renaux as Mal Oretsev; Danielle ...

The series was first released in 2021 and season two aired on Netflix on 16th March. Is there a trailer for Shadow and Bone season 3? The fantasy series follows Alina Starkov (played by Jessie Mei Li) who discovers she has special gifts and has to fight against dark powers in order to unite her world.

Though the series is centered on Alina's story, the Crows are the most engrossing to watch. Kaz (Freddy Carter), Inej (Amita Suman), and Jesper (Kit Young) ...

As for the romance, which is a staple of the books, Alina and Mal’s relationship remains the strongest and most infectious in Shadow and Bone, all due to Li and Renaux’s palpable chemistry. John Wick: Chapter 4 will be available in theaters and IMAX on March 24, 2023 (or March 23rd in Australia/NZ).](/videos/john-wick-chapter-4-official-final-trailer) [The Little Mermaid - Official Trailer“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. “The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”)with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”). In fact, many of the characters aren’t really given any time for development, which is a shame since so many seem quite interesting at first glance. Though the series is centered on Alina’s story, the Crows are the most engrossing to watch. Several of the stories and characters have been scattered, tweaked, and expanded within the season but, somehow, remain fluid and entertaining in the storytelling.

Characters and plots from Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology blend together in the Netflix adaptation. While it's been exciting to see ...

The Six of Crows spinoff is still in early stages. A Six of Crows spinoff would put the spotlight on the Crows of Ketterdam. As the Shadow and Bone series is mostly focused on Alina Starkov’s story, a Six of Crows spinoff would pull directly from that duology.

The news comes just as the second season of the fantasy adaptation became available to stream on Netflix. Kit Young as Jesper Fahey and Jack Wolfe as Wylan ...

[Freddy Carter](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-kit-young-freddy-carter-interview-netflix/)), Inej Ghafa ( [Amita Suman](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-character-poster-inej/)) and Jesper Fahey ( [Kit Young](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-jesper-kit-young-stunt-training-video/)). [Leigh Bardugo](https://collider.com/leigh-bardugo-ninth-house-grishaverse-hell-bent-interview/) are a wonderful source of romance, action and mystery, and the new installment of the television series won't be an exception. [Six of Crows](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-season-2-what-to-expect/). In this new adventure, Alina and Mal ( [Archie Renaux](https://collider.com/shadow-and-bone-archie-renaux-interview/)) will continue their quest to upgrade their powers in order to defeat the evil Darkling ( [Ben Barnes](https://collider.com/tag/ben-barnes/)). [Netflix](https://collider.com/netflix/) has released the second season of [Shadow and Bone](https://collider.com/tag/shadow-and-bone/) has gotten even more exciting for the Grishaverse fans, as apparently the showrunners behind the fantasy adaptation have been secretly working on a Six of Crows spin-off. In the television adaptation, the Crows are represented by Kaz Brekker (

The Netflix show makes a sharp departure when it comes to Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) and Mal (Archie Renaux) and how the season ends.

In a season that is quite literally bookended by this all-encompassing romantic love, it feels like a lost opportunity for the show to say something about the friction between power and the intimacy of a simple life. Petrana: I guess the one thing that can be said of this ending is that it at least keeps Alina and Mal in play for a hypothetical third season. But a quick stab to the chest and he realized that Alina never meant anything to him to begin with. That would have felt substantial, were that section of the story extended so that his loss was felt, or if the season emphasized the tenuousness of the insurgency and how it put Alina at a major disadvantage, but it didn’t! Everything just happened so fast, which I guess is what happens when you’re stuffing in two books’ worth of plot and trying to set up the fan-favorite book in the next season. I understand that impulse to keep the main characters in play, and I do think they made some interesting changes, at least in the abstract. In the books, I was more into the idea of the love triangle, and the notion that maybe one of Alina’s other suitors could be a better fit for her. But by the time we met them in season 1 there was so much flirting that I was genuinely confused about them for a while. But it’s a funny contrast against the plot points that the season does choose to replicate on screen, and how it metabolizes them into the Malina relationship. It’s always been a very romance-forward plot, but I think there’s something beautiful to the idea that you’d chase your best friend — your chosen family — to the ends of the Earth too. But the first season of the show completely eliminates that jealousy and weird petty tension. [Alina](https://www.polygon.com/tv/22371843/shadow-and-bone-casting-diversity-alina-leigh-bardugo) that we got in season 1 — and how much better it was than the books.

Shadow and Bone follows Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) as she discovers powers she didn't know existed and learns that she might be the key to reuniting the ...

Alina and Mal set off together, with Alina hoping to learn how to control her powers with the amplifier so that she can take down the Fold on her own. Alina offers the Crows some of the jewels she was forced to wear, hoping to buy their silence and loyalty, and they agree to keep her plans secret. Mal successfully finds the Stag, and offers the information to Kirigan in exchange for letting him talk to Alina. Once Kirigan and Alina reach East Ravka’s army base at the edge of the Fold, he recruits Durast David Kostyk (Luke Pasqualino) to fabricate the stag’s antlers into amplifiers for him and Alina. Baghra knows that her son doesn’t really want to help Alina destroy the Fold, and that he wants to instead use her abilities to make himself and the Fold more powerful. General Kirigan arrives just in time to save her, and personally escorts her for the remainder of the journey. In the years since, it’s been foretold that a Grisha with the ability to summon the power of the sun would appear to take down The Fold and bring peace to the land. Things go wrong, however, when Arken betrays them and tries to kill Alina for the ruler of West Ravka. While Mal recovers from his wounds, Alina is whisked to the tent of Second Army leader General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), a Grisha who is thought to be a descendant of the Darkling, to test her power. Once Inej is freed, the three meet The Conductor, Arken (Howard Charles), and prepare to cross the Fold in his unique coal-powered vehicle. As Mal is about to be carried off in the winged creature’s talons, Alina begins to glow, unleashing a force of light only told of in legends. [Shadow and Bone](https://www.denofgeek.com/shadow-and-bone/) is set in a world where a shadowy vale full of monsters known as The Fold divides the land.

The Netflix series based on the Grishaverse series by Leigh Bardugo is back for season 2 with a vengeance and a brutal villain arc.

“But he discovers that he’s not going to be able to get her back”—although Barnes does say that Kirigan “believes in his agenda, and is willing to suffer the consequences of chasing it.” “When it comes to Alina, he feels the magnetism and connection and sees something of himself in her,” Barnes adds. In addition to losing control of his power and a lot of the masks that previously protected him, Kirigan also loses a lot of his allies. But it also this power card affords him the opportunity to just tell the truth, how he sees it and sort of really let rip and kind of go full dark on everything because he’s got nothing left to lose.” After stating that his job in season one was to “utilize his charm and manipulation” to establish the social hierarchies of the world, he said “this season, I was excited because those masks have all dropped. However, I think regardless of people’s personal feelings [toward the character](https://gizmodo.com/shadow-and-bone-netflix-season-2-interview-six-of-crows-1850228343), we can all agree: Barnes has an absolute blast chewing on the scenery—and he’s back in season two, ready to look fine as hell doing it all over again.

Leigh Bardugo's Shadow & Bone is one of the biggest and most beloved fantasy book series out there, and when a screen adaptation was finally announced to be ...

The Darkling is definitely the true name and identity of the character in books — in fact, he is not known by any other in Ravka. In the show, though, it is almost as if he is disguised to come off as more likable and approachable in the earliest episodes. While book Mal (Archie Renaux) is far from a fan favorite, many people seemed to really like him in the show. [played by Ben Barnes](http://collider.com/ben-barnes-movies-tv-shows-before-shadow-and-bones-season-2-rotten-tomatoes/)) in the show, but this is not exactly what happens in the books; instead, he catches her off-guard and kisses her first. Meanwhile, in the books, the manipulative character chooses to do so out of ambition and desire for power. The reasoning behind Alina's scar on her hand may not be the biggest difference in the show, but it is nonetheless worth mentioning. It conveys the message of this, what is a very brutal and dominating act." Seemingly, these changes were made in order to give Alina more control over the narrative and send out an important message to younger folks in the audience. In the books, the character isn't described as half Shu — an ancient nation in the south of Ravka influenced by China and Mongolia, which Ravka sees as the enemy for their inhumane treatment of Grisha. Shadow & Bone is followed by Seige & Storm and Ruin & Rising, in which neither of the characters appears. Instead, these beloved personalities are only introduced to readers in the first book of the Six of Crows duology. While the fan-favorite gang of criminals is only introduced later in the book series, they step on-screen very early during the series in what feels like a prequel that tackles the Six of Crow's origins.

Shadow and Bone. Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev in. DÁVID LUKÁCS/NETFLIX. Culture ...

“What I really like is that Alina is a woman, but her gender isn't actually that important. “In season two, we've settled into knowing her a little bit better and then watching as she grows throughout the season.” Played by Jessie Mei Li, Alina’s journey in the sophomore season is very much a continuation of a Grisha coming into her identity and power.

Will there be a season 3 of Shadow and Bone? Netflix's Grishaverse series season 2 is out, and while it hasn't been renewed yet, we do know a few things ...

The Crows themselves are already fan-favorite characters, and now it seems at least some of them will be embarking with Mal on some Here’s everything we know about Shadow and Bone season 3 so far. If we’re judging by the first and second seasons, then we’re probably looking at a two-year gap between seasons. While season 2 is already packed with action and [bursting at the seams](https://www.polygon.com/e/22170223) with plot, that doesn’t mean there [isn’t room for a third season](https://www.polygon.com/e/23405828) — as long as Netflix gives it the green light, that is. [Shadow and Bone](https://www.polygon.com/22394023/shadow-and-bone-review-netflix), but that’s not particularly surprising. They’re amazing human beings, like Jessie just brings a brightness to the set every time she shows up.”