Shadow and Bone‘s first season was a hit when it came out on Netflix in 2021, and as more and more teasers for the second season come out, many people are returning to the first season to refresh their memories. Since it was based on a book series with the same name and had characters from a later book series by the same author, Six of Crows, many people were already excited to see the characters, especially The Darkling, come to life on screen.
Even though The Darkling was a main figure in the first season, people still ask about him for a good reason. The Darkling is one of the most compelling characters to learn more about because he is one of the story’s most complicated and mysterious characters. It is also clear that he is a bad guy. Let’s look at what we know about The Darkling going into Season 2 without giving anything away about the books that haven’t been shown yet.
The Early Life Of The Darkling Is Mostly Unknown
Fans of the book series know a lot about The Darkling because it is based on one of the books. But so far, the Netflix show hasn’t given away too much. People know that a man only known as “The Black Heretic” was a Shadow Summoner, a rare type of Etherealki who can control certain elements. Because the gift is rare, The Darkling must connect to him somehow.
Four hundred years before the events of Shadow and Bone, The Black Heretic, in a fit of righteous rage, made the Fold, an area of pure darkness between eastern and western Ravka full of horrible creatures called velcro. As was already said, Etherealki, which involves shadows, is very rare. The only known people who can control darkness are The Darkling, his mother, Baghra, and The Black Heretic. In the present timeline of Shadow and Bone, The Darkling said that one of his primary goals was to make up for his ancestor’s mistakes from 400 years ago.
But at the end of Shadow and Bone’s first season, it was revealed that The Darkling is actually The Black Heretic. Being born during a time when Grisha was heavily persecuted, flashback sequences show The Darkling’s partner dying at the then-King’s hands, and in response to being cornered by the King’s men, creates the Shadow Fold using a corrupting creation energy called merzost, turning the King’s men into the first volcra.
What Happened To The Darkling?
When Zoya figures out what’s going on, she destroys what’s left of The Darkling. However, The Darkling’s spirit goes into a guy named Yuri Vendenen. So, The Darkling does come back somehow, but not in the way that people are used to seeing him.
Why Was There A Bee At The Funeral Of The Darkling?
Sankta Elizaveta, one of the Ravkan saints and a Grisha, is mentioned by the bee. She is the patron saint of gardeners, and she and two other saints, Sankta Grigori, and Sankta Juris, were trapped in the Shadow Fold. She is always being followed by bees, and the fact that the bee is there is an Easter egg. In King of Scars, Elizaveta takes The Darkling’s body parts and keeps them safe so she can try to bring him back to life.
Even though it seems like Alina (Jessie Mei Li) has done what The Darkling wanted by making sure nothing is left of him in the show, it seems there might be a way out. Elizaveta thinks that The Darkling is the real king of Ravka, so she tricks Nikolai (Paddy Gibson) and Zoya into helping her bring back The Darkling when they return to where the Fold used to be to try to get rid of Nikolai’s nichevo’ya, or shadow monster.
At the end of the season, when the group was facing shadow monsters in the chapel, one of them attacked Nikolai and pierced his shoulder. He told everyone about the injury on the day he was crowned king. When he turned away, we could see dark veins on his face. Then, when he looks at himself in the mirror, he sees one of the nichevo’ya instead of himself. All of this is setting up the story in King of Scars.
Watch The Trailer Of Shadow And Bone Here
Some Series Like Shadow And Bone
Here are some book series that you might enjoy if you liked Shadow and Bone:
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a duology set in the same universe as Shadow and Bone, but follows a different set of characters on a high-stakes heist.
- An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is a four-book series set in a fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, where a scholar and a soldier must fight against a brutal empire to survive.
- The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo – If you enjoyed the worldbuilding and magic system of Shadow and Bone, you might want to check out the original trilogy that started it all.
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is the first book in a trilogy set in the world of Faerie, where a mortal girl must navigate the fae court’s treacherous politics and dangerous creatures.
- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is a seven-book series following an assassin as she navigates political intrigue, magical creatures, and powerful enemies in a high-fantasy world.
- Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – This is a four-book series set in a world divided by blood: those with red blood are commoners, while those with silver blood possess magical abilities and rule over them.
- The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco is a trilogy set in a world of magic, where a young girl discovers her abilities as a bone witch and becomes embroiled in the dangerous politics of her world.
I hope these recommendations give you some ideas for your next series to read!
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