‘Shadow and Bone’ Season 2: What Fans Need To Know
Fans of the Grisha universe can’t contain their excitement for Shadow and Bone Season 2. Netflix released the first season of the magical series to great success. Both fans of the original books and people who love a good fantasy series enjoyed the adaptation, and the giant cliffhanger at the end of the Season 1 finale has fans begging for more.
Here’s everything we know about what’s to come in Shadow and Bone Season 2.
Shadow and Bone Season 1 Recap
Season 1 of Shadow and Bone covered the first book in the series by author Leigh Bardugo, but borrowed the characters from the Crows gang from the second trilogy that begins with Six of Crows. At some point, the Crows may get their own spin-off show after we get more seasons of Shadow and Bone.
But back to Season 1 and general Shadow and Bone lore.
The Grisha universe encompasses multiple countries but most closely follows the people of Ravka. Ravka is the country with the most Grisha, who are people that can use magic, or the “Small Science.” This term comes from the concept that they adjust matter at the molecular level. These people have gifts that fall into three orders when they train for the Second Army. The Etherealki can summon elements such as wind and fire, Materialki can control materials such as metal and gas, and Corporalki can control other people’s bodies.
Ravka is divided into East and West Ravka by the Shadow Fold, a region of impenetrable darkness that plays home to evil, flying creatures called Volcra. Despite the gifts of the Second Army, only one Grisha can destroy the Shadow Fold: the Sun Summoner, the one who can summon light.
Alina’s gift
Alina Starkov discovers she has this power when she travels across the Fold with a team from East Ravka and she unconsciously summons the light to protect them from a Volcra.
Recognizing the importance of Alina’s gift, she is taken to General Kirigan, leader of the Second Army, for training. Once it’s proven she has the gift, Kirigan brings her to the Little Palace to meet with the King. The King insists Kirigan trains her quickly, as West Ravka rallies for independence on the other side of the Fold.
Alina & Mal
While Alina trains, her childhood friend Mal volunteers to find the Stag, a creature Alina saw in her dreams. Grisha can kill specific animals to enhance their power, and the Stag could give Alina the power to abolish the Fold once and for all. Mal is the only person to survive the mission, and he goes to the Little Palace to tell Alina he found it. Alina discovers that Kirigan doesn’t want to help her destroy the Fold, but to use her so he can control it as a weapon. She escapes and meets up with Mal, who also escapes the Palace.
Mal and Alina find the Stag, but she can’t bring herself to kill it. She tries to let it run away, but Kirigan kills it, grafting a piece of the antler to his hand and to her collar bone so he can control her magic.
Kirigan takes her on a ship to the Fold, and she protects the passengers from Volcra by using her power. When the ship reaches its destination, Kirigan grows the Fold to destroy a rebellion growing in West Ravka.
Alina takes control back when she cuts the antler from his hand, and when Mal fights Kirigan back, Kirigan gets taken away by a Volcra.
The Crows, who helped Alina and Mal overpower Kirigan’s forces, go their separate ways from the two heroes. Alina and Mal board a skiff to go explore her powers in safety.
Kirigan, alive by sporting deep wounds, emerges from the deep shadows of the Fold.
Shadow and Bone Season 2 Announcements
The announcement of the renewal of Shadow and Bone came during Netflix Geeked Week. On June 7, 2021, fans got the news that they would get a second season. The next day, showrunner Eric Heisserer told fans via Twitter that the writers already finished Season 2.
Author Leigh Bardugo said, “I’ve been writing in the Grishaverse for nearly ten years now, so I’m thrilled we get to keep this adventure going. There are so many places we’ve barely gotten to visit and I can’t wait to introduce our audience to more of the saints, soldiers, thugs, thieves, princes, and privateers who make this world so much fun to explore. It’s going to be real magic to see our brilliant, talented cast expand.”
Season 2 Production
On January 13, 2022, fans got even more exciting news as Netflix confirmed that production for Season 2 had begun in Budapest.
The fact that filming had started was not the only announcement. Just as Bardugo said, the talented cast did expand, confirming the introduction of some highly anticipated characters.
Jack Wolfe will join as Wylan Hendriks, Patrick Gibson will play Nikolai Lantsov, and Anna Leong Brophy will play Tamar Kir-Bataar. Lewis Tan joins by playing Tolya Yul-Bataar.
Fans of the original series got excited by the character announcement. And fans of the actors were excited to see them join their fellow cast members. These new players have been featured in projects such as The Witcher and Mortal Kombat.
If all goes according to plan, production should wrap in July 2022.
Shadow and Bone Season 2 Cast
The three big names from Shadow and Bone Season 1 will of course return. Alina Starkov, played by Jessie Mei Li, Mal Oretsev, played by Archie Renaux, and Kirigan (or The Darkling), played by Ben Barnes all have open-ended storylines to continue.
Kirigan’s dramatic reentrance from the clutches of the Fold can’t have just been clickbait, right? Thankfully his IMDB page confirms he’ll be there for the next 8 episodes.
While the core cast play instrumental roles in the plot, Shadow and Bones does not stick to one storyline. It constantly switches points of view to give the audience a more full story than just the perspective of one character.
Here’s everyone confirmed thus far as returning for Shadow and Bones Season 2:
- Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker
- Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa
- Kit Young as Jesper Fahey
- Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik
- Calahan Skogman as Matthias
TVLine reported that Daisy Head’s character Genya Safin has been promoted to a series regular.
Shadow and Bone Season 2 Release Date
As production has only just begun, we don’t yet have a confirmed release date. Even if the team sticks to the July 2022 wrap date, the post-production team would have to work overtime to get us the Shadow and Bone Season 2 by the end of 2022.
Fantasy takes an awful lot of post-production work in order to look convincing, and Shadow and Bone Season 1 blew fans away with its attention to detail. We wouldn’t want the team to rush and give us an unpolished product.
However, Netflix has a track record of promoting big sci-fi and fantasy TV shows during the holiday season in order to draw in viewers and build hype. Will they look to make Shadow and Bone Season 2 this year’s big streaming hit? Both fans of the book series and lovers of the Netflix adaptation will just have to wait and see.
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