9 and a half questions we have for Shadow and Bone season 3

this season of shadow and bone not only adapted the next book in the main trilogy, but finished the main story of Alina and also drew some plots from the Crows books, and also from one of the companion storybooks. It was a lot, so you might be wondering, Man, is there anything left for an upcoming third season?

It’s a joke! You’re probably not wondering, because shadow and bone Season 2 ended with a lot of loose ends that weren’t actually in the books. And even if it didn’t, there are two separate sequel series that follow different sets of characters and dive into the ramifications of the Ravkan Civil War. However, some of these threads are heralded much more in Season 2 than others, and some could be addressed in a possible six of crows spinoff instead.

[Ed. note: This post contains major spoilers for the finale of Shadow and Bone season 2, as well as the Grishaverse books.]

What’s next for the characters in Six of Crows?

We are finally trapped in the Crows books. A bit. Technically, the six of crows The books take place two years after the main trilogy, but the show has been playing fast and loose with the timeline anyway. And technically, one of the big pivotal moments of the books (getting revenge on Pekka Rollins), which happens in the last Crows book, happened this season. However, a batch it happens more in the Crows books, and the last episode of this season sets the fugitive up for it all.

For one thing, the gang breaks Matthias out of prison, which will likely happen sooner rather than later next season (or in the potential Six of Crows spin-off). they are six of Crows, after all. They also infiltrate a Fjerdan military stronghold known as the Ice Court to escape a Shu scientist, who has developed a drug known as Jurda Parem that increases Grisha’s powers, yes, that drug that Kaz mentions in the last episode and the one that Fjerdan’s agent uses to slaughter a bunch of people at once at Nikolai’s coronation.

So what about that drug?

He Jurda Parem – and the implications that gun use has on the rest of the world – becomes a driving force in the Crows books and beyond. We already saw how devastating its effects are in the final scene of season 2, so it will definitely play a pivotal role in hypothetical future seasons or spin-offs like it did in the books. The drug not only increases Grisha’s powers to deadly effects, but is also highly addictive and weakens the body of its user. The withdrawal symptoms are devastating and only one person (spoiler alert) has been able to survive, and his powers were completely altered afterwards.

Speaking of Matthias, what’s going on with him in wolf fighting hell?

Matthias, a broad, blond, handsome man, presses his face against the bars of a jail cell.

Now this is something that really doesn’t have book precedent! As mentioned above, Pekka Rollins gets what he deserves at the end of crooked kingdom – meaning that he and Matthias are never actually in jail at the same time in the book’s timeline. This could introduce some juicy roadblocks to the eventual “break Matthias out of prison” storyline, and also pit Kaz against his arch-nemesis again. However, hopefully Matthias survives this cliffhanger of a wolf fight.

Are Alina and Nikolai still engaged?

You know… we just don’t know. They never officially dissolve her engagement, and during Nikolai’s coronation, she wears a large crown and stands next to Nikolai, so that seems very likely. This is definitely in contrast to her books, where she officially breaks things off (especially considering that she faked her death and marries Mal in the epilogue). But as far as we know, it seems they’re still engaged, albeit totally platonically. This could add some angst to Alina pining for Mal, and add some complexities to Nikolai’s future romance arc.

Are Mal and Inej getting a Sailor Bow?

wrong on board a ship, looking longingly at the rig

It sure looks like that! While it’s sad to see Nikolai part with his dual Sturmhond identity, we can’t deny that Archie Renaux rocks that pirate coat. In the books, Inej does Grab a boat and set sail, but only after all the Ravens’ missions are over. Considering the Ravens’ great feats are just beginning, it’s likely that Inej will return to Ketterdam at least for a while. Meanwhile, Mal’s arc is a blank slate, so she’s free to sail to the horizon and find true north of it or whatever.

Has the Darkling completely gone?

At the end of the season, Alina kills General Kirigan. They burn his body and everything. He seems totally dead.

However, this isn’t the last we see of the Darkling in the books. After all, it’s hard for a sexy, all-powerful (and most importantly) fan-favorite Shadow Summoner to stay dead! In Nikolai’s Duology, the most recently occurring books in the Grishaverse timeline, some characters are tricked into performing a ritual to revive the Darkling. His soul returns and possesses the body of Yuri, one of his most ardent followers. They have something of a Ghost Rider of two souls in one body. So, it’s very likely that we’ll see Kirigan return… just not in the form we know him.

But I love Ben Barnes!

ben barnes as the dark one, yelling and throwing a tantrum

We also! I wouldn’t put it above Netflix to integrate Barnes in any way, be it through flashbacks or the physical manifestation of the voice inside Yuri’s head. Or maybe Barnes will finally get the rom-com he so desperately deserves. We can only wait.

If David is dead, who comes third in the Grisha Triumvirate?

In the books, Alina names Zoya (an Etheralki), Genya (a Corporalki), and David (a Materialki) as the Grisha Triumvirate, three leaders to oversee the Second Army. They each represent a different faction of the Grisha, but the idea is to give each faction a voice and do away with unnecessary differences between them.

But there are two big differences in the show: David is dead and Alina is No pretending to be dead So, presumably, Alina takes the third seat, with Zoya and Genya next to her. They call their new alliance a triumvirate, though it definitely lacks the Materialki presence. Then again, the class differences between Grisha weren’t as big a point of tension on the show.

What’s up with those bees in Zoya in the Fold?

It’s a very small moment in the final episode, but something that people reading king of scars could get caught. As everyone gathers in the barren remains of the Fold to view Kirigan’s funeral pyre, Zoya hits a bee that won’t leave her alone. This could be foreshadowing her arc in king of scarswhere she and Nikolai walk into the Fold and meet three mystical saints, one of whom is associated with bees and has a whole swarm of them following her.

Nikolai… is he okay?

Nikolai in his military uniform receiving an encouraging pat on the shoulder from another uniformed boy

Good! He’s alive, if that’s your question. But he’s definitely feeling the effects of being attacked by one of the Darklings. nichevo’ya. While the battle isn’t as intense as it is in the books, where the Darkling’s merzost ends up transforming Nikolai into a monstrous carnivorous demon bird creature, judging by the creepy shadowy creature Nikolai sees in the mirror, it definitely infuses him with something.

Going by the books, Nikolai will spend a lot of time wrestling with his own inner demon (literally) and trying to find a way to tame it. So, we can certainly expect more of Nikolai’s hidden darkness and carnivorous demon transformation, as he, too, figures out how to repair his kingdom and move on. And he’ll also maybe fall for Zoya in the process (Zoyalai rights). If the Crows get their own spinoff series then it would make sense for the next season of shadow and bone to focus on the characters that are still in Ravka, especially Nikolai and his little problem with the carnivorous demon.

shadow and bone Season 2 is now available on Netflix.