What will happen in the second season of Shadow and Bone?

By Joseph Last updated Mar 29, 2022

When Netflix’s fantasy series “Shadow and Bone” launched on April 23, 2021, it became an instant hit, based on author Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling book series, colloquially referred to as the “Grishaverse.” Set in the mythical nation of Ravka, Alina Starkov, played by Jessie Mei Li, discovers she possesses magical skills that enable her to call light. Alina is plucked from her usual life as an army cartographer and joins the Grisha, an organization of people with diverse abilities, where she begins training to be the world’s savior and to eradicate the Shadow Fold. The Shadow Fold is a vast swath of territory that divides Ravka, completely black and teeming with creatures. General Kerrigan (Ben Barnes), also known as the Darkling, could produce shadows and has been seeking a solution to the Shadow Fold for an extended period — until Alina arrived.

“Shadow and Bone” thrilled critics and Netflix viewers alike, garnering a whopping 87 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

According to Deadline, the series was so popular that it topped Netflix’s Top 10 list in 79 countries and was watched by 55 million households in its first month. Fans of the series, particularly those who have read the books and are aware of what’s coming, have been eagerly awaiting news of a second season and beyond. Fortunately, we now have an answer, and it is an excellent one. “Shadow and Bone” has been officially renewed for a second season, as revealed by the actors in an official Netflix video clip.

If none of that excites you, here’s all we know about “Shadow and Bone” Season 2.

When will Season 2 of Shadow and Bone premiere?

Now that we have confirmation that “Shadow and Bone” will return for a second season, we can speculate on when the next season will premiere on Netflix. A high fantasy series like this one requires extensive post-production effects work, which means it will take longer to release a new season than a typical drama. With regards the first season of “Shadow and Bone,” the series was announced in January 2019 and the first casting announcements did not occur until approximately October of the same year (Deadline, Variety).

Given the possibility that the cast and crew received approval from Netflix to begin planning and casting Season 2, the second season will — ideally — arrive sooner than Season 1. Our best guess is that Season 2 of “Shadow and Bone” will premiere in late 2022 or early 2023.

Fans will simply have to trust that the longer the wait for the second season, the better. Additionally, showrunner Eric Heisserer spoke with Collider about the show’s future intentions, claiming that “Shadow and Bone” might last “much longer than three seasons,” as Leigh has written so many books and there is a lot of material to cover.

I believe that this will continue robust and healthy through four seasons and beyond.” Thus, if the series remains popular with Netflix, we may be able to embark on adventures with these people for an extended period.

Who will appear in Shadow and Bone Season 2?

Season 2 of “Shadow and Bone” will continue the storey of Alina and her burgeoning skills as the Sun Summoner, as well as whatever schemes the troublemakers known as the Crows have in store, so expect the core characters to return in full force. This includes Archie Renaux in the role of Mal Oretsev, Alina’s best friend (and probably more), Sujaya Dasgupta in the role of Zoya Nazyalensky, and Daisy Head in the role of Genya Safin.

For the Crows, there’s Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, Kit Young as Jesper Fahey, and a couple of others they’re bound to encounter — Danielle Galligan as Nina Zednik and Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar.

In terms of fresh additions to the cast for the second season, a few significant characters from the books are scheduled to appear soon, so fingers crossed for a casting announcement in the coming months. This includes a character named Wylan, who joins the Crows, as Heisserer stated in the aforementioned Collider interview.

Along with Wylan, fans are eager to see Sturmhond, a.k.a. Nikolai, on-screen. While his appearance in the upcoming season has not been confirmed, Sturmhond initially appears in the second book, “Siege and Storm.” Additionally, Bardugo’s statement accompanying the Season 2 announcement indicated that we will be introduced to “privateers,” and if you’re unfamiliar with Sturmhond, he’s an infamous privateer whom Alina and Mal encounter during their travels.

What will happen in Shadow and Bone’s second season?

Season 2 of “Shadow and Bone” will continue the first season’s storylines, with Mal and Alina evading the Darkling. As hinted at in Season 1 and expanded upon in the novels, the two best friends embark on a quest to locate the last magical Amplifiers to prevent the Darkling from obtaining them and to provide Alina with sufficient power to defeat the Shadow Fold. Their exploits will contribute to the expansion of the universe of “Shadow and Bone,” bringing new locations and personalities to Ravka and beyond.

The Crows’ future is less certain. With Wylan’s confirmation, the new season is almost certain to cover at least two of Bardugo’s novels, “Siege and Storm” and “Six of Crows.” The former contains the storey of Alina, Mal, and the Darkling, while “Six of Crows” details Kaz and his crew’s insane theft in Florida.

After Season 1, Kaz, Inej, and Jesper are standing mere feet away from Nina, who is eavesdropping on their scheme. Nina and Matthias are integral to the task in “Six of Crows,” but in “Shadow and Bone,” the Crows must first free the surly Fjerdan from prison. Of course, he does not appear to be overjoyed with Nina at the moment, so we’ll have to wait and see how that develops.

Can’t wait for the fantasy series’s second season? “Shadow and Bone” fans should keep a lookout for updates from the actors and creators in the coming months as development (and hopefully production) on the new season begins.

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