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

this season of Balls and Bones not just adapting the next book in the main trilogy — it end Main story of AlinaAnd But also pull in some plot from the book of Crows, and But also from one of the companion short story books. That’s a lot, so you might be wondering, Man, is there anything left for the upcoming third season?

Just kidding! You may not wonder that, because Balls and Bones season 2 ended with a lot of loose ends that weren’t really in the books. And even if it doesn’t, there are two separate sequels that follow different sets of characters and delve into the ramifications of the Ravkan Civil War. However, some of these topics are more foreshadowed in season 2 than others – and some can actually be addressed in a way that might be. Six crows sub branch instead of.

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

Image: Netflix

What’s next for the Six of Crows characters?

We finally caught up with the Crow books. type. Technically, the Six crows the books take place two years after the main trilogy, but nonetheless the show moves fast and loose with the timeline. And technically, one of the key moments in the book (revenge against Pekka Rollins), which happened in the last Crows book, happened this season. However, one much a lot more happens in the Crows books — and this final episode prepares them all.

First, the gang gets Matthias out of jail, which will likely happen sooner than later next season (or possibly in the Six of Crows spinoff). they are six of the Crows, after all. They also infiltrate a military stronghold of Fjerdan known as the Ice Court to destroy a scientist Shu who developed a drug called jurda parem that enhances Grisha’s power – yes, that thing the drug that Kaz mentioned in the previous episode and the one that agent Fjerdan used to slaughter tons of people at once at Nikolai’s coronation.

So what happens to that drug?

The jurda parem – and the effects of its weaponization on the rest of the world – became the driving force in Crows books and beyond. We saw just how devastating it could be in the final scene of season 2, so it’s sure to play a pivotal role in future hypothetical or book-like spinoffs. This drug not only increases Grisha’s power to deadly effects but is also highly addictive and weakens the user’s body. Withdrawal symptoms were devastating and only one person (spoiler) was able to survive after that – and their powers were completely altered after that.

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

Photo: David Lukacs/Netflix

Now, this is something that doesn’t really have precedent in the books! As mentioned before, Pekka Rollins appears at the end The winding kingdom – which means that he and Matthias are never actually in prison at the same time in the book’s timeline. This could present some intriguing obstacles to the final plot of “freeing Matthias from prison,” while also pitting Kaz against his arch-enemy once again. However, it is hoped that Matthias will survive this war between the wolves and the spoilers.

Are Alina and Nikolai still engaged?

You know… we don’t know. They never officially annulled their engagement, and during Nikolai’s coronation she wore a large tiara and stood next to Nikolai, so it seems very likely. This is in stark contrast to the books, where she officially cuts things off (especially when she fakes her death and marries Mal in the epilogue). But as far as we know, they appear to be still engaged, albeit completely unrequited. This may add a bit of anxiety to Alina, who has always been yearning for Mal, and add some complications to Nikolai’s future romance.

Are Mal and Inej having a seafaring arc?

Photo: David Lukacs/Netflix

It definitely looks like that! While it’s sad to see Nikolai part with his dual Sturmhond identity, we can’t deny that Archie Renaux rocked that pirate jacket. In the book, Inej do get on the boat and set sail, but only after completing all the Crow’s quests. Considering the massive Crows mining has only just begun, it’s likely that Inej will return to Ketterdam at least for a bit. Meanwhile, Mal’s arc is a blank slate, so he’s free to sail to the horizon and find his true north or whatever.

Is Darkling, like, completely gone?!

At the end of the season, Alina kills General Kirigan. They burned your body and everything. He seemed completely dead.

This isn’t the last time we’ll see Darkling in the books, though. After all, it’s hard for a charming, all-powerful, (and most importantly) fan-favorite dark summoner to die! In the Nikolai duo, the most recent books to appear in the Grishaverse timeline, several characters are tricked into performing a Darkling resurrection ritual. His spirit returned and took possession of the body of Yuri, one of his most fervent followers. They have a bit of an ongoing Ghost Rider two souls in one body story. So there’s a good chance we’ll see Kirigan back… just not in the way that we know him.

But I love Ben Barnes!

Photo: David Lukacs/Netflix

We are too! I wouldn’t put it on top of Netflix to integrate Barnes in some way, shape or form, be it through flashbacks or physical representation of the voice in Yuri’s head. Or maybe Barnes will finally get the rom-com he so deserves. We can only hope.

If David dies, who will take third place in the Grisha Triumvirate?

In the book, Alina appoints Zoya (an Etheralki), Genya (a Corporalki) and David (a Materialki) as Grisha Triumvirate, the three leaders overseeing the Second Army. Each of them represents a different factions of Grishabut the idea is to give voice to each faction and remove unnecessary differences between them.

But there are two big differences in the show: David is dead and Alina is dead. Are not pretend to be dead. So Alina would probably sit in the third seat, with Zoya and Genya at her side. They called their new alliance the triumvirate, although it certainly lacked Materialki’s presence. Then again, the class difference between Grisha isn’t a major stressor on the show.

What happened to the bees on Zoya in the Fold?

It’s a very small moment in the final volume, but it’s something that readers Scar King can stick to. While everyone gathered in the barren ruins of the Fold to watch Kirigan’s pyre, Zoya swatted a bee that refused to leave her alone. This could herald her arc in Scar Kingwhere she and Nikolai enter the Fold and encounter three mystical gods — one of whom is related to bees and has a swarm of bees that follow her around.

Is Nikolai… okay?

Photo: David Lukacs/Netflix

Good! He’s alive, if that’s your question. But he was definitely feeling the effects of being attacked by one of the Darkling’s. fit. While the battle isn’t as fierce as it appears in the books, Darkling’s merzost eventually turns Nikolai into a monstrous raptor, but judging by the strange shadowy creature Nikolai sees in the mirror, it’s certainly passed on to him anything else.

If the books were anything to go by, Nikolai would spend a lot of time grappling with his own inner demon (literally) and trying to figure out how to tame it. So we can definitely expect more of Nikolai’s hidden darkness and flesh-eating demon transformation, while he also figures out how to fix his kingdom and move forward. And also fall in love with Zoya in the process (Zoyalai’s right). If Crows are getting their own spin-off series, it makes a lot of sense for a sequel to Balls and Bones to focus on the characters still in Ravka – most notably Nikolai and his little cannibal demon problem.

Balls and Bones Season 2 is now available on Netflix.