Shadow and Bone: Author Leigh Bardugo discusses darkling’s past

• Netflix’s Shadow and Bone series is an adaptation of the trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.
• The Darkling is full of disdain for humanity.
• The Grisha possess sacred arts.

“Shadow and Bone”, a Netflix series was adapted with the same name Leigh Bardugo’s trilogy.

The show centres on Alina (Jessie Mei Li), a lonely orphan who gains a special ability that catapults her into the opulent society of the magical elite known as the Grisha. Grisha is a person who uses Small Science to manipulate matter and energy.

The Grisha possess sacred arts, despite not being superhuman beings.

General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), also known as the Darkling, later learns about Alina and plans to take advantage of her talent for himself.

The Darkling, who has outlasted many people for hundreds of years, is full of contempt for humanity, as those who have watched the programme are aware.

But he seems to harbour affections for Alina in his heart. However, because he lacks the emotional capacity, those feelings are distorted into something different.

This characteristic of the famous enemy was discussed by the author in an interview with The Collider.

“Look, I don’t think villains are interesting when you can’t tell where they’re coming from. There should be a moment, and I certainly had plenty of them, when you think, ‘Oh, this guy’s making a pretty good argument.’ And the issue for Kirigan, for the Darkling, is not his motive, which is a good one, to protect his people and to protect his nation.”

Bardugo shares, “The problem is that he has lived so long, that he has lost his humanity, and so much so that he is taken aback and surprised by it when it rears its head. He doesn’t know how to parse the actual emotions he’s feeling toward Alina, and he does not know how to combat her humanity. So, he fundamentally misunderstands her connection to other people and how that empowers her.”

She added, “The Darkling is probably the most, maybe second to Kaz, the most popular character I’ve written. And I think that’s because something so compelling about somebody with that much power, and with that much conviction. And the fact that he’s very attractive doesn’t hurt either.

But I also think, it’s important for us to see antagonists who aren’t caricatures, because I’ve found that the most dangerous people in our lives do not enter twirling a moustache, evil tattooed on their foreheads. They’re people who are beautiful, and wounded, and compelling, but who can still do a lot of damage all the same.”

Barnes discusses his role in the show in a similar spirit. The actor believes that the character has more depth than first meets the eye, and he wants viewers to be able to see something redemptive in him.

“I think there’s still some humanity in him, despite the many years and the many crimes. But that is a scene that was invented by the writers. It doesn’t exist in the books. There is a short story called ‘Demon in the Wood,’ that is about the Darkling at a much younger age, and his supervillain origin story.”

“And to me, I remember a friend said to me, when I gave it to her to read, she said, ‘What are you doing? Everybody who loves him is just going to love him more. Even I like him now.’ And I said, ‘That’s the fight that I’m asking people to take on’,” he elucidates.

“I always want people to be able to sympathise with this character, even if they decide he’s not worthy of redemption, and not worthy of affection or humanity. I, at least, want them to know what he could have become in a different world if Ravka had been different.”

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