‘Shadow and Bone’ Fans Debate Who Will Be the ‘Star’ of the Netflix Original Series

Shadow and Bone comes to Netflix next week, and fans are on the edges of their seats, wondering which storylines will take center stage. The new Netflix original series is based on the writings of author Leigh Bardugo, and it combines two of her series into one story — the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. Die-hard fans of the books have developed a friendly rivalry, debating who will be the real “star” of the show.

Bardugo created a sprawling fantasy world called the “Grishaverse,” then set several different stories in it throughout her writing career. The first was the Shadow and Bone trilogy, which follows a powerful Grisha named Alina Starkov and her friends. The second was the Six of Crows duology, which follows a band of young thieves led by Kaz Brekker on a massive heist. In the books, there is a two-year gap between these two stories, though in the TV show they will take place simultaneously.

This remix of events makes the show almost as suspenseful and exciting for fans of the books as for newcomers to the Grishaverse. However, the die-hard book fans are uniquely positioned right now to speculate, theorize and argue about what shape the story will really take.

It is also not clear how far into either of the stories Shadow and Bone the series will get. The show has just eight episodes and has not been officially renewed for a second season yet, and some fan-favorite characters will not even appear this time around. Here’s a look at fan’s conversations about how the show will reconcile its timelines and which characters will come out as stars.

‘Six of Crows’

While the show is called Shadow and Bone, a vocal contingent of the fandom is far more preoccupied with Six of Crows and is hoping to see that story front and center. Even these fans can acknowledge that Netflix does not seem to agree with them, however.

Jesper

Many fans are particularly hung up on Jesper Fahey, played by Kit Young. The rogueish character is a fan-favorite in the books, and all the trailers so far indicate that Young will live up to that reputation.

Wylan

By contrast, many fans are disappointed to see that Wylan Van Eck will not be in Shadow and Bone Season 1. Many are taking this as a big indication that the Six of Crows storyline will take a backseat in this show — for better or worse.

Picking Sides

Accepting that Alina (Jessie Mei Li) is likely to be at the center of Shadow and Bone Season 1, many fans are still establishing themselves as niche fans of the Six of Crows characters now. The friendly tribalism within the fandom has produced a whole genre of memes and references that can only exist in the Grishaverse.

Helnik

Fans saw two trailers with hardly a glimpse of the Six of Crows characters Matthias Helvar (Calahan Skogman) and Nina Zenik (Danielle Galligan), so they were resigned to this storyline falling to the background until Monday, when Netflix released new stills. After that, “Helnik” shippers could hardly contain themselves, seeing that certain book scenes were going to play out on screen.

Farther

In some cases, fans who are excited about the adaptation are still sad that the story will not go far enough to depict certain events or characters that come later in the books. For these fans, a Season 2 renewal would be the best news of all.

‘The Dregs’

Finally, more than a few fans are simply saying that the Six of Crows gang, “the dregs,” have already stolen the show in their eyes, no matter what happens. Shadow and Bone premieres on Netflix on Friday, April 23. Bardugo’s books are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.