Here’s the end of Shadow and Bone season 2, explained

Spoiler Alert! This article contains major spoilers for the end of Season 2 shadow and bone.

As fans of Netflix shadow and bone Returning to Ravka for Season 2, the main cast of Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) are on a quest to reunite the kingdom and bring the shadow fold to its final end. Meanwhile, they look for powerful amps to give Alina’s magic a boost before she takes on General Kirigan/The Darkling (Ben Barnes).

The ending of season 2 was full of twists and turns, with plenty of foreshadowing and clues as to where a potential season 3 might go next. Read on for those shadow and bone The end of season 2 explained.

In the last episode of shadow and bone In Season 2, titled “No Funerals,” Alina and Prince Nikolai (Patrick Gibson) have assembled their Human and Grisha troops to face off against the Darkling’s Grisha. Meanwhile, the Crows, Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta) and Tolya (Lewis Tan) have traveled to Shu Han in search of a legendary blade that can cut through any material – including the Darkling’s shadow monsters, the Nichevo’ya.

Luckily, the crows arrive just in time as Alina and Mal head off to meet the Darkling for one last fight in the shadow fold. Alina and Mal have previously learned that the third enhancer that completes their power is Mal herself, leading Alina to struggle with sacrificing the love of her life or not having the strength to stop her enemy.

The Crows, Zoya, Tamar and Tolya help Prince Nikolai lead the ground forces to victory. Meanwhile, Alina and the Darkling fight, with the Darkling delivering the final blow – against Mal in order to steal Mal’s power for himself. Alina attacks the Darkling and kills him with the Shadow Crushing Sword. Mal insists that Alina take his power to end the shadow fold once and for all. She stabs him, destroying the fold.

Luckily, the group has a Heartrender on hand, Nina Zenik, who resurrects Mal from the dead. Nikolai, Zoya, Alina and Genya light the Darkling’s pyre together, following the Darkling’s ominous request that no trance remain in his body.

After the funeral, the group awaits Nikolai’s coronation as king, and Mal decides to break up with Alina and become the pirate Sturmhond for a while to find himself. Tamar, Tolya and Inej join his crew for the next great high seas adventure.

Alina, Zoya, and Genya decide to stay with Nikolai and help direct a new version of Ravka, where Grisha and non-magical people are treated equally. Alina has previously turned down Nikolai’s marriage proposal (even just as a platonic alliance), but she will go to Shu Han to return the legendary sword and try to mediate peace on behalf of Ravka.

Before the coronation, Nikolai struggles with a wound sustained during the battle at the hands of the Nichevo’ya. What he discovers in a terrifying way is darkness spreading over his body. Troubled, Nikolai goes through with the coronation anyway, but events don’t go as expected.

In the voiceover, Kaz Brekker has returned to Ketterdam with Nina, Jesper and Wylan after successfully retaking the Crow Club from mafia boss Pekka Rollins. He tells the spread of a dangerous new drug around the world called jurda parem, which is very addictive and increases a Grisha’s power tenfold, but the creator is gone. On the screen we see how he turns to Nina, Jesper and Wylan with a new raid.

Back at the ceremony, just as Nikolai is about to be crowned king, a Fjerdan Heartrender under the influence of jurda parem steps forward and kills almost the entire procession, including most of the Ravkan officials. Alina stops the woman with the Cut, a move only the Darkling could perform due to the use of violent shadow magic. Alina is stunned by her new skills and the show ends.

Many fans were surprised by this shadow and bone Season 2 ended with so many twists and turns, but book readers know this can only be the beginning. Remember to keep streaming for a chance at potential future seasons shadow and bone Seasons 1 and 2, exclusively on Netflix.