Netflix has another season in store for Shadow and Bone. The fantasy series is inspired by two book series (Shadow and Bone; Six of Crows) by American author Leigh Bardugo. The show is set in the Grishaverse where Alina Starkov, an orphan and former cartographer, discovers she is a rare Grisha with the ability to control light. She starts training to defeat the Shadow Fold and along the way finds allies and enemies. Season 1 premiered in April 2021 and was a huge hit for Netflix, who ordered a second season just two months later.
Below, HollywoodLife has rounded up everything we know, so far, about season two of Shadow and Bone. We’ve got info about the premiere date, which characters are returning, the actors who are joining the franchise, and so much more!
Who Is Returning for ‘Shadow and Bone’ Season 2?
Jessie Mei Li
Jessie Mei Li stars as Alina Starkov. In Season 1, Alina learns her extraordinary power could set her country free. She trains with General Alesksandr Kirigan, but learns he has ulterior motives. Shadow and Bone is Jessie’s first major TV project.
Archie Renaux
Archie Renaux plays Maylen “Mal” Oretsevv. Mal is an orphan tracker in the First Arm and Alina’s childhood best friend. Archie also appeared in the BBC drama miniseries Gold Digger.
Freddy Carter
Freddy Carter plays Kaz Brekker. Kaz is the leader of a gang called the Crows. He’s also known as Dirtyhands and the Bastard of the Barrel. Freddy is also known for starring in the Netflix drama series Free Rein.
Amita Suman
Amita Suman plays Inej Ghafa. Inej is a member of the Crows and is also known as the Wraith. Amita had a role in The CW fantasy-adventure series The Outpost.
Kit Young
Kit Young plays Jesper Fahey. Jesper is a member of the Crows and a skilled sharpshooter. In Season 1, Kaz, Inej, and Jesper try to kidnap Alina. Kit may be familiar to fans from his stage appearances in London.
Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes plays General Aleksander Kirigan, a general of the Second Army who trains Alina with her powers. A plot twist about General Kirigan’s identity is revealed in Season 1. Ben is known for starring in The Chronicles of Narnia as Prince Caspian, Westworld as Logan, and The Punisher as Jigsaw.
Zoe Wanamaker
Zoe Wanamaker plays Baghra, who is Alina’s Grisha trainer. Zoe is known for her theater roles in London and film appearances in Harry Potter 1, Prime Suspect, and Love Hurts.
Daisy Head
Daisy Head plays Genya Safin, a Grisha Tailor who befriends Alina. Daisy had a recurring role in Season 1 but will be a main star in Season 2. She starred in the third season of Hulu’s Harlots.
Danielle Calligan
Danielle Calligan plays Nina Zenik, a Grisha Heartrender who has the powers to control the dead. Danielle’s being bumped up from a recurring role to a main role in Season 2. She played Sarra in Game of Thrones and Yula in The Great.
Calahan Skogman
Calahan Skogman plays Matthias. He’s a witch-hunter who captures Nina in Season 1 but then they form strong feelings for each other. Calahan was a recurring star but is now in the main cast for Season 2. He started acting in 2017 after being a collegiate athlete.
Who Is Joining?
Lewis Tan
Lewis Tan has been cast as Tolya-Yul Bataar. Tolya-Yul is a Grisha Heartrender and twin brother of Tamar Kir-Bataar. Lewis is best known for playing Lu Xin Lee in Netflix’s Wu Assassins.
Patrick Gibson
Patrick Gibson is joining the show as Nikolai Lantsov. Nikolai is the former King of Rava. Patrick played Steve Winchell in the Netflix series The OA.
Anna Leong Brophy
Anna Leong Brophy will star as Tamar Kir-Bataar. Tamar is a Grisha Heatrender and twin sister of Tolya-Yul Bataar. Anna is known for being a British comedian and actor.
Jack Wolfe
Jack Wolfe has been cast as Wylan Hendriks. Wylan goes by a different alias in the books and joins the Crows and he dates Jasper. Jack previously appeared in an episode of Netflix’s The Witcher.
Will Season 2 Stick to the Books?
The second season of Shadow and Bone is expected delve more into the Siege of Storms and Six of Crows books. That’s evident based on some of the new characters (including Wylan and the Bataar twins) that are joining the show. There’s been no official synopsis for season two, but it’s expected to pick up after season one ended. In the finale, Alina and Mal defeated the Darkling, who turned out to be General Kirigan. They left Ravka while Zoya, a Squaller played by Sujaya Dasgupta, began her own adventure. Viewers learn in the final scene that the Darkling is actually alive and emerges from the Shadow Fold.
When Will Season 2 Premiere?
Netflix has not announced an official premiere date for Shadow and Bone. The show was expected to return at some point in 2022, though fans are now suspecting it won’t premiere until 2023.
Has It Wrapped Filming?
Shadow & Bone S2 is in the barrel 💰To celebrate the end of production, the cast filmed a little #GeekedWeek treat for you all! pic.twitter.com/ELzrNTJjMy
— Shadow And Bone (@shadowandbone_) June 6, 2022
Season 2 of Shadow and Bone began filming in January 2022 and wrapped in June 2022. The cast appeared at Netflix’s Geeked Week on June 6 and announced that filming was over. Lewis Tan described the second season as “heart-rending, heart-pounding and swash-buckling.”
How Popular Is Shadow and Bone?
Shadow and Bone has been a huge hit for Netflix. In June 2021, the streamer announced the second season renewal and also revealed that 55 million households watched Season 1 in the first 28 days. Netflix even released an after show for the series, called Shadow and Bone — The Afterparty. On Rotten Tomatoes, Season 1 has an 88% approval rating from critics and an 88% average audience score.
How Many More Seasons Can We Expect?
Netflix hasn’t confirmed more seasons of Shadow and Bone beyond Season 2. Author Leigh Bardugo has said she hopes the franchise gets five seasons at Netflix since “there’s so much story.”