After a two-year hiatus, season two of Shadow and Bone has arrived on Netflix. Based on Leigh Bardugo’s sprawling young adult fantasy “Grishaverse” novels, the series follows mapmaker Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) whose life changes forever when she discovers she can wield the power of light. However, there’s a much larger cast of characters and actors around Alina in Shadow and Bone.
This world is full of magic with a unique twist. Wizards are known as Grisha who each have a specific skill set. For example, some can control metal, heartbeats, or fire, making them both skilled soldiers and highly feared and hunted.
Further complicating matters, Alina’s powers reveal her to be the prophesied sun summoner, a living saint who may be the only person in the world who can reunite her home country after a deadly, centuries-long Shadow Fold divided it in two.
The second season picks up after Alina has left behind General Kirigan (Ben Barnes), her one-time mentor and lover, after discovering his ulterior motives to exploit her for his own power. Alina sets out to learn how to use her power on her own terms and take down Kirigan once and for all. With an interweaving story and large cast, we outline the major recurring actors and characters in season two of Shadow and Bone.
Who is in Season 2 of Shadow and Bone?
- Jessie Mei Li – Alina Starkov
- Ben Barnes – General Kirigan
- Archie Renaux – Malyen (Mal) Oretsev
- Freddy Carter – Kaz Brekker
- Amita Suman – Inej Ghafa
- Kit Young – Jesper Fahey
- Patrick Gibson – Nikolai Lantsov
- Daisy Head – Genya Safin
- Danielle Galligan – Nina Zenik
- Calahan Skogman – Matthias
- Lewis Tan – Tolya Yul-Bataar
- Jack Wolfe – Wylan Hendriks
- Anna Leong Brophy – Tamar Kir-Bataar
- Dean Lennox Kelley – Pekka Rollins
For many fans, the biggest draw to the series is Ben Barnes’ Kirigan, also known as the Darkling. Barnes appeared most recently in Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities and famously played Prince Caspian in the Chronicles of Narnia film franchise.
While many of the cast members are relative newcomers, star Jessie Mei Li can also be seen in Last Night in Soho. It’s safe to say that Shadow and Bone will not be the last we see of the talented cast. In the meantime, you can now stream all episodes of the first two seasons of Shadow and Bone on Netflix.
