The Darkling could speak "fluent Shu and Kerch, and could pass as either". All I did, I did for Ravka!". Leader of the Second Army (former)King of Ravka (by usurpation; former) He is at least older than the Shadow Fold, which was created around 400 years ago. By the end of the series, there's only one man who has stuck by Alina's side and provided her with the support she needs: Mal. The member of the Order explained that the person doing this would suffer so much that death would be kindness. Black It was unpopular as Grisha were treated with suspicion, but he was able to establish the Little Palace and Second Army. After Alina and the other Grisha are captured by the Apparat, they stay underground in the White Cathedral. If he really was apathetic and tyrannical and evil, why ask her to be by his side as an equal? All Rights Reserved. Alina avoided him and kept secrets and let Nikolai control her life and Mal’s in the palace. “Speak my name once more.” ... And they were BEAUTIFUL quotes. He stepped back so Nikolai could queen her. It was at this moment that he swore to make a safe place for Grisha. Show-Mal never sees the two of them together at the Ravkan palace, and when he does eventually reunite with Alina he tells her that whatever she did with the Darkling isn't his business. Etherealki His corpse was burned along with Ruby's, which got disguised as Alina's by Genya. Elizabeta kept his body preserved after the battle in the fold. © The Nerd Daily 2021. But instead, there is the Darkling, his grey eyes almost sad but he’s smiling slightly, just at the corners of his lips. In Rule of Wolves, he confesses to truly caring for Alina and seeking her out because "with her, he was human again". So, let’s get into why the Darkling and Alina should have ended up together, apart from the obvious. Alias After I read shadow and bone and found out Alina and the darkling did not end up together. Alina told Nikolai and the twelve Grisha she traveled with. Nevertheless, their love is pure and true, as evidenced by how it survives all the Darkling’s machinations and attempts to keep Alina—and her newly discovered powers—under his thumb. In Ruin and Rising, Alina paid him a visit by the tether shared between them. When he caught Alina and Mal after they ran away, he used the stag's antlers to bind her to him, and then he revealed that he planned on having Mal killed by the volcra. At one point in the books the Darkling actually tells Alina that she would make him better, quell his naturally dark and apathetic side and make him love and feel again. And in the end, he succeeded. He didn’t love her just what she could do for him. Grisha Type He slept with Zoya and countless others before he realised who was waiting by his back door. Shadow and Bone was basically The Hobbit in disguise. Alive (standing between the void and creation)Formerly dead (reincarnated) Eye Color Male As later revealed, The Darkling is an extremely dark and manipulative person. After this, they shared a last moment together, in which he asked Alina to burn his corpse because he didn't want his grave to be desecrated. Would Mal have loved Alina if she was this all powerful being ruling over Ravka? Alina, a relatively unknown cartographer, is an orphan who grew up with her friend Malyen Oretsev, a tracker. It cost her dearly, as he ended up blinding her as a punishment, but she didn't regret it. Later it is revealed that the Darkling is also a living amplifier, a person who can increase a Grisha's powers. Slate Gray And that's fair for people to feel. Age They end up finding the mystical order which consisted of Fabrikators of several nationalities. Her and Mal were cute but as you said, there were so many flaws which made me not grow to want their relationship as much. It is hers. Full name Brother Azarov grew suspicious of him, so he ended up killing him. the darkling calls to alina and she follows their connection. He revealed to Alina that his ability to manipulate darkness evolved into manifesting abominations/volcra-like creatures that cannot be destroyed by light (except for the Cut). One of the members of the Order explained that the obisbaya could not stop the blight. Nonetheless, Zoya was set on trying to find this ancient relic and was going to hire Kaz Brekker to do the job. Take Genya for example. Once he realised he couldn’t have her because her destiny was far grander, he simply gave up. The laugh was then returned with a genuine smile from the Darkling, who tries to kiss and touch her. My heart broke. Alina was at risk if joining the dark side and he would probably drag her down with him. He planned to expand the Fold and gain power over Ravka but needed a Sun Summoner to destroy the Volcra and carry out his ambitions. Nope. Now, another argument is that the Darkling did some horrible things. His mother, at the time going by the name Lena, told him she didn't blame their kind for the desperation to protect themselves. They quickly return south to the major crossing … He has ink-black hair, quartz gray eyes, and sharp, beautiful features. There are also inanimate objects that are used as amplifiers but only the Darkling's most favored Grisha are allowed to have them. He asked her why, only to say that she, in fact, wanted to see him. Before Alina left the Little Palace, the Darkling kissed her abruptly by the lake, after he told her about the stag he was hunting. The Darkling is a Shadow Summoner, the former Second in Command in all of Ravka, and the former leader of the Second Army. And there is a large number of fans who root for a romance between Alina and Darkling… because of course, it was a great decision to flesh out a villain like the Darkling. Later, he destroyed Keramzin and killed the Grisha instructors, Botkin and Ana Kuya, and showed Alina their corpses hanging in the oak. In The Demon in the Wood, the Darkling's prequel story, she praises his abilities in reading the flow of power, which would make him a great leader, and instructs him to never trust others or let anyone touch him, for that could be dangerous. Hair Color I wanted him and Alina to end up together so much to the point where I just assumed they would because it was kinda obvious that they were meant for each other. The Darkling Alina later feels him grieving through their link. And Alina, in all her naivety, has easily fallen for it. Netflix's Shadow and Bone is an epic fantasy show with plenty of romance to spare. They are a family of immortals. Around them shadows begin to leap and dance and twirl. After the battle, Nikolai, Zoya, Genya, and a group of other grisha went to find the Order of Sankt Feliks in hopes of finding thorn wood and perform the obisbaya ritual which they thought could be the answer to stopping the blight. But people, that’s what relationships are all about! The Darkling then brought both Mal and Alina on board the Verrhader, a stolen ship that belonged to an infamous privateer named 'Sturmhond.'. He then kisses and touches her at the Winter Fete, before they are interrupted. At the end of the book, the Darkling panics and suffers over Alina's loss of power, realizing she was no longer his balance and he was truly alone in the world, being distracted enough to let her stab him with a knife. Due to his and his mother's unique powers during a time of heavy persecution against Grisha, he had a nomadic childhood and lived in secrecy, rarely staying in one location under one identity for more than a month at a time for safety. Organizations Does Kaz kiss INEJ? The Black HereticThe Shadow KingStarless OneStarless SaintThe Saint With No StarsStaskiKirilKiriganLeonidAntonEryk She then pretends to accept his offer of peace and kisses him, distracting him enough to steal his nichevo'ya through their connection and try to kill them both, but failing. The Shadow Fold was a tear in the fabric of the universe, also known as "The making at the heart of the world". He then kisses and touches her at the Winter Fete, before they are int… Ughh I just wish she ended up with the Darkling and since she doesn’t when the tv show comes out I’m going to be sad wishing they were endgame. No! The second potential love interest is the Darkling, who I consider to be the fan favorite, whilst Mal is the… what’s the opposite of the fan favorite? Why tell her she made him feel and care again, ask her to be with him if he didn’t want to change, to be better? She raised him to be hard and strong and gave him pride (teaching that he had no equal and was destined to bow to no man) and ambition (teaching that love was fragile, fickle and nothing compared to power) so he would rely on no one but himself. Without her Grisha powers. Relatives Don’t be salty about it. His betrayal and deceit are revealed not long after, leaving whether his feelings for her were genuine or not a mystery. The Darkling had a very difficult relationship with his mother, Baghra. They met at an abandoned sanatorium. Aleksander Morozova So where’s the line? The Darkling told them, he knew the seeds were preserved by the Order of Sankt Feliks, and he could tell them how to find them in exchange for getting to see Alina Starkov. But it’s not his. Even after she had lost everything, her light, she has kept just a little piece belonging to the Darkling, to Aleksander. To end up with the girl? They would improve each other and grow which is an important part of being human. Relationships Does it take a villain to advertise his misdeeds for us not only to forgive him but also root for him? Throughout Siege and Storm, it was apparent that their connection was deeper and more complex as the Darkling can visit Alina at will in a tangible and accurate form: Alina was, of course, disturbed by their encounters and asked him why he won't leave her alone. Before his heart was pierced by the thorn and his screaming body was swallowed by the thorn wood tree, he uttered his last words: "My name is Aleksander Morozova, but I have had hundred names and I have committed a thousand crimes. I'm a simp for the darkling and I just had to give him the love story he deserves ok "but he killed people" yeah and he looked good doing it; sue me; Dark! Status Grisha Order SO MANY MIXED EMOTIONS. At the meeting, the Darkling suddenly jumped between Mal and Alina who had been holding hands at that moment and drove a piece of thorn wood he had kept hidden in his clothes through their hands. I do not repent! Well, what throws an even bigger wrench into Alina’s life is when Baghra reveals to her that Kirigan is actually The Darkling, a.k.a. He vowed to make a safe haven for Grisha, which was the seed of the Second Army, but eventually, his thirst for power overcame him and his cruelty increased until the creation of the Shadow Fold. The Darkling despite having returned to life, did not manage to bring his powers with him or rid of Yuri as the boy was still present and sharing body and mind with him. I was surprised to find fresh tears filling my eyes. Due to being powerless, he was kept captive at the old zoo at the palace where Sun Summoners kept watch on him. He accidentally created the Shadow Fold (the dark void filled with monsters) and hasn’t let go of it, thinking he can use it against his enemies. Alina used this distraction to stab him in the chest with a Grisha steel dagger. He had still not found the stag whose antlers he had promised her but he asked that she have faith in him, and then he kissed her to both of their surprise. Second Army Mal was one-dimensional. With this information the group was debating who should sacrifice themselves, Nikolai and Zoya were debating which one of them should do it when the Darkling volunteered himself saying he was the only one who was truly immortal and more powerful than Zoya. (aaack love that name!) For a few episodes, the two get separated when Alina's Grisha talent comes to light. My answer is this: Kaz Brekker. However, he is also shown to truly care for and wants to be loved by his people (the Grisha) and his nation, claiming that all he ever wanted was to create a safe place for people like him. He commanded Ivan to hold Mal hostage as he repeatedly expressed his "gratitude" to Alina for helping him further expand his power. No, and he said just as much. Several centuries before the time in which the show is set, the Darkling helped the king of Ravka win a war. Smash-your-knee-caps-pull-your-eyes-out Mr Brekker. Based on Season 1 alone, it seems fair to say actors Jessie Mei Li (Alina), Archie Renaux (Mal), and Ben Barnes (General Kirigan, aka the Darkling) are bringing a whole lot of charisma to their bizarre love triangle. His patience would appear as a manifestation of the affections he harbored for her. Both of Alina’s less-villainous paramours are present for her final confrontation with the Darkling — though by this point, the Darkling has turned Nikolai into a volcra-like creature. There’s A Deeper Connection Between The Darkling And Alina. The same story also reveals the Darkling has a half-sister named Ulla, mothered by Baghra. At the battle at the shadow fold, he engages in a fight with Alina, but when she lost her powers, he looked distressed. However, his many lifetimes had made the Darkling apathetic to human life. Alina looks up and her cheeks turn pink but he comes to sit beside her, taking her fingers and kissing them softly. Before Alina left the Little Palace, the Darkling kissed her abruptly by the lake, after he told her about the staghe was hunting. Zeen is a next generation WordPress theme. He did some pretty despicable things all for the wrong reasons. But he was changing, guys! At least the Darling and Alina had chemistry compared to Nikolai who I think is just good at scheming, but it was a ruse so that she would be loyal to him, if the first amplifier had been successful there wouldn’t be an argument for the Darkling being the better choice. But, in the Netflix series, Mal is much more balanced as a love interest and a friend. She told Alina about his past and true intentions and urged her to escape the Little Palace, believing he could still be redeemed if he wasn't successful in his evil plans. When Alina and Mal returned to their home, the Darkling was seated casually upon a rickety chair; surrounding him were his supporters who appeared to be frightened by his presence. She had swapped the body burning in the pyre hoping to revive him. She decides that it is time to move on the Darkling to wipe out his forces. Before the making, there was nothing, only void, that void was seeping into the world through the tear, known to them as the blight. After Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev escape, the Darkling relentlessly worked towards their capture. In the meantime, Nikolai declares his love for Alina. Nikolai and Zoya bound his hands and took him back with them to the palace. Instead of falling for her trick, the Darkling decided to use physical force, cutting her arm with a knife, and the pain triggered a response in Alina: a blazing white light that shattered the darkness he conjured. Darkling said she was nothing after she lost her powers. At the end of Rule of Wolves, he willingly sacrifices himself to stop the blight and save Ravka, with his only condition being that he is recognized as a Saint. There is an intensity to the Darkling that really shines through in his relationship with Alina Starkov. Zoya and Nikolai reluctantly agree, and Zoya set up a meeting between Alina and the Darkling. Baghra no longer supported him, criticizing and opposing him in every decision, and ultimately betraying him. He used Alina's powers to show his own powers over the Fold and easily scared the ambassadors and envoys that came along for the demonstration into submission. Honestly, I’ve been more of a Darkling kind of person from the start, so … Meanwhile, the Darkling ruled Ravka aboveground. I know he was wrong at time but at least her cared for her. His reply clearly implied that he sees Alina as his only companion and solace in the dark. There was no way to close the tear, someone had to hold it closed standing at the doorway between the void and creation for eternity. Why pull Alina closer? And we all know who Julia Roberts is! While Alina, Mal, and the gang seem to think he’s dead, the end of Shadow and Bone Season 1 confirms that the Darkling lives. He was perfect for her. They decided to perform the ritual despite the risk. At one point in the books the Darkling actually tells Alina that she would make him better, quell his naturally dark and apathetic side and make him love and feel again. He was a boy, she was a girl, could I make it anymore obvious? Occupation He was a tracker and joined Fight Club. After the King and Queen's winter fete, Alina learned that Baghra was the Darkling's mother, He was the Black Heretic who created the Shadow Fold, and that his plan was to use Alina to fend off the volcra that kept him from using the Fold. He found a settlement of them near the Fold and started to manipulate them into getting supplies and weapons to join the war. Imagine Alina has been stripped of her powers. She cried over his body and obeyed his request to not have a grave that people could desecrate. The Grishaverse is a FANDOM Books Community. After some time, Zoya and Nikolai went to see him in hopes of finding information on where to find thorn wood, supposedly extinct, a key ingredient that was needed to perform the obisbaya ritual again. I know, I know, stay with me here. The Darkling and Alina are polar opposites and opposites attract *winks* yeah they do. He then planned to rally the followers of the Starless Saint. Despite his powers, he was afraid of the dark, loved sunlight, and initially struggled with mastering his powers. In there they met Sankta Lizabeta, who told them a ritual known as obisbaya was the solution. Shadow and Bone is, at its heart, a YA love triangle. In its original form, it was another pretty toxic love interest for Alina with the Darkling manipulating the young woman at his will and want. The Darkling and Alina are polar opposites and opposites attract *winks* yeah they do. The Darkling, under the name Leonid, was one of the first Grisha to offer his services to the King Yevgeni Lantsov, helping him to defeat Shu Han in a tough battle. It seemed like Bardugo fell in-love with the Darkling but couldn’t find a way to justify the things he had done and instead wrapped up the series so she could write about Kaz Brekker. Literally everything I thought and the Darkling deserved better. Sure, he was a tad controlling at times, but so was Mal. He wants the Grisha to be free from slavery and oppression and planned to use the fold as leverage against those people who built the pyre (where they burn Grisha), and not only against his own enemies. So, when Alina is back in his clutches, we know better than to trust his deceitful manipulation, and so does Alina, for that matter. She’s day and he’s night. Does Alina Love the darkling? to be honest, I was fine with Alina ending with Mal but I would have been just as happy with Mal just dying… for 2 books straight, Mal was sulking and feeling sorry for himself and only towards the end of the last book he snapped out of it. He didn’t even consider Alina until he saw the Darkling and her together. He is power-hungry and had created the Fold in order to use it against his enemies but in the process created the Volcra which prevented him from expanding it. His age is never specified;[3] he presented himself as around 120 while claiming to be the great-great-great-grandson of the Black Heretic. Now, there’s the argument that Alina’s march for power would still have led her to being stripped of powers and then the Darkling would leave her because she wasn’t a powerful person anymore. He also admits that his feelings for Alina were more than just a result of her powers. After numerous sessions with Baghra, Alina recovers her strength. At the battle for Os Kervo, the Darkling ended up saving Nikolai's life by helping the demon and was the first to kneel and shout "Sankta Zoya" which helped them win the battle. The Darkling served many kings over the years and faked his death many times. Whatever it is, that’s Mal. The reason that Baghra knows so much about the Darkling is that she is his mother. She refuses to kill the stag, and the stag acknowledges this. Brad Pitt is a Zemeni who’s cool but ADHD and Matt Damon is… well he’s just Wylan. Something that Mal never offered her. At that moment the Darkling and his minions appear. U can’t never deny the posibility…I didn’t give this book a 5 star only Cuz of that I really rotted for the Darling oh darn gods! Yeah I know he wasn’t the best nor was she. He had self esteem issues for sure when other men came into the picture but who wouldnt when the person you love is being courted by a prince and you’re supposed to be some secret. The intense attraction to and love of the character of the Darkling has been seen by some as troubling, with the tone from some corners of the internet coming across as downright offended that people are romanticizing such a manipulative and toxic character. I am not sorry. 9. -pg. Especially the Darkling/Aleksander ones. so well written and agree with every single word! In Alina and Mal’s final confrontation with the Darkling, Mal refused to kill him, saying he’d leave that to the General’s past—meaning one of those terrifying volcra creatures we saw in episode one and that we now know Kirigan created. The old monastery had a big and ancient thorn wood tree. She, even though feeling the strong beat of desire in both sides through their connection, resists his advances. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. After his mother's death, he called Alina using their bond, but she refused to answer. She’s daydreaming again, her fingers unconsciously playing with the light streaming in through the window. At the beginning of the trilogy, the Darkling is an implied love interest of Alina, both being intensely drawn to one another. The Darkling is described as a tall handsome young man, appearing not much older than Alina despite his ancient age. It’s the part of him lingering inside her. Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov and Ben Barnes as The Darkling/General Kirigan in “Shadow and Bone” As most bad guys are characterized, The Darkling is thought of as power-hungry and ambitious. And then, once he finally wanted to have her, he wanted her to change into the person she had been. For his reward, he rejected gold and instead requested a sanctuary for Grisha in exchange for a trained army. At the beginning of the trilogy, the Darkling is an implied love interest of Alina, both being intensely drawn to one another. When he ordered Mal to be thrown overboard, Alina broke free from his control and left the people on the boat to fend off the volcra themselves. He told Alina his real name, which earned him a lighthearted laugh from her, commenting on how common his name was. He wanted to be better. In the book, Alina is attracted to the Darkling and the pair begin to get physically involved before she learns of his plans to control her, after which she escapes him. After witnesses shared what they saw on the skiff, the Darkling did not believe that Alina was a Sun Summoner and decided to conduct a test. By the end of season 1, Alina manages to reunite with Mal as they escape the Darkling and leave Ravka across the True Sea. It was clear to me that Alina loved Mal so I’m fine with them ending up together but I personally liked The Darkling better because he just had a much better story… And can we just be honest, the only living person in the world with power over darkness and the only living person in the world with power over light belong together. by MORGANA0ANAGROM They decided to let the Darkling do it. The Darkling now had scars across his face from the volcra as a reminder of the origin of his new power and Alina observed that when the Darkling used his power, it seemed to be feeding off him, taking a toll on his physical health. Nation Before Alina left the Little Palace, the Darkling kissed her abruptly by the lake, after he told her about the stag he was hunting. In the end, Zoya realized and burned his body, but his spirit managed to flee and introduced itself in Yuri Vedenen's body while he was unconscious and thus the Darkling came back to life. The Darkling's corpse is later burned and Alina whispers his true name, Aleksander, above it. Greed, money, power, and revenge. Seriously it was so obiyous and painful when alina didn’t end up with the Darling the pull was so obiyous and omg if u have read it! Even though the Darkling wanted to change, Mal got a free pass. Trust. Mal was oblivious to Alina’s love from before book one even began. Alina Starkov. It later becomes obvious that if not love, a deep physical and mental attraction to her remain throughout the series, making it known that it wasn't all a lie. I felt so sorry for him here. As things stand now, Alina seems to have made the right decision by not … After Alina finally accepted her powers, the Darkling visited her again during a training session. The Darkling does live to see another day. Warning: Spoilers for Netflix's Shadow and Bone Season 1 follow. Shadow & Bone: Alina Should Have Ended Up With The Darkling. Alina Starkov (former love interest) Was this the relationship we were rooting for? After her coronation, Zoya called for Alina and Genya. Mal was her best friend, even if he didn’t love her romantically yet, he would risk his life for her like the first crossing and when he was tracking the first amplifier wrote that she is everything to him. On the other hand, Six of Crows is just Ocean’s Eleven but George Clooney rips people’s eyes out and is afraid of touching people. He used the Cut for the first time and framed the nearby otkazat'sya village. He’s slowly corrupted by his magic jewellery, goes to battle, and then comes back home to where it all started and lives on peacefully. Ravka period. “Alina,” the Darkling repeated, his fingers seeking mine. Biographical Information Let’s talk about Mal for a second. Nikolai falls in love with Alina during her time escaping the Darkling, and he believes her presence is enough to unify the country and attempt peace. The Darkling kills the stag and forces the antler necklace on Alina, making her his absolute slave, unable to disobey him in the slightest. He offered her the throne sitting beside his, despite the fact that she attempted to kill him. That was all his personality. Unbeknown to them, the ritual was really meant to bring the Darkling back to life. When they meet each other at the Chapel, he reveals that her visions were real and promises that he would never turn away from who she truly was, for they were alike as no one else was. Alina visited the Darkling through the bond they developed and he revealed he was going to stage an attack on West Ravka. One of the strangest things about the Grisha-verse was how different Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone were from each other. Just as Alina and Nikolai were about to leave, the Darkling attacked them instead. No bro, you did this to yourself. I personally liked Mal in the beginning, but of course I ended up shipping the darkling with her. At the beginning of the trilogy, the Darkling is an implied love interest of Alina, both being intensely drawn to one another. Bilbo leaves the comfort of his boring map-making life to travel with a really old wizard-man to make the world better again. The Darkling was a complex, tortured character who did the wrong things for the right reasons. As revenge for Nikolai stealing Alina, the Darkling filled his lungs with merzost, which turns him into a volcra-like creature. And this article just proved that they should be… It provided every reason and more…And come on, the darkling is cute and powerful who would not want to end up with him. I absolutely agree, I hated the ending, I hated Mal, it’s so depressing seeing Alina being left behind after she came so far. He then managed to escape Zoya and the Sun Summoners. He was always trying to squish her down into what she had been. 384. Affiliation I 100% agree with this!! I would have been happier with a story where Alina was a stronger female character who wasn’t constantly in this love entanglement and just stood on her own more. Nikolai and Zoya got trapped in the Fold looking for answers on how to rid of Nikolai of the demon. He feels the loneliness of immortality, causing him to fixate on Alina because she had the capacity to be like him. “Once more,” he said. Lastly, if this argument still has not won you over yet, I want to leave you today with an image. The Darkling did not interact much with Alina again while at the palace, but he appeared one day at Baghra's hut and told Alina that he might be able to get her the most powerful amplifier ever. However, that is before Kirigan’s mother, Baghra, reveals to Alina that Kirigan is, in fact, the Darkling, the sinister being who created the Shadow Fold and plunged much of Ravka into darkness. they're both surprised to find out that maybe the darkling doesn't want to be in control all the time and maybe alina likes being in control a little too much. Ancient However, there was the possibility that was only legend that his heart existed and was preserved somehow. Another proof of their unfathomable relationship was at the Chapel, in which Alina and the Darkling were able to manipulate each other's abilities through a particular bond. Alina Starkov was brought before the Darkling after a failed attempt to cross the Shadow Fold resulted in a mysterious light saving her and her friend Malyen Oretsev.