The cancelation ofShadow and Bone,which holds an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and is still beloved by audiences, is made so much worse due to one key detail the show never got to explore. Netflix’s adaptation of the most popular collection ofLeigh Bardugo’s bookswas largely acclaimed by audiences who both did and did not read the series. Even so,the show was abruptly canceled after its sophomore season despite its popularity, causing audiences to petition for a revival that has yet to be green-lit.
Shadow and Bone’scancelationwas painful for audiences as the series also added the characters from theSix Of Crowsduology, giving them a new plotline during the original trilogy’s narrative. While that drove some of the disappointment,most audiences lamented that Alina’s (Jessie Mei Li) story was cut off prematurelyand that her dynamic with the Darkling (Ben Barnes) never got the conclusion it deserved.That abrupt conclusion, though, is especially awful when it means one aspect of Alina’s story may never be expanded upon, robbing audiences of a great plot twist.
Shadow And Bone’s Cancelation Is So Much Worse Thanks To Season 2’s Alina Cliffhanger
Alina’s New Shadow Powers Broke The Series' Conclusive Ending
Shadow and Bone’scancelation is made much worse by the fact that the cliffhanger surrounding Alina’s newfound powers is a loose end, impacting the season 2 finale.The finale of the series' second season sees Alina use the shadow-powered version of the Cut against an attacker during Nikolai’s (Patrick Gibson) coronation, which comes as a shock as the Darkling had seemingly died by Alina’s hand before that point, severing their connection. However, nothing was ever confirmed, makingAlina’s shadow powers in season 2the only major plot hole in the otherwise serviceable ending.
As A Shadow and Bone Fan, It Breaks My Heart To Say I Don’t Want A Comic Book Continuation
Shadow and Bone should not continue as a comic, despite already having a graphic novel, due to the brilliant performances from its cast.
Teasing these powers could have been the beginning of an intriguing route forShadow and Boneto explore, especially as Alina seems to start slipping down a darker path as a direct result of wielding shadows over light.The cancelation of the series robs audiences of that potential, leaving many wondering how she gained these powers and how it would impact the show’s overall story. Bardugo’s books also offer little explanation, as the series deviated from the source material regarding Alina’s story, leaving audiences no way of knowing what the show had planned.
Shadow And Bone Needed Season 3 To Explain Its Big Deviation From The Books
Alina Is Able To Wield Shadows, Just Not To That Extent
Season 3 ofShadow and Bonecould have explained why the show took this direction with Alina as it augmented a detail from the third book in a way that guaranteed a different ending. Even though theShadow and Bonebook trilogyallows her to use the Darkling’s power,Alina’s shadow-wielding is only a minor trick that comes at the cost of her Sun Summoner abilities.Alina loses them after fighting the Darkling in the second book, with the third following her journey to find the final legendary Amplifier to destroy him and restore her own powers.
As a result,Shadow and Bonecould gradually lose the goodwill it garnered in its audiences as that cliffhanger sits there, adding to the unfortunate loss of the adaptation’s potential.
Considering how differently the show treated Alina’s shadowy gifts, it appears as if season 3 would have explored the corruption the Darkling warned her would come, complicating the narrative and shifting the book’s original ending. With the cancelation, that can never be executed, leaving audiences to theorize or ignore the series' changes in favor of the completed trilogy. As a result,Shadow and Bonecould gradually lose the goodwill it garnered in its audiences as that cliffhanger sits there, adding to the unfortunate loss of the adaptation’s potential.
Shadow and Bone
Cast
Shadow and Bone is a fantasy series set in a world divided by a barrier of darkness. Released on July 18, 2025, it follows a young soldier who discovers a unique power that could reunite her country amid a backdrop of scheming forces, including thugs, thieves, and assassins.
