A Refresher on Ben Barnes’s Character from “Shadow and Bone” and His Complicated Backstory

In a world of darkness known as the Shadow Fold, The Darkling is far from a hero. He is the leader of the Second Army of Ravka and a powerful Grisha who can manipulate shadows. He is also the great-great-great-grandson of the Black Heretic, who created the Shadow Fold and left a legacy of destruction. For Netflix’s adaptation of “Shadow and Bone,” showrunner Eric Heisserer gave him a new name: General Kirigan.

Ben Barnes plays General Kirigan in the series and he brings complexity to the character. He has created shadow monsters called nichevo’ya, but they take a toll on him. He also stands by his theory that destroying the Shadow Fold won’t help the Grisha, as the regular people will never accept them either way.

General Kirigan initially embarks on an interesting relationship with protagonist and sun summoner Alina Starkov, but it soon turns romantic before she learns of his true intentions. He plans to use Alina’s light to expand the Shadow Fold’s reach, and she spends much of the second season trying to gain enough strength to destroy him and the Shadow Fold.

Barnes said about his character, “He doesn’t believe that he is the villain of the story and I think all villains that you truly believe in understand their own motivations.”

“Shadow and Bone” season two hits Netflix on March 16.