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The second season of Shadow and Bone recently hit Netflix, and fans are loving the immersive fantasy series. The story of young Alina Starkov has captured the imagination of fans around the world. However, it isn’t just the character of Alina who has been making waves with viewers. The villainous Darkling, played by Ben Barnes, has also emerged as a fan favorite. The end of the second season saw an unceremonious end to the Darkling. However, in light of some interesting hints and rumors of a spinoff series, many fans have started to suspect that the character could make a return to the onscreen Shadow and Bone universe.

What happened to the Darkling at the end of ‘Shadow and Bone’?

Jessie Mei Li and Ben Barnes attend Netflix’s “Shadow & Bone” Season 2 Premiere I Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

In the first season of Shadow and Bone, the Darkling developed a close connection with Alina, encouraging her to develop her powers and tap into her true potential. However, once Alina realizes that the Darkling has ulterior motives, she breaks free of his influence. The second season of Shadow and Bone sees the Darkling more relentless than ever, pursuing her in a quest to have her join him in expanding the Fold.

At the end of the season, Alina utilizes Mal’s amplifier powers in an epic battle with the Darkling. Ultimately, she wins, killing the Darkling with the Neshyenyer blade. The villain’s ending was emotional, but is the Darkling truly gone?

Could the Darkling return for a third season of ‘Shadow and Bone’?

As reported by We Got This Covered, the Darkling was also killed in the books. However, he returns in a spinoff novel in the form of a shadow monster inside Nikolai. This gives producers plenty of leeway to bring the character back in future seasons of the show. Nikolai does see himself as a shadow monster in the mirror at the end of the second season, so perhaps the Darkling isn’t gone forever.

In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, Barnes talked about his future with the franchise. The star said he has “no idea” what’s next for the character of the Darkling. “I think they’re poised very beautifully for a ‘Six of Crows’ story, which I would be very excited to see,” Barnes noted. “I’m a huge fan of those next two books, which obviously don’t involve the Darkling. I’ve not been included beyond this moment, so who knows?”

Fans are buzzing about a ‘Six of Crows’ spinoff series

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‘Shadow and Bone’ Spinoff ‘Six of Crows’ Has Already Been Written

While fans are hoping that more Shadow and Bone is on the way, things could be in the works for a spinoff Six of Crows series as well. In a recent interview with TV Guide, showrunner Eric Heisserer admitted that “the plan that I would love to have go forward is that we will have a standalone ‘Six of Crows’ (series) and a standalone Season 3 for ‘Shadow and Bone.'” He revealed that they would probably “play around with time a little bit” in order to make both shows work.

To date, Netflix has not confirmed a third season of Shadow and Bone, nor a Six of Crows spinoff. According to Forbes, it is likely that the series will at least get the green light for a third season, since it has been consistently performing well with viewers. Still, some uncertainty remains, primarily due to the high production cost of the fantasy series. If Shadow and Bone does return for a new season, however, fans can be sure that the Darkling’s presence will still be felt in a major way.

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