Shadow and Bone spoilers follow.
Shadow and Bone finally returned to Netflix for its second season in March 2023, with General Kirigan (aka The Darkling) proving himself to be bigger, badder and more powerful than ever before.
Meanwhile, our Sun Summoner Alina had a lot on her plate, forced to protect Ravka from further chaos by attempting to bring down the Fold and Kirigan's reign of terror once and for all. (With some new allies in tow, of course.)
However, while showrunner Eric Heisserer previously told Collider that he's always had a "three-season plan" for Shadow and Bone, Netflix sadly disagreed and officially cancelled the show in November 2023.
With that being said, here's everything you need to know about what's going on with Shadow and Bone season three – and if it will ever return.
Will there be a Shadow and Bone season 3?
As mentioned above, Netflix officially cancelled Shadow and Bone six months after the release of its second season.
"Friends, by now you've probably heard that there will be no season three for Shadow and Bone," Shadow and Bone author Leigh Bardugo wrote in an Instagram post following the show's cancellation.
"The news hit me hard. I'm heartbroken and deeply disappointed, but I'm also trying to hold onto my very real gratitude.
"Most authors never get to see their work adapted. Many who do end up regretting the experience. I'm one of the lucky few who can look at an adaptation with pride and tremendous joy."
Ben Barnes, who played General Kirigan, also addressed the show's cancellation in his own Instagram post, writing: "I was so excited to watch the brilliant, beautiful humans I love so much who made Shadow & Bone take this world, their characters and this story onwards. This part of the journey is sorrowful and I am so proud to have been a part of it."
Jessie Mei Li, who played Alina, previously spoke about the cast's enthusiasm for another round of the Shadow and Bone story in an interview with Collider – and even said there were "definitely plans in the works".
"I would love to go again and finish that story to see what happens to Alina. They've left it in a really exciting place, and I think it would be such a shame to finish the story there," she added.
But, alas, it sadly wasn't to be. As always, we'll let you know if we hear word of a reprieve.
Shadow and Bone season 3 cast: Who will return if it's renewed?
If Shadow and Bone were to return for season three – something that would, sadly, take a magical intervention at this point – we would expect all of the following cast members to return:
• Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov
• Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker
• Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa
• Kit Young as Jesper Fahey
• Archie Renaux as Mal Oretsev
• Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik
• Zoë Wanamaker as Baghra
Shadow and Bone season 3 plot: What would the third season be about?
No plot details for Shadow and Bone season three were revealed and Leigh Bardugo's novels aren't a huge help when it comes to predicting what's coming next, as season two already covered huge swathes of the source material.
The second batch of episodes followed both the second and third books from the Shadow and Bone trilogy in rapid succession, as well as elements from other Grishaverse books including Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
However, that doesn't mean there isn't more story to tell. The season two finale sort of ends where the original book trilogy does, with the Darkling's death. However, Alina and Mal end up with a happy ending after everyone believes Alina is dead, freeing her up to assume a new identity and reopen the orphanage they grew up in together.
Netflix's adaptation veers drastically away from this by splitting the pair up at the end of season two, while also introducing a new darkness into Alina's world. An extension of the series could mirror the books eventually, but there'd be a lot of new ground to cover in season three first to achieve that.
If it does go forward, fans should be prepared for a darker third season of Shadow and Bone, especially if Jessie Mei Li gets her way.
"The way I see it is in season one, Alina a lot of the time is afraid. And in season two, she's brave. And in my mind, the natural progression is going from bravery to fearlessness. Which is really interesting, because I would describe myself in real life as quite fearless," she told Cosmopolitan.
"There's not a lot that will faze me, and I'll just jump into anything. And it's not necessarily always a good thing, but I think it has served me well. But there's also a darker and more dangerous side to that."
Shadow and Bone season 3 trailer: When can we see it?
Sorry, folks. No renewal = no new footage.
But if (and that's a big if) any more news on the show's future is announced, you'll find everything you need to know right here.
Shadow and Bone seasons 1-2 are streaming on Netflix.
Orion Children's Books Shadow and Bone (Collector's Edition) by Leigh Bardugo
Orion Children's Books Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Orion Children's Books Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
Content Production Intern, Digital Spy
After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022. In this role, Iona writes across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. During her time at Digital Spy, she has interviewed multiple Love Island stars, reported from the Black Adam red carpet and, most recently, interviewed the cast of Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
