Netflix’s TUDUM 2022 event brought the first teaser for Shadow and Bone season 2, and it gave a first glimpse of the brand-new characters joining for the second season. Based on the book series by Leigh Bardugo and developed by Eric Heisserer, Shadow and Bone season 1 introduced audiences to the Grishaverse. Most of the action of the first season unfolded in the war-torn country of Ravka and the city of Ketterdam, the seedy capital city of the country of Kerch.
Along with the world, the characters of the Shadow and Bone books debuted in live-action for the first time. Weaving together the characters and stories of the Six of Crows duology and the Grishaverse trilogy was a challenge, but Shadow and Bone season 1 managed it with skill. The crafty, cunning characters of the Crows crossed paths with Alina Starkov, the Sun Summoner, and her best friend, Malyen “Mal” Ortetsev. Meanwhile, the Grisha Nina Zenik and Fjerdan witch-hunter Matthias Helvar find themselves as reluctant allies after a shipwreck leaves them stranded. And all of them, unfortunately, are in the crosshairs of General Kirigan, the Darkling, leader of the First Army and the most dangerous Shadow Summoner to ever have lived.
To survive his wrath, Shadow and Bone‘s characters will need some help. They’ll get it in Shadow and Bone season 2, with a handful of new characters being cast in the past year. Now that the first teaser has been released, here’s every new character for Shadow and Bone season 2 revealed so far.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Book 2 of the series, Siege and Storm, as well as the first book of the Crows’ duology, Six of Crows.
Nikolai Lantsov
The first look at Patrick Gibson’s Nikolai Lantsov is here. Nikolai is well-known to readers of Leigh Bardugo’s books, immediately becoming a reader favorite. Nikolai got his own spinoff sequel duology, King of Scars and Rule of Wolves, set shortly after the events of the Grishaverse trilogy, and with good reason: he’s one of the most interesting characters in the Grishaverse.
As the youngest son of the royal Lantsov line, the ruling family of Ravka, Nikolai is overlooked and underappreciated by his parents and older brother, the heir to the throne. That’s just fine by Nikolai, who much prefers to travel beyond the borders of Ravka under the guise of being a dashing privateer named Sturmhond. It’s hard to separate fact from fiction with Shadow and Bone‘s young prince, who is not often seen at court. Some say he’s a genius, others a madman. Some believe his long absences are him sowing his wild oats, working his way through brothels and taverns. Others respect him for choosing to serve in Ravka’s First Army alongside the commoners as a young man. In truth, very few people know the whole truth about Nikolai Lantsov, who helps cultivate the many rumors about himself to keep people guessing.
Tamar Kir-Bataar
Anna Leong Brophy appears as Tamar Kir-Bataar, one of Sturmhond’s two most trusted confidantes and an unconventional member of Shadow and Bone‘s Grisha. Born to a Ravkan Grisha mother and Shu-Han father, Tamar and her brother, Tolya, are half-Shu. Tamar is a skilled fighter, as deadly with her hand axes as she is with the Small Science, as Tamar is also a Heartrender of considerable talent who wears a shark’s tooth amplifier around her neck to boost her powers. While trying to avoid being drafted into the Second Army, Tamar and Tolya found themselves in the service of Sturmhond, one Nikolai Lantsov, Prince of Ravka, and they are two of the few people in the world who know his real identity. Though slightly reckless, she is incredibly loyal to Nikolai, and serves as his head of intelligence and information-gatherer. Tamar will have a big role to play in Shadow and Bone season 2 as she becomes one of Alina’s most important allies.
Tolya Yul-Bataar
The most well-known casting of Shadow and Bone season 2 is likely to be Lewis Tan as Tolya Yul-Bataar, Tamar’s twin brother. Like Tamar, he’s a Heartrender who wears Shadow and Bone shark tooth amplifier around his neck, just as she does. He’s also an equally skilled fighter, despite his size, but his disposition is much more tranquil and stoic than his sister’s. In truth, Tolya would be happier in a library studying ancient poetry or legends. Spiritual and devout, Tolya considers their Grisha abilities to be divine gifts, and he’s perfectly content with his books and his faith. Still, he’s just as loyal to Nikolai (and later Alina) as Tamar is, potentially even more loyal as, unlike his flirty sister, Tolya has no interest in romantic relationships. He’s handy to have in a fight, as few can best the incredibly skilled and strong brawler.
Wylan Hendriks
Jack Wolfe’s Wylan Hendriks is the only one of the new characters affiliated with the Crows rather than with the group around Alina. As a kid in Ketterdam’s Barrel, Wylan seems an odd fit for Kaz Brekker’s Crows in Shadow and Bone; there’s something more delicate and refined about Wylan than the normal dregs of the Barrel. As Kaz describes him, Wylan “look[s] like a child—smooth-skinned, wide-eyed, like a silk-eared puppy in a room full of fighting dogs.” In fact, Wylan does have a mysterious backstory, and there’s a reason that he doesn’t quite match the usual personality of a petty criminal. Despite his natural compassion and shyness, Wylan becomes an integral member of the Crows and seems poised to be just as important in Shadow and Bone season 2. His knowledge of math, chemistry, and demolitions help the team out of a number of scrapes, and he also acts as a moral compass when the Crows threaten to go a little too astray.
