Shadow and Bone.]
Photo: Netflix
Their character types and their specific relationship — dramatic foils attracted to each other, yet with a deeply imbalanced power dynamic — seem designed to invite fandom discourse. General Kirigan (or the Darkling, as he’s known in Leigh Bardugo’s books) is the villain of the series, who wishes to control Alina and her power and harness it for himself. But he’s also a brooding, handsome, mysterious figure, and at the beginning of the story, his interest in Alina doesn’t appear to have any malevolent intent attached. That dynamic is compelling, even if it is questionable.