Editor's Note: The following contains full spoilers from Shadow and Bone Season 2.The second season of Netflix's Shadow and Bone takes the opportunity to expand the world seen in the first season. With many more characters introduced, more widespread travel involved, and more myths explored, the new episodes couldn't resist making the world even more immersive than before. The show explores the legends of the fantasy world through Morozova and his creatures, but he isn't the only ancient saint to impact the story. In their quest to defeat The Darkling's (Ben Barnes) merzost-fueled army of Nichevo'ya, the heroes quickly discover that little can hurt the shadow monsters. Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) can blast them with light, but they only reform. No other Grisha powers or weapons work consistently, as they can only be hit when they solidify to unleash their own attack. As they look for a solution, Mal (Archie Renaux) remembers an old Shu Han legend about sankta Neyar, which could be the answer they need. Unable to journey to Shu Han themselves, Nikolai (Patrick Gibson)suggests hiring some old friends. So Tolya (Lewis Tan) and Zoya (Sujaya Dasgupta) contact Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) and his team of crows, asking them to chase the myth in desperate hopes of finding the legendary sword of Neyar. While they know it may be nothing more than a myth, the heroes have seen legends ring true before, and if this one exists, it could help them save the world.
The Legend of Neyar
The characters find her story in a book of folklore. Neyar is the patron saint of blacksmiths, best known for forging the sword Neshyener, which means relentless. Nearly four hundred years before the events of the series, Neyar's village was attacked by an unstoppable clockwork army. Neyar created the weapon to fight them off. The Neshyener was described as "so sharp it could cut through shadow." Fighting for three days and three nights, Neyar defended her home from the unkillable army. She only lay down the sword when the last of the clockwork battalion was defeated. The description of the sword's ability to cut through shadow and kill an unkillable army, in particular, catches the eyes of the heroes as they find themselves in a similar situation.
Where Do They Find the Neshyner?
Once they agree to the job, the crows must determine where to go. The legend took place in Shu Han, so that is a start. Though the sword is supposed to be displayed in the Shu Han capital in Ahmrat Jen, there have long been rumors that it is only a fake. Kaz quickly confirms this and learns the real Neshyener was stolen years ago by a collector called the Disciple, so they decide to look for him instead. The Disciple has disappeared, but some pieces from his collection have been sold through a contact called Ohval Saran (Tuyen Do), who has a tea shop in Shu Han, so that's where the team goes. After using the code at the tea shop, Kaz meets Ohval, who refuses to answer questions. However, Kaz is all too familiar with untrustworthy individuals and catches on to the fact that she's hiding something. Believing that Ohval is the Disciple herself and has the Neshyener, they follow her to her house and plan to break in.
The plan goes awry when they are met with lethal security features. The house traps them, and they cannot manage to break their way out. The crows and company barely survive the break-in and their poison-induced vision but don't get the Neshyener. But that isn't the last danger they find themselves facing. Toyla senses a weak heartbeat inside the house, and Kaz suggests that Ohval meant to protect that person with the poison, meaning there's another way in. Yet Ohval returns home from a failed distraction. She fights off the crow with her fine-tuned Grisha abilities. As a Durast, she manipulates metals and other substances but is adept in hand-to-hand combat. But in the chaos, she doesn't see that Kaz is missing.
Who Is the Disciple?
Kaz manages to get inside and find the owner of the heartbeat: an old man (Simon Armstrong) who is Ohval's husband. His presence stops the fighting. They learn that the old man is the Disciple, not Ohval. As it turns out is Neyar herself, making the saint a Durast. But she hides her identity to lead a normal life. In the years since her fight with the clockwork battalion, Neyar fell in love with a thief who stole back her sword from Ahmrat Jen, though as he returned it to the rightful owner, it was hardly stealing. Now, the Disciple is old and near death, though Neyar is still relatively young. Despite Kaz's words, Neyar insists that her love for her husband isn't a weakness, but impressing pain is part of what makes life worth living. Neyar doesn't want to participate in the battle, but after learning the situation, she agrees to lend the Neshyener to Jesper (Kit Young), as she recognizes that they share their Durast abilities. However, she does expect it to be returned. The crows leave Shu Han one step closer to defeating the Nichevo'ya and closer to each other than ever before.
Did Neyar Appear in the Book?
Neyar and her story do not appear in the Shadow and Bone book series by Leigh Bardugo. However, the show incorporates characters from other series in the "Grishaverse," meaning characters who didn't appear in the story being adapted need something to do. The show takes that opportunity to expand into more obscure tales from Bardugo's world. And Neyar and the Neshyener are one example of things not from the original story. Neyar's tale can be found in the companion novel, The Lives of the Saints, which inspired the show's plotline. Yet the concept slides into the show seamlessly. Since learning of her powers, Alina has been named a saint by the religious people of Ravka, and as she learns about Morozova, she discovers he was revered as a saint too.
The idea that Grisha powers can be seen as sainthood is not new to the story and has played an important role. The legend of the Neshyener fits into the story so well because of The Darkling's Nichevo'ya army. Looking for a weapon to defeat the shadow creatures drives the desperate attempt, but it pays off and allows a more thorough exploration of what sainthood means in this world. Alina isn't the first Grisha to be exalted, though she may feel alone. The fact that other living saints are in the world proves that Alina's journey isn't over.