The first big Shadow and Bone season 2 trailer ushers in the darkness

The Darkling has returned in the new season of Shadow and Bone — but if you’re a fan of the bestselling series by Leigh Bardugo, you already knew that.

The trailer for the upcoming season of the Netflix adaptation hypes up all the drama. Fans have already seen some glimpses of beloved characters who make their debuts this season, but in the new look at the season, they’re fully in action.

Shadow and Bone is based on Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Grishaverse books. The first season mostly followed the events of the first book of the same name — while also wrapping in some characters from the sequel duology, which ended up augmenting the original. The series follows orphan Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), who discovers she has the rare power to manipulate sunlight and possibly destroy the tangible swath of darkness, known as the Fold, that divides her country in two. She trains under the enigmatic General Kirigan, learning more about her own powers and the history of her country. But surprise! Kirigan is actually the evil Darkling who wants to use the Fold to usher Ravka into a new age. The first season ended with Kirigan seemingly dead... but sexy brooding villains never stay dead for long.

The second season of Shadow and Bone will likely follow the events of Storm and Siege, the second book in Bardugo’s trilogy — with some added hijinks from the Six of Crows characters, out on their own crime-filled mission. Joining the cast this season are cast are Anna Leong Brophy (Back, Traces) and Lewis Tan (Mortal Kombat) as Tamar Kir-Bataar and Tolya Yul-Bataar, twin Grisha mercenaries who work under the privateer Sturmhond; Jack Wolfe (The Magic Flute) as Wylan Hendricks, which is most likely the alias of popular Six of Crows character Wylan Van Eck; and Patrick Gibson (The OA) as Nikolai Lantsov, prince of Ravka.

Shadow and Bone will return to Netflix on March 16. Check out the season 2 poster and some new images below:

Image: Netflix

Image: Netflix

Photo: Dávid Lukács/Netflix

Photo: Dávid Lukács/Netflix

Photo: Dávid Lukács/Netflix

Photo: Dávid Lukács/Netflix

Photo: Dávid Lukács/Netflix

Photo: Dávid Lukács/Netflix

Image: Netflix

Image: Netflix