What race is Malyen Oretsev?

Unlike the novels, in the Netflix series, both Mal and Alina are mixed-race—part Ravkan, and part Shu-Han (in real life, Alina actress Jessie Li Mei is a Chinese-British actress, while Mal actor Archie Renaux is White English)—two countries that have long been at war with one another.

What is Malyen Oretsev?

Malyen Oretsev, commonly known as Mal, is Alina Starkov's childhood best friend, a former soldier of the First Army and a gifted tracker.

What race is Alina in Shadow and Bone?

In Leigh Bardugo's “Grishavese” books , Alina is white, but the Netflix series changed Alina's race to reflect actress Jessie Mei Li's half-Chinese heritage, and as a half-Chinese person myself, I know all too well that “What are you?” is the world's worst and yet most popular guessing game for mixed-race people.

What race is Zoya in Shadow and Bone?

Physical description. Zoya has long, black, wavy hair, brown skin, and dark blue eyes. She is half Suli through her father's ancestry.

What are the races in Shadow and Bone?

At the start of the show, Ravka is at war with Shu Han, a country inspired by China and Mongolia, and Fjerada, which is inspired by Scandinavia. It's not so much a formal war as it is a century-long recurring border dispute between Ravka and its two bordering nations known as the Border Wars.

Mal Oretsev | Whatever It Takes

What country is Shu based on?

Shu Han, for example, is Alina's mother's homeland. Ruled by a matriarchal monarchy, the perpetually warm country rests to the south of Ravka and is inspired largely by Mongolia and China, meaning its residents have mainly East Asian characteristics.

What race is Zoya?

Zoya's half-Suli heritage was only established in King of Scars. And since Zoya is born in Ravka and described as having raven hair and blue eyes, a lot of fans, including myself, assumed she was purely Ravkan.

What is INEJ nationality?

Inej is Suli, who are a nomadic people of Ravka, with deep brown skin and dark hair. Based on her descriptions throughout the duology, Inej could be coded as someone from the Indian subcontinent.

What race is INEJ?

So, reading Inej felt like a breath of fresh air. Her identity as a Suli woman (a South Asian-coded ethnicity from the “Six of Crows” series) was integral to her character, and it was something that she actively embraced. In the books, she had to fight against those who were fetishizing her based on her race.

Why is mal a half breed?

Unlike the novels, in the Netflix series, both Mal and Alina are mixed-race—part Ravkan, and part Shu-Han (in real life, Alina actress Jessie Li Mei is a Chinese-British actress, while Mal actor Archie Renaux is White English)—two countries that have long been at war with one another.

Why is Alina a half breed?

"[Alina] was really ostracized at the orphanage where she grew up, and that's why [she] and Mal got together," they explained. "Obviously, they also wanted Mal to be mixed race, so they, the two of them, the two 'half-breeds,' as they say, sort of have more in common with each other.

What is Alina Starkovs ethnicity?

The series protagonist, Alina Starkov, we are told, was born in the border regions of Shu Han and Ravka and is herself part Shu. In the book series, however, Alina was full Ravkan, Ravka being the Grishaverse's stand-in for Czarist Russia.

Is Alina related to Morozova?

Baghra tells Alina about her father, Ilya Morozova, and how the Darkling is his last descendant. Nikolai also talks about their future as King and Queen of Ravka and gives her his mother's heirloom ring.

Is Malyen Oretsev Grisha?

While Mal is not a Grisha, he does have magical powers, which are revealed in Ruin and Rising. Mal is a human amplifier, which means a Grisha can use his powers to enhance their own.

Are all Grisha immortal?

Normally, Grisha are not immortal in the sense vampires are. However, using their powers grants them health and strength. As Nina points out in the Six of Crows book, Grisha who use their power never get sick, so, unless they die in battle, they can be very long-lived and age slowly.

What is Shu in Shadow and Bone?

The country of Shu Han is to the south of Ravka and is modeled on China and Mongolia. Its people are called the Shu and are known for their golden eyes and black hair, and for living in a country with perpetual summer.

What is Inej religion?

Inej is religiously traditional, often reciting Suli proverbs as advice and general commentary. She feels more secure with knives in her possession, preferably her own, and takes comfort in the strength of her title, "the Wraith".

Why does Kaz have a cane?

Kaz uses a cane with a crow's head handle, due to a broken leg that failed to heal properly.

What does the tattoo on Inej mean?

Inej suffers severe trauma at the Menagerie, which is referred to in the books as the “House of Exotics.” People who are held at the Menagerie are forced to get a tattoo of a peacock feather, which Inej scrapes off the moment Kaz pays off Heleen to end her indenture, thereby freeing her.

What is Wylans disability?

He prefers music and numbers to words, as he cannot read or write because of his dyslexia. Wylan is insecure regarding his disability due to his father's rejection and hatred of him because of his inability to read or write. He does not like being called a criminal yet takes pride in his knowledge of demolition.

How did Genya get her scars?

When she was a servant at the Little Palace, she wore a white and gold kefta. After joining The Darkling, she exchanged it for a red one with blue cuffs. After being attacked by nichevo'ya, or the nothings, her skin is scarred all over, and she has one remaining eye.

How old is the darkling?

The Shadow Fold was created roughly 400 years prior to the events of the series and the Darkling was already an adult by then. An estimate would put him at 500 years of age, if not a bit older. In season 1's episode five, he's somewhat frustrated about Luda's mortality.

Does Nikolai kiss Alina?

Outside of Tashta, Nikolai kisses Alina, and the crowd goes wild.