Warning! Major spoilers ahead for Shadow and Bone season 1.
Based on the book series by Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone is set in an intricate fantasy world that is split down the middle by the Shadow Fold, a dark entity that was created hundreds of years prior to the start of the Netflix series. The Fold is, in and of itself, an antagonist on the show — people from all over Ravka and its surrounding areas fear crossing through it. Its creation dates back to the Black Heretic, a dangerous figure, but there’s a deeper explanation about its existence.
Shadow and Bone follows the story of Alina Starkov, a cartographer stationed with the First Army, a military regiment fighting in the war with Shu Han and Fjerda. During a mission to cross the Shadow Fold (aka, the Fold or the Unsea), Alisha’s Sun Summoner powers, which allow her to call upon and manipulate light, are ignited. Alina survives the Fold and her powers become an interest to General Kirigan, who is later revealed to be the Black Heretic himself.
The Shadow Fold is discussed often, with the characters surviving it on a few occasions. Rather than leave the Fold’s backstory a mystery, Shadow and Bone dedicates time to flesh out the circumstances leading to its creation. Here’s what the Fold is exactly, the creatures that lurk inside, and how it came to be.
What Is The Fold In Shadow & Bone
Created hundreds of years ago by Kirigan in his quest for more power, the Shadow Fold is a patch of darkness that is sinister and impregnable. The dark swath rises from the ground up into the sky, separating Ravka into an eastern and western region. It also stretches to the northern and southern borders, making it difficult to reach the other side of the country. The Fold has seemingly grown wider since its creation, which makes it all the more scary. The odds are better when taking the skiff, a contraption that looks like a traditional ship but can travel smoothly along the sand inside the Fold. People are afraid to cross it because of the dangers that lie within — this fear primarily stems from the volcra, winged monsters that attack and kill humans.
Shadow and Bone is quick to introduce the Fold and the ominous feelings surrounding it. So many people have lost their lives attempting to cross it and its presence is also behind much of the tension between the Grisha, peoples with the ability to manipulate matter (and looks like magic), and the rest of the country. The Fold has also affected the geopolitics of the area. First Army General Zlatan doesn’t want the Fold taken down at all because it benefits him in his goals to govern West Ravka as a separate nation. Meanwhile, others profited off of it, like the Conductor, who secretly smuggled people from East to West Ravka. As for Kirigan, he wanted to weaponize the Fold to expand his power and to presumably aid the Grisha, who have primarily become soldiers in his Second Army.
The Volcra’s Origins In Shadow & Bone
When speaking about the Fold, it’s not just its darkness and sheer size that are considered terrifying, but the volcra living within, monstrous creatures preying on anyone who chooses to pass. The volcra are large beasts with wings and razor-sharp teeth. They look a lot like overgrown bats, but with rounder heads. The volcra seem to sense humans by sound and flock together when they attack.
Their origin story is a sad one as the volcra used to be humans who lived in the area where the Fold exists now. Kirigan’s sinister creation effectively turned them into the vicious creatures they are — men, women, and children whose lives were lost due to his actions. It’s unclear where the volcra take their prey when they fly off, but the Shadow and Bone characters saw first-hand the death and terror that comes along with them. Perhaps when Alina becomes strong enough, she really can tear down the Fold and offer the volcra peace from this dark existence.
How The Fold Was Created In Shadow & Bone
Shadow and Bone season 1’s fifth episode was a major turning point for the characters and story. Most importantly, Baghra shed light on Kirigan’s manipulations of Alina, who had begun to fall for him. Baghra revealed the twisted truth: General Kirigan was the Black Heretic who created the Fold and he had no intention of destroying it, either. Hundreds of years before he was the general of the Second Army, which fought for the king of Ravka, Kirigan sought to build his own Grisha army to fight back. Kirigan wasn’t happy with the treatment of Grisha, who were ostracized and hunted. Following the death of Luda, a Grisha healer and Kirigan’s lover, he grew even more angry with the king’s aggression and decided to use merzost to take back control.
Typically, Grisha use Small Science, the practice of manipulating matter in all of its forms. They made things from the physical world around them. But, the Fold was created from something far more powerful and uncontrollable. Merzost, long considered an abomination of Grisha’s skills, pushes the limits of Small Science and those who practice it have the ability to create things entirely from scratch. As such, merzost is unstable and dangerous. It’s no wonder Baghra feared her son using it. However, Kirigan sought its power precisely because he was hungry for it, believing he could control it like his grandfather, the Grisha Ilya Morozova, tried to do. Building an army was the goal, but the consequences were dire. Naturally, Kirigan’s first use of merzost resulted in the unexpected creation of the Fold, which exploded from behind him shortly after he whispered a spell in Old Kavkan and forced the king’s soldiers to bend to his will.
The appearance of the Fold in Shadow and Bone marked a major change for Kirigan and the Grisha. Interestingly, the Fold’s initial creation looked like nothing more than a long, dark cloud; a thin wall erected as a barrier. It’s much thicker in the present day and it seems to have expanded since its creation, with Kirigan using Alina’s powers to amplify his own and push the boundaries of the Fold further in the Shadow and Bone season 1 finale. How Kirigan will continue to weaponize the Shadow Fold is unclear for now, but its domineering presence will surely continue to factor into the series’ mythology moving forward.
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