The Black Heretic.

[@TC-jx1bh]

They didn’t have to cast someone as fine as Ben Barnes to play the darkling. Like damn. And he’s such a complex character, what a beautiful villain

[@Velociraptour]

Complex villains/anti-heroes are kind of his specialty at this point.

[@oinkykviko177]

@@Velociraptour so very true!

[@stephenheath8465]

@@Velociraptour I think he was underrated in the Punisher as the villain

[@violetembers2532]

Seriously wonderful casting and a wonderful character. I’ve never loved a “villain” so much.

[@tren-d4116]

He reminds me of hook a little bit, just cause of the outfits honestly 😂. Black leather!

[@leadelmond8141]

@@tren-d4116 Yes ! Like Hook in Once Upon a Time 😍

[@tren-d4116]

@@leadelmond8141 yass!! I'm honestly so glad I'm not the only one who knows and loves him here, was waiting for someone ❤️. I love him!!

[@leadelmond8141]

@@tren-d4116 yesss me too😁 How do they expect us to hate villains when the actors are so hot ???

[@tren-d4116]

@@leadelmond8141 yes!! Why is that🙈? It's almost impossible to hate them when their so gorgeous 😍argh

[@Blackstarr80]

“I won't kill you, I don't need to, time would do it for me” God I loved that whole scene and especially that phrase

[@miruthulak632]

This is one of those series where I support the villain more than the hero. The darkling in the series has exceeded my imaginations, he is more than perfect and he might be a villain but he isn't evil.

[@demeta3201]

But fr he's so complex I love him slsksk

[@erinnetheecat1734]

“He was ancient, I knew that. But in this moment, he was just a boy -brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.” -Ruin and Rising

[@juliette9679]

Omg i reread the book like three days ago. Do you want me to cry again?

[@-Sameen_shaw-]

-----Spoiler allert------- She was in love with Malyen but still wanted to give herself up to the Darkling. Alina was crying when she killed him. Alina never agreed with the Darkling, but she understood him. I am sure if Alina lived as long as The Darkling she would have been as evil as the Darkling. She knows this too

[@ferdousikhanam5043]

The Darkling’s attraction to Alina could just be his attraction and obsession with power but it could also be that after losing so much throughout his life and everyone eventually just dying and leaving him because no one else’s power compared to his, he was glad to finally just find someone who wouldn’t leave him, someone who’s power could be equal to his and someone who knew what is was like to be different and separated from everyone else and not fitting in anywhere. But he also had hundreds of years of pain and suffering and loss which made him want vengeance and for his people to never have to be in hiding, hunted or endure what he had to and for Ravka to be a safe place, a haven for Grisha and he got so consumed by that dream that it corrupted him and he would go to any measures for it and hurt or lose anyone he needed to. He still believed he was right, that he was good and was ready to give up everything he had for it, thinking, that at some point, everyone, including Alina would understand his actions and love him again. This doesn’t justify his actions, but it does make his motives and actions more understandable. It also makes me wish that the Grisha trilogy was from Mal, Alina and the Darkling’s perspective as it would help us understand and empathise with the characters a bit better. We’re stuck in Alina’s head the whole time and only get to see the side of each character she sees. So reading from Mal’s perspective in times such as when Alina was in the little palace and he was looking for the stag would’ve made his actions and behaviour more understandable and him a lot more likeable as we’d see exactly how he felt when Alina was taken, when he was looking for the stag, when he thought Alina never responded to any of her letters and when Mikhael and Dubrov were killed. Reading from the Darkling’s perspective would also explain his attraction to Alina better, make his character feel more real and human and help us understand his actions and motives a lot better through flashbacks of big events in his life that changed him and turned him into the man we’re seeing in the story, almost like how we got the backstory of the characters in Six of Crows.

[@wynterwoods2361]

Well said 🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@LemonSte]

of course they cast Ben for this lol, sure just make it impossible for me to hate the character and not be in love with him

[@jashandeepkaur8203]

if netflix gave him the same ending as in books it’ll be soo disappointing amd unfair , he’s not evil . he just need some light in his darkness and alina is that light.

[@samueljezi6313]

True💣

[@aaronbakst4411]

One hundred percent agreed

[@n.7lovely]

«There was a cheer from the crowd. I couldn't share their enthusiasm. Despite his crimes, the Darkling loved Ravka, and had wanted its love in return.» -Ruin and Rising.

[@millyreha]

The Darkling spent centuries alone, and he was taught by his own mom that he was better than others and no one could match him. It wasn't his fault, it was Baghra's if anything. She taught him that he was better. So when he finally found Alina, an equal in power, and someone who actually started to love him, but still chose a human tracker who was scared of her power and would live a mortal lifespan, it hurt him so bad. All he wanted was his equal to help him make the world a safe place for the Grisha who had been so repressed and hurt for thousands of years. Alina, his one equal, chose a regular boy who is threatened by any other man, a boy who has no power, will die in 60 years, a boy who wanted her to change from who she truly was.It killed him to see her choose him, and so he did what he thought was right. He took Alina's power, because he cares about the Grisha and wants them to be allowed to live as they truly are. Without fear and with power.

[@MaraStaaru]

This! Oh my god, no one talks about how his dumb mom contributed to all of this! You can tell how blunt her personality is but when she told her son, who was a fully grown man, "I forbid it" I knew right then and there that whatever controlling, manipulative traits that the Darkling inherited ORIGINATED from her.

[@ARSTARLESS]

I’m throwing hands at the next person who tries to pass aleks off as just a regular old “evil” bad guy. He’s literally just trying to protect the grisha, we’ve seen how badly grisha are prosecuted and killed and hunted without him there to protect them. He does bad things for good reasons.

[@LemonSte]

I love him but gdi did he need to mutilate alina against her will and try to take her power :( I am hoping they become allies at some point since they're both immortal and will probably outlive everyone else. I want to see him have a redemption arc. I saw someone say that she eventually loses her powers but I hope they don't go that direction in the show because it's lame

[@vanessaprincesssa]

I knowww girl, when they rob Aleks of his complexity and depth, my blood BOILS.... like damn, people support Alina, who has the personality of wet paint. And condemn the Darkling as if THEY would do BETTER in his place?

[@ARSTARLESS]

@@vanessaprincesssa GIRL EXACTLY

[@ARSTARLESS]

@@LemonSte I think because he saw her as so naïve and she believes that the world is black and white that he felt like it was the only way to get her to do what he wanted with the fold which isn’t me condoning what he did but I think it makes sense from his perspective. in the books she basically gives up her powers for Mal and it’s very stupid

[@vanessaprincesssa]

@@ARSTARLESS THE WAY SHE GIVES UP HER POWERS LIKE THEY ARE NOTHING I am still so mad. The book insinuates something like having powers is bad, you just need to be a regular human and I'm like WTFFF Her powers literally made Alina physically stronger, better HEALTH, better eating, better sleep, better skin, better hair. And she was like "I dun want it"..... DISAPOINTMENT

[@justazy597]

I have not read the books but for me, I think the King was threatened of how powerful Aleksander is- will be and that's why he started the war with Grishas. Isn't that unfair to be killed just for merely existing. He may have done wrong choices but I understand where he's coming from.

[@pmparda]

That's how i understand it too. They were useful at war and when they won him the war, they were a liability!

[@julijav9176]

This is masterpiece - all the lines and emotions! Baghras words to Alina about the Alexander while you were showing their lovestory - so gorgeous! We see all the feelings he has for Alina and that hope in his eyes - hope of finally being not alone and understood - their connection in your videio is just something... The Darkling is really comples character and you have showed it really well. Ben Barnes work here is just stunning. Thank you for this incredible edit!

[@angelazayn4878]

The one dislike is from Mal.

[@malypavel25]

Duh 😂 and the other is from his mum I think

[@xmultishipperx7206]

I love this tribute it represents him so well and truly shows that he isn't evil he's been through so much trauma and hurt his motives are actually understandable even though that doesn't excuse his actions. He started to fall for Alina because of the hope that they could truly fix the world, that his people could live a life without being afraid. He honestly thought he was doing the best he could for his people

[@blurrylinesx8039]

Favorite character by far. I think even the crows were made more morally white than they were in the books, which gives the show an almost annoying sense of good vs bad in the literal sense, but to me The Darkling is a perfect morally grey character and the only one who was allowed to be more than just good or evil.

[@plotinkas]

i- no, i- this represents him so good... you did a great job, thanks

[@ananyamishra8372]

Ughhh.. I literally rewatched the season, and fast forwarded to his parts! This is scha well written part, soo well played, and the charm Ben Barnes posesses uhhhuhu 😍😍

[@Akisa37]

Ooooh that was badass ! A really interesting tribute to his character, showing his past, his power, his desire to protect other Grisha. Love it !

[@forestelf86]

Ben is so perfect for this role. I literally binged this series in one day. This is a great video!

[@jashandeepkaur8203]

please he’s not evil, he’s the victim of his circumstances. i hope netflix do justice to his character

[@evas2615]

This is just amazing!! He is just such an interesting character - so complex and beautiful woven/layered. Imagine being this immortal being seeing everyone you love die and your people hunted and murdered constantly - over time that's enough to break you 😦 He isn't evil he's just driven and doing bad things for good reasons. Again amazing video!! Thanks x

[@emahriel]

This is the first edit that has actually given me goosebumps. You nailed it, you managed to showcase the complexity behind his endeavor. He's much more than just an evil person, and this edit is such a good reminder of that. Well done!

[@ivaneChun]

I keep coming back to this video. You really amplified the backstory of the Darkling with such impeccable editing and song choice, not to mention how you’ve highlighted Ben’s acting skills. So good. 👏🏼

[@watcherolic9930]

Darkling reminds me so much of klaus from tvd/originals

[@jessa9877]

Yes, and I love it

[@aaronbakst4411]

I get more magneto vibes from him but I can also see the klaus in him. Both are phenomenal villains and Heros in their own ways and I feel the same about the darkling

[@paj-bn8pe]

Nothing but respet for moi soverennyi 🌘🖤

[@LauADB1]

im spechless before this work of art.✨ This type of video is so satisfying because one really feels that justice is done to these beautiful characters, especially one as complex and deep as The Darkling, it is so unique and his motivations are absolutely valid and understandable, imagine the horrors of living being hunted and watch everyone you care about die (for centuries) and nobody do anything about it. devastating. one of the best counterparts I've ever seen.🖤

[@kennaflores5169]

The air was ashy, breathing was becoming inexorably difficult. My lungs were filling with dirt and the noises all around me sounded muffed from the explosions. My sight was becoming blurred and everything looked incredibly slow as if I were looking through a window at someone else’s life. I looked around me: the Crows were holding themselves together, Inej standing in front of Kaz, her eyes wide with surprise and fear. Kaz was on his back, I couldn’t tell if he was injured from here. Jesper was kneeling next to him trying to say something in his ear but he didn’t seem to be paying attention. All his focus seemed to be on the scene before him: Aleksander was in a cloud of night trying to fight off the king’s army on one side and rogue soldiers from Fjerda on the other. He was on his knees, a streak of pain colouring his face, blood rippling from his torso, ruining his uniform and painting the dirt on the ground. My hearing was starting to come back slowly, I turned to my right were few meters away was his majesty’s army. The General was shouting at me, it took a few seconds to register what he was saying - kill him! - his voice scary as he growled at me like a mad dog. I looked into his eyes and I saw it: just pure hate, for who I was, for my abilities. Hate for something I didn’t choose, hate because I was different from them, more powerful. I never given them any reason to be afraid of me, till a few months ago I didn’t even know what I was. But none of it seemed to matter, they still hated me just like they hated Aleksander and I hadn’t even striked back at them. In my mind came back the memories of Aleksander’s past, not the story they taught in their books about the Black Heretic but what had really happened. - I didn’t know what to do… I was just a boy back then trying to learn to control my power - his gaze was fixed on a distant point in the room but I knew he was actually lost in thought - Me and my mother spent months at a time running and hiding, until one day the guards captured us. I was threatened that they would kill my mother if I didn’t do what the king asked, he wanted me to fight for him. He wanted me to round up others like me and win a war for him and we did. You know how history says that I became greedy and insatiable with power? Do you know what had actually happened? The same night we won all my people were sleeping in the barracks and he sent soldiers for a coup: they killed everyone inside. I wasn’t there, I went to break my mother free of the dungeons but I heard it: high pitched screams like the crackling of fire. By the time we had come out the barracks were burning to ash. I spent the next twenty years running away and hiding my people - I looked at him, he seemed suddenly so young and so old at the same time. The weight of his words and the memories were showing on his face giving away a truer idea of his real age. But his eyes when he looked at me… he seemed what I would have imagined a frightened ten-year-old Aleksander to look like. A confused child whose life had been stolen from him, a child who was victim of circumstances he didn’t choose. I remembered when he brought me to the fountain saying how he had always made a wish that he could be anyone else, he hadn’t lied about that. Mal shook me out of my thoughts, I turned to him. He was covered in dirt and was pointing his finger towards were I knew Aleksander was struggling. I turned my gaze and saw him fighting to not fall on the ground. One hand was keeping his weight from collapsing, the other was erecting a wall of shadow trying to keep off spears and bullets. As if he felt my eyes on him he turned his head and looked at me and I saw it all over again: a scared boy, confused as to why he had been hunted down his entire life just for being different. I looked over the army again and I rose to my feet. Mal tried to grab my arm but I shook him off - Alina, what are you - I didn’t give him time to finish - I am going to help him - Mal’s gaze looked as confused as if I were speaking some ancient language he could not understand. - What do you think will happen once I help them kill him? What do you think they will do to me? - I pointed a finger at the army with rage. - I am the same thing as he is to them: a threat, an annoyance, a bug on their shoulder jeopardizing their power. The only reason I am still breathing right now is because they think they need me to kill Aleksander. As soon as he drops to the ground they will turn against me as quickly as they once considered me an ally. I will need to spend the rest of my existence running and hiding, fighting for my life. Fighting to not be killed or captured and sold off. And Mal, eternity is a very long time to be afraid - I didn’t wait for his reply, I didn’t even look back at him. I didn’t want to look or I might have changed my mind. I started running towards Aleksander. (Would anyone read it if I wrote an AU ending for Shadow and Bone?)

[@annapan1978]

-Make me your villain- kills me every time EVERY TIME

[@BellavedNightmare]

Thank you for giving him justice he really needs. Masterpiece

[@ilovepeanutbutter4427]

Love your scene selection and how it flows with the music, to build up tension I gained lots of inspiration for my own Darkling video from this one Thank you :)

[@heyymari_]

Another iconic tribute 🖤

[@kaeldrarhiannon]

"no thoughts head empty just ben barnes as the darkling" UM, MOOD???? Also, WOW, this edit is... incredible. Beautiful and tragic and heartbreaking, but so very well done. I love that it starts out showing his innocence and the joy he finds in Alina, slowly twisting towards a quietly sinister end. Absolutely brilliant.

[@raniamali7489]

‘This is klaus all over again

[@lew4925]

literally JUST finished the series, perfect timing

[@justmej9364]

You did a wonderful job with your edit - great quotes, great scenes that you put above the text, and even better mixing with the dramatic music. What a fantastic way to pay tribute to such a complex character. Thank you!

[@ariannam2070]

this was BEAUTIFUL, so well done. thank you!!!

[@colpodifulmine8464]

*Chills*

[@anatejera2212]

I fucking love him!! And the fact that ben is playing this character makes it worse

[@oinkykviko177]

Oh damn you didn't have to come at my fragile FEELS like this 😭😭😭 A masterpiece! 😩🙏💙

[@briannaharrisify]

Love the edit and I love him🥺

[@ivanabrajkovic8199]

It's not his fault 🥺and alina should have talked to him...he is hurt and hated 😔 alina should have stayed and give him love,now she is another disappointment and proof he can't trust anyone...but I'm still hoping for them to be together...

[@alexandra9944]

This is tragic

[@dokica369]

I have watched so many s&b edits since the show came out but this is the only one that made me cry. Dear God, Ben is so good as Aleksander, I love him

[@anngedits]

omg this is incredible!

[@naikhemanta]

Darkling is awesome.. This is the 2nd time when I love villan more than hero. Ben is amazing as darkling.

[@braveandblessed9279]

The Darkling is like Loki, the "villain" that we all love.

[@caroline_5746]

Best villain

[@anaritaneves6227]

So, we were supposed to hate him, hein?!? Like NO! 😆 And I'm not the kinda of person that likes fantasy books, series, movies... But damn, this show and Ben made me come back to this genre!

[@erynart841]

I REALLY hope the show is not going to end like in the books. I am really thinking he's not evil. Please, don't make him evil. Just let him explain his reasons to Alina, have a long chat, then let her forgive him with some time. I really love the fact that she is kind of his light : darkness can not exist without light, and the same thing applies to light : there is no light without darkness. I hope they're gonna change the end, his life was misery, it's unfair to end him in a "bad way", just MAKE Alina HELP HIM. Please !!! Also, I want them to end up together if possible 🥲... not a big fan of Mal, he's too horrible against Grishas in the show, he won't be able to understand her like Kirigan could (also the fact that she is not gonna grow old make Kirigan a better choice for her ngl 😂) Sorry for all the mistakes, I'm not an english native ! 😅

[@franchescagiglio7525]

Best mashup yet!!

[@LeBlueRoar]

🖤🖤🖤🖤🥺 amazing 🖤🖤🖤 I love this video so much 🖤 the broken heart of Aleksander 💔 we need more Aleksander and one joy for our true king 👑

[@IsuriniSirisena23]

Terrific edit!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@sunny-kb5iu]

The best fan video that I’ve ever seen ☺️

[@emmaeverett7375]

This video is absolutely perfect! ❤️

[@demeta3201]

I C O N

[@kasarrow]

this is incredible. very well done.

[@mthebluegirl486]

I barely watch a Netflix show over and over again . But I'm ready to swallow every dialogue he said until the next season is coming lol.

[@dimiriose5087]

I've been alone for so long... Not even his mother suport him and you tell me he is bad because he choose to protect his kind?! Girl, BYE!

[@amelialily25]

Wow 😱🤩

[@lili_988]

Madame hooch, his mother is Madame hooch from harry potter

[@jessa9877]

I love complex characters

[@Christianonfire7]

My favorite villain ever to have existed in fiction. 😊😏💞

[@adasukaya7250]

Waoww 😍😍

[@josephrueda1505]

My villains favorite

[@eileno7783]

Aleksander deserves second chance. It is too cruel and easy to label him as a villain of the story... He endured so much pain and loss. Any person can forbid themselves to feel at all. He has a great job for protecting his own kind. I do like Alina's strong character,but I feel bad when she hurts Aleksander 🥺🥺she had her reasons... But it is not fair...bless Aleksander with happy ending 🥺🥺😭💔 Ben once again THANK YOU)))

[@lyzgomes5960]

Hello Grisha Magneto

[@gayathrivenkatramanan7424]

I can't tell if I love Ben more or the darkling ...

[@ewabaumgardt4881]

❤

[@Roisin777]

How are you getting your clips?

[@edsr164]

I am so team Darkling.

[@laetitiaqb]

The only thing isnt cool here, is about his name. I mean he say it in the third book HAHAHAHA

[@jefersonlincosanan4260]

SUCH A DADI.

[@michael21674]

Season 2 was absolutely TRASH!