Shadow & Bone: Why Inej Doesn’t Kill Explained

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Shadow and Bone season 1.

Netflix’s Shadow and Bone introduces Inej Ghafa, a character from author Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology, and there’s a reason why she initially chooses not to kill anyone. Inej is of Suli heritage and a skilled acrobat, with an astounding ability to stealthily enter and exit any room or building. While Inej puts her knives to good use in fights and various other situations, she is against killing in season 1. 

A member of the Dregs, a group of thieves led by Kaz Brekker, Inej is indentured and lacks the freedom to go where she wants and do as she pleases. When she first appears in Shadow and Bone, it’s revealed Kaz is paying off the Menagerie where Inej was sent to work after being taken from her family. Despite being a spy for the Dregs and being placed in perilous situations, Inej is hesitant to kill with her weapons. When tasked with killing the Conductor, who ultimately joins the Dregs in their mission to find Alina Starkov, Inej asks her friend Jesper Fahey to do the deed for her. 

Inej’s refusal to kill in Shadow and Bone, though never confirmed,seems deeply rooted in her faith. All of the knives she carries are that of sankts, a word meaning saints in Ravkan, including the blade Alina gifts Inej at the end (which she aptly names Sankta Alina). Having been forced into being indentured, Inej’s faith is all she really has left of her old life. Any memories of her family are directly tied to it — Inej’s knives and the necklace her mother passed down to her are physical representations and extensions of it. These things keep Inej grounded and killing likely betrays not only her faith, but the memory of her family. 

What’s more, not killing may bring comfort to Inej — having such deadly weapons and not using them to end someone’s life might be a reminder she can still strive for the ideal of her faith and family. Shadow and Bone acts as a prequel to Inej’s storyline from the books. In The Six of Crows duology, Inej has already killed a few people so it seems notable the Netflix series begins her journey with her rules of no killing. Granted, she still despises killing at all regardless, but it’s not as big of an issue as it is for her in Shadow and Bone. 

Of course, Inej does eventually kill Pavel, an Inferni, to save Kaz’s life inside the Little Palace. Shortly after, she also stabs and kills Pavel’s sister Polina, who threatens to continue coming after Inej as revenge. The decision to kill both characters certainly haunts Inej afterward. The choice to introduce Inej before she begins killing in Shadow and Bone seems deliberate and makes the moment she does betray her personal code (to protect her friend) more of a shocking and emotionally heartrending one. Killing still makes Inej very uncomfortable, regardless of the circumstances, and perhaps season 2 of Shadow and Bone will explore this arc further. 

About The Author

Mae Abdulbaki
(1078 Articles Published)

Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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