Alina Starkov

Alina Starkov was born to a Shu mother and a Ravkan father, both of whom died in the border wars when she was a child. She was sent to live at the Duke of Keramzin's estate, where she met Malyen Oretsev, who became her closest friend. With no visible Grisha power, she was conscripted into the Ravkan First Army as a cartographer, a role she found dull and unfulfilling. During a crossing of the Shadow Fold, a swath of darkness filled with flesh-eating volcra, her latent Sun Summoning erupted, saving her regiment and revealing her true nature.[edit]

Alina is stubborn, resilient, and deeply insecure about her worth. She struggles with impostor syndrome, often feeling that her power is a mistake or that she is not good enough. She is fiercely loyal to those she loves, especially Mal, and is willing to sacrifice herself for others. As she gains power, she becomes more ruthless and wary of manipulation, but ultimately she values humanity and peace over glory.[edit]

In Shadow and Bone, Alina is taken to the Little Palace to train under the Darkling. She initially trusts him and even falls in love, but discovers his plan to use the Fold as a weapon. She escapes with Mal and Baghra. In Siege and Storm, she seeks amplifiers to boost her power, becoming more hardened and forming an alliance with Prince Nikolai. In Ruin and Rising, she leads a resistance, kills the Darkling, and sacrifices her power to destroy the Fold permanently. She chooses a quiet life as a healer, married to Mal. The Netflix series follows a similar arc but integrates characters from Six of Crows and gives her a slightly different ending where she retains a spark of power.[edit]

Alina Starkov has become a beloved figure in YA fantasy, praised for her complexity and mixed-race representation. The Netflix series, with Jessie Mei Li's performance, boosted her popularity, with Season 1 logging 79 million hours viewed in its first month. Fans and critics alike highlight her relatable struggle with power and identity, though some book readers found the TV adaptation's merging of storylines divisive. Cosplay and fan art of the Sun Summoner remain widespread.[edit]