Fuck The Darkling - Tumblr Posts

tw // abuse

darkling defenders act is if powerful men don’t abuse their positions and take advantage of people all the time when there’s constantly allegations of politicians and high ranking businessmen and high ranking hollywood directors/producers/actors assaulting people and using their power and status to prey on people. people in power abuse their power all the time, often towards those who have less power, status, and/or influence, and that’s exactly what the darkling did

Something I spend a lot of time thinking about is that no one in the Shadow and Bone fandom seems capable of comprehending that Baghra was an abusive piece of shit and The Darkling was even more so.

I've seen people talk about how Baghra's terrible parenting had a profound effect on The Darkling. I've heard people say that The Darkling was a terrible person and completely irredemable. Although I've never seen both statements mentioned relative to each other, both are equally true.

I've also seen people use Baghra's abuse to try and absolve The Darkling of responsibility. These people make it seem like it was inevitable that he groomed Alina, killed and tortured hundreds, orchestrated the conditions that led to Genya's abuse, and did countless other terible things. It was not.

Baghra absolutely abused Alexandr. She absolutely was a terrible person. But she didn't make her son do anything. Every choice The Darkling made was his own.

Also, the people who talk about Baghra's cruelty only ever mention Alexandr. They never mention the countless other children she physically and verbally abused.

None of those children grew up to be war criminals, though they were victims just as much as Alexandr. Being abused doesn't make you make you abuse other people. It's your choices that do.

At the end of the day, Baghra Morozova was a terrible, horrible, abusive piece of shit. But The Darkling was worse than her in every way.