This article contains major spoilers forThe Shadowhunter Chronicles, especially character fates.
The Shadowhunter Chronicleswill officially conclude with its final series,The Wicked Powers, andmany theories have been tossed around about how this iconic franchise will end.Cassandra Clare’s websiteclarifies thatthe final trilogy inThe Shadowhunter Chronicleswill follow “Kit Herondale, Ty Blackthorn, and Drusilla Blackthorn… as they are drawn into the final massive conflict between the side of demons and the side of angels.” The first installment, titledThe Last King of Faerie, is set to be released in early 2026, followed byThe Last Prince of Hellin 2027.
The final book inThe Wicked Powers,The Last Shadowhunter, does not have a confirmed release year. The last book inThe Eldest Curses,The Black Volume of the Dead, has also yet to be released, and considering that it takes place duringThe Wicked Powers' timeline, it will probably be published beforeThe Last Shadowhunter. With the finalShadowhunterbooksto look forward to in anticipation of the lastShadowhuntersbook series, many theories have floated around about what might happen. After thinking about the possibilities,I have severalShadowhuntertheories that I hopeThe Wicked Powerswill confirm.
9Jaime Rosales Will Have Been Living In Faerie
Jaime Rosales Will Be An Important Character In The Wicked Powers
Cassandra Clare confirmed throughTumblrthat Jaime Rosales will play a significant role inThe Wicked Powers. She has also suggested that Jaime will be one of Dru Blackthorn’s love interests. Unless Jaime somehow de-ages, Jaime and Dru cannot be together because Dru will be 16 and Jaime will be 21; they also met when Dru was 13 and Jaime was 18.The only way a romance between Jaime and Dru could work is if Jaime lived in Faerie because time works differently there, allowing Jaime to remain 18 while Dru would be 16 when they meet again.
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Ash will be Dru’s other love interest, and he is 10 years younger than Dru—but inGhosts of the Shadow Market, Dru and Ash are both 13 because of Faerie’s time system. This factor further contributes to the idea that Jaime could be in Faerie until he meets Dru again. Furthermore,the Rosales family history also supports the Jaime in Faerie theory. InLord of Shadows, the second installment ofThe Dark Artifices, Jaime hides a Rosales heirloom that connects them to faeries.
Dru accidentally travels to Faerie for a few moments upon touching the heirloom. Therefore, Jaime might have used his family’s heirloom to live in Faerie for some time.This theory would also allow an excellent opportunity to explore the Rosales further, one of the few Shadowhunter families with no significant storylines other than the heirloom inThe Dark Artifices.
8A Lightwood Family Member Will Die
A Lightwood Family Member Has Died In Each Shadowhunter Series
Of course, I do not want Cassandra Clare to kill beloved characters, especially any of the Lightwoods, who are my favorite family. However,there has never been aShadowhunterbook series without at least one dead Lightwood. InThe Mortal Instruments, Sebastian killed Max—Alec and Isabelle’s younger brother—while their father, Robert, died at Annabelle’s hands at the end ofLord of Shadows. Most recently, Christopher Lightwood perished during a demon battle inChain of Thorns, the final installment ofThe Last Hours. Even Benedict Lightwood, one of the worst people, died inThe Infernal Devices.
The odds are terrible for the Lightwoods, so we should consider the possibilities forThe Wicked Powers. Realistically,only two Lightwoods are safe—Alec, one of the most belovedShadowhuntercharacters, and Jace. Jace is a Herondale, but the Lightwoods adopted and renamed him. Regardless, Cassandra Clare would never kill Clary or Jace, the two who started it all. Magnus will also most likely make it. He married a Lightwood, which makes him vulnerable. Nevertheless, Cassandra Clare spoke about the importance of Alec and Magnus as individuals and as a couple at BookCon 2019, which I attended.
During Cassandra Clare’s panel at BookCon 2019, she spoke about how one of her gay friends had told her that he had never seen himself represented in literature, which was a motivation for writing LGBTQ+ characters such as Alec and Magnus. I find it hard to believe, after how respectful Clare was regarding this topic, that she would kill either of them, eliminating Magnus as a possibility. However,Alec and Magnus' kids are very muchnotsafe. Neither are Maryse, Isabelle, and Simon.Like Magnus, Simon also counts as a Lightwood because he is Isabelle’s partner.
Isabelle is most likely safe because, like Alec, she is one of the most beloved characters, and I cannot imagine Clare being that bold. Furthermore, Clare has alreadykilled a Lightwood sibling inThe Mortal Instruments’City of Glass, so she will not likely do it again. As much as I hate to admit it (because he is my favorite character inThe Shadowhunter Chronicles), the odds point to Simon.There is one vital reason Simon is a contender more than any of the other Lightwoods.Simon’s Thule counterpart—the alternate universe where Sebastian won the Dark War—has not appeared yet.
If Thule Simon is similar to Simon Lovelace, then Simon will likely be the Lightwood to die inThe Wicked Powersto make room for Thule Simon.
Cassandra Clare confirmed thatThe Wicked Powerswill reveal what happened to Thule Simon. Many living characters in our world have died in Thule, whileSimon is one of the only people with two living counterparts. If our Simon dies, Thule Simon can enter the picture; Isabelle and Simon can still live happily ever after. Yes, Thule Simon will be different, but Simon and Isabelle fell in love when he was a vampire. If Thule Simon is similar to Simon Lovelace, then Simon will likely be the Lightwood to die inThe Wicked Powersto make room for Thule Simon.
7Will Herondale Will Reappear In Some Form
Cassandra Clare Has Confirmed Will Herondale Will Encounter Tessa & Jem
According toTMISource on X, Cassandra Clare confirmed during her book tour forSword Catcherthat Will Herondale will encounter Jem Carstairs and Tessa Gray inThe Wicked Powers. Will died in 1937, while Tessa and Jem lived on because Tessa was a Shadowhunter-warlock while Jem was a Silent Brother. Although Jem is no longer a Silent Brother, the two are still alive. We already know Will is not a ghost, but he might have one foot in the afterlife and one foot out, according to Magnus Bane.This detail could be the key to Will reappearing in some form.
It is unknown how Will Herondale will encounter Tessa and Jem. As much as we would love for Will to come back to life so that he, Tessa, and Jem can be happy and together simultaneously, it is unlikely since Ty has already tried to revive Livia—however, she only became a ghost.If Will has not fully entered the afterlife, he might have the power to return briefly, even if he cannot be revived. This would be the base case scenario without breaking any of the world-building rules unless Cassandra Clare introduces an entirely new possibility inThe Wicked Powers.
6Jace Herondale & Janus Will Face Each Other
Jace & His Thule Counterpart Janus Have Not Met Yet
Janus is set to be a villain inThe Wicked Powers, but his level of significance has yet to be determined. He had already faced several of Jace’s friends and acquaintances in our world while they thought he was Jace. However,Janus and Jace have not met yet, although Janus knows of Jace’s existence. Since the events of the short story “Forever Fallen,” Janus has been working on a plan to get rid of Jace and win back Clary. Therefore,The Wicked Powersmight have a storyline that involves Janus and Jace coming face-to-face for the first time.
5Ghost Livia Blackthorn Will Become A Villain
Livia’s Ghost Has Been Tempted By Darkness
Livia’s ghost is set to return inThe Wicked Powers, along with the aftermath of Ty’s experiment attempting to revive Livia.The Wicked Powerswill pay off the warning of resurrecting Livia inThe Dark Artifices, and it is certainly up for debate how that might happen. A popular theory involves Ghost Livvy becoming a villain.Cassandra Clare has peppered some hints regarding this theory in “The Lost World,” a short story inGhosts of the Shadow Market.Livia almost takes over Tessa and Jem’s new baby’s body to live a new life, which would have effectively ended Wilhelmina’s soul.
“Son of the Dawn”
London, Early 1900s (Before 1903)
Janus, Jem Carstairs, Kit Herondale, Wilhelmina Carstairs, Tessa Gray
Devon/New York, 2013
Although Livvy changed her mind and was repulsed by her actions, the temptation to give in to darkness was there. Furthermore, Livvy might begin to resent her ghost form while watching Ty and his peers live normally.The foreshadowing of Livia’s downfall and her potential resentment set up the possibility of Livvy becoming a villain inThe Wicked Powers.
4The Seelie Queen Will Perish Or Be Overthrown
The Seelie Queen’s Downfall Is Inevitable
Let us face the facts: the Seelie Queen’s empire has long overstayed its welcome. The Queen herself is constantly scheming to ensure she retains her throne. Most recently, she teamed up with Janus, encouraging his villainous plans. The Seelie Queen somehow manages to escape her downfall time and again, butKit Herondale’s existence still threatens her reign. As long as the line of the First Heir exists, the Seelie Queen’s throne is vulnerable. While she initially wanted her daughter, Auraline, to rule Faerie after her, the Seelie Queen did not account for Auraline procreating with a Herondale Shadowhunter.
It is unlikely the Seelie Queen will give up her throne, especially since her daughter’s line is tainted with Shadowhunter blood. Furthermore, if the Seelie Queen gives up her crown, she will lose her powers. Therefore, if Kit and the Seelie Queen face off inThe Wicked Powers,the Seelie Queen may die or be dethroned if Kit gains the First Heir’s full powers and his Shadowhunter skills.
3Thule & The Main Shadowhunter World Will Unite
Thule Has Not Been Ruled Out Of The Wicked Powers' Equation
There are many dimensions beyond the primary Shadowhunter world and Thule, so just because Thule exists does not mean it will unite with our world. However, some key narrative decisions possibly suggest Thule will reappear and somehow merge with the main Shadowhunter world. For one,most characters only have one version of themselves—there are a few exceptions, such as Simon, but generally, if a character is alive in Thule, they will be dead in our world, and vice versa. Cameron Ashdown had two counterparts, but by the end of the battle in Thule, only his counterpart in our world remained.
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Furthermore, Cassandra Clare has stated that Shadowhunters will face “their biggest threat” yet, which suggests they might need reinforcements. If the former Shadowhunters and Downworlders of Thule join forces with the Shadowhunters and Downworlders of our world, they might be strong enough to defeat the evil that awaits them inThe Wicked Powers. This theory might be a long shot, but sinceClare has confirmed we have not seen the last of Thule Simon, Thule might play a critical role inThe Wicked Powers.
The Lost Book Of The White’s Epilogue Is A Clear Indication
The clearest indication that the primary antagonists inThe Wicked Powerswill be the Nine Princes of Hell occurs in the epilogue ofThe Lost Book of the White.Sammael gathers the Princes of Hell to discuss Lucifer, an evidently sore and unspoken subject. Sammael wants the Princes of Hell to team up and, somehow, recruit Lucifer as well. Cassandra Clare has confirmed that Lucifer will appear inThe Wicked Powersfor the first time, andThe Lost Book of the White’s epilogue foreshadowsThe Wicked Powers.
If the Shadowhunters are supposed to face their biggest threat to date, the Princes of Hell—including Lucifer—are the only possible answers. The Princes of Hell being the ultimate villains would also bringThe Shadowhunter Chroniclesfull circle after battling lesser demons for centuries.It would be an excellent way to end the saga, providing the most epic battle scenes and storylines inThe Shadowhunter Chronicles.
1All Full Demons Will Be Eradicated At The End Of The Wicked Powers
This Theory Fits The Fate Of The Shadowhunters
When I first learned aboutThe Wicked Powers, I found it interesting that the final trilogy was supposed to call “the whole fate of the Shadowhunters into question” to the point that it would “change their world forever.” Honestly, I could not think of anything that extreme other than Shadowhunters eliminating demons for good and, as a result, losing their angel blood and becoming normal humans. Ideally, that would happen becauseif demons are gone, there is no longer a need for their special powers.
The fate of Downworlders seemed a bit trickier. However, I concluded thatvampires, warlocks, and werewolves would also become humans and just lose their magical abilities. Vampires and warlocks would age. Vampires could roam in the sunlight, while warlocks could procreate. Werewolves could touch silver. Faeries would be the most difficult subject, but despite the rumors of their half-angel, half-demon souls, the Angels gave them human souls and considered them among humanity. Therefore, they would also become regular humans.
The Shadowhunter Chroniclespulls its world-building from various mythologies, but it largely focuses on Jewish mythology, with a secondary level of Christian mythology.
This theory seemed wild initially, especially because I first thought of it while readingQueen of Air & Darkness. However, when Cassandra Clare revealed more information aboutThe Wicked Powers, it turned out that this theory was not far-fetched after all. The Shadowhunters will most likely face the Princes of Hell, andif the demons lose, the fate of the Shadowhunters will be questioned, especially if the demons no longer exist. Lilith died from the Mark of Cain; her soul shattered across the Void. Yes, demons rebuild themselves, but it takes hundreds and possibly thousands of years to do so.
The Shadowhunters could beat the Princes of Hell in a way that eliminates demons altogether, rather than just sending them to the Void. Otherwise, there isnothing else the Shadowhunter world could face that we have not already seen.Shadowhunters have fought regular demons, corrupt Shadowhunters, and Downworlders. They have already faced off against Belial inThe Last Hoursand SammaelinThe Eldest Curses. If the Princes of Hell joined forces, this catastrophe could not end in any way other than the annihilation of demons.
Ultimately, we will not learn the truth until The Wicked Powers, but I cannot think of a reason why there would be no more Faerie kings, Princes of Hell, or Shadowhunters unless demons are eliminated forever.
Furthermore,the book titles ofThe Wicked Powersrefer to last individuals. Who isThe Last King of Faerie?The Last Prince of Hellis likely referring to Lucifer, whom we have not met yet. What aboutThe Last Shadowhunter, and why is there one Shadowhunter left? Ultimately, we will not learn the truth untilThe Wicked Powers, but I cannot think of a reason why there would be no more Faerie kings, Princes of Hell, or Shadowhunters unless demons are eliminated forever.
Shadowhunters
Cast
Shadowhunters is a television series based on the book series by Cassandra Clare. Premiering in 2016, it follows Clary Fray, who discovers her lineage and joins a group of demon hunters called Shadowhunters. As she navigates her new reality, she embarks on a mission to rescue her kidnapped mother.
