Ben Barnes teases 'nastier' 'Shadow and Bone' season 2

Ben Barnes opened up on Shadow and Bone's antagonist The Darkling mindset ahead of  season two premiere.

Speaking to TVLine, the Narnia actor weighed in on his character's psyche that he feels "rejected and alone," especially after Alina Starkov rejected his offer for a joint ruling.

“Whilst he is the evil, toxic, nasty presence that is seething all over season 2, he also feels betrayed and abandoned and rejected and alone – unloved at this point, even by his own mom,” he added.

“He’s justifying the way that he is being, even if it’s not possible for anybody else to. In the first season, he has all these different weapons in terms of his army, his charm, and his skills in manipulation.

In the second season, all that is out the window, and he’s just more full-on rage," the actor said.

The new episode's synopsis read, "Alina is determined to bring down the Shadow Fold and save Ravka from ruin. But this time, General Kirigan is backed by a terrifying new army of seemingly indestructible shadow monsters and fearsome new Grisha recruits.

Even a few battle scars to the face can’t stop the wrath of this Darkling. To stand a fighting chance against him, Alina and Mal must rally their powerful new allies and begin a continent-spanning journey to find two mythical creatures that will amplify her powers."