The Dark Artifices: Lord of Shadows is an Urban Fantasy Mystery film released in 2025 based on the 2017 novel by Cassandra Clare. It was the twelfth installment of The Shadowhunters Chronicles film series. It was released on October 12, 2025. It grossed $510 Million against a $130 Million dollar budget making it a box office success and a major improvement over its predecessor. It received mainly positive reviews from critics.
Plot[]
The New York Institute and Los Angeles institute meet up to discuss conflict between Faerie and the mortal world. The Shadowhunters investigate the high warlock Malcolm Fade who is affiliated with the Arawn the Unseelie King and the Lord of Shadows. Meanwhile Centurions, graduates from Scholomance take control over the institute and help them among these are the engaged couple Zara Dearborn and Diego Rosales. Clary and Jace leave for Faerie but the rest of the institute follows them to save Kieran from an execution by Arawn.
In the realm of Faerie the group is manipulated with visions. Emma's and Julian are taunted by curses as they are in love although they shouldn't because of their connection. The couple Cristina and Mark are also cursed. The team challenges the king to free Kieran in the form of a trial by combat. Emma confronts a Faerie champion that disguises itself as her father although Emma manages to destroy it. The team escapes with Kieran although a Fae handmaiden of the queen named Nene offers to help them and is revealed to be the aunt of Helen and Mark Blackwood.
The Los Angeles Institute is attacked by a reanimated Malcolm Fade who had come back to life and kills Arthur Blackthorn for a sacrifice. He then completely revives Annabel Blackthorn although she turns on him due to a grudge before her death. Annabel kills Malcolm and takes his spell book the Black Volume of the Dead for herself. Meanwhile Julian is manipulated by the Seelie Queen to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead in exchange for the breaking of their Parabatai. The Seelie Queen appoints Kieran as a diplomat between the Shadowhunters and Fae and reveals she intends to take over the Faerie Realm.
The Los Angeles Institute's members escape the attack on the institute by escaping to the London institute through a portal. Emma and the rest of the team meet up with them and the ghost of Jessamine Lovelace helps them uncover the truth about Malcolm Fade and Annabel and how Malcolm abandoned Annabel which resulted in her death. Julian and Emma travel to the church where Malcolm resurrected Annabel but it is boobytrapped forcing them to burn it down using their parabatai bond.
Kit, Ty, and Livvy travel to the Blackthorn Mansion With the help of a warlock named Shade they discover Annabel's memories in a crystal artifact. They are attacked by demons but aided by Magnus Bane. They meet Adaon the prince of the Faeries and persuade him to take the throne after they overthrow and kill his father. However they are hunted by a loyal son of Arawn, Erec leading the Riders of Mannan. The Riders of Mannan attack the Shadowhunters but Annabel manages to retrieve her memories with subliminal letters and she defects to the Shadowhunters side. During the fight, Magnus Bane assists Cristina and Mark by lifting their curse.
Back on Idris the Shadowhunters interrogate Annabel although it causes flashbacks that cause her to take the sword and go on a rampage murdering members of the Clave including Robert Lightwood. Emma confronts Annabel and duels her, Emma is forced to destroy the sacred Mortal Sword. Annabel uses a shard of the broken blade to kill Livvy traumatizing Julian. Then Annabel escapes the City of Glass and is taken away by Arawn the Unseelie King leaving the Shadowhunters distraught and broken.
Cast[]
- Manny Jacinto as Magnus Bane
- Sophie Thatcher as Jessamine Lovelace
- Britt Robertson as Helen Blackthorn
- Paris Berelc as Aline Penhallow
- Ryan Kwanten as Andrew Blackthorn
- Damian Walshe-Howling as Author Blackthorn
- Andrew Barth Feldman as Mark Blackthorn
- Zackary Arthur as Julian Blackthorn
- Mckenna Grace as Emma Carstairs
- Jamila Velazquez as Cristina Rosales
- Ariana DeBose as Diana Wrayburn
- Tony Revolori as Diego Rosales
- Kyle Lowder as Malcolm Fade
- Lily Collins as Clary
- Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace
- Emjay Anthony as Tiberius Blackthorn
- Johnny Sequoyah as Livvy Blackthorn
- Sunday Curry as Drusilla Blackthorn
- Iain Armitage as Octavian Blackthorn
- Bradley Cooper as Johnny Rook
- Maxwell Jenkinsas Christopher Jonathan Herondale
- Iwan Rheon as Kieran
- Danielle Galligan as Zara Dearborn
- Ricardo Hoyos as Diego Rosales
- Serinda Swan as Annabel Blackthorn
- Josh Lucas as Robert Lightwood
- Patrick Gibson as Casper Sterling
- James McAvoy as Arawn
Critical Reception[]
The Dark Artifices: Lord of Shadows received Mixed to Positive reviews from critics.
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 72%, with an average score of 7/10, based on 280 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Our beloved characters now team up to fight faeries instead of demons, The Dark Artifices: Lord of Shadows, is a fitting return to prominence that suggests that this series is not done for." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.
Sequels[]
It was planned as the second installment of a trilogy adapting the novels sequels releasing on October 15, 2024 and April 25, 2025. The sequels were delayed following the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Due to the films box office performance, the production companies decided to delay production and the follow up films Lord of Shadows and Queen of Air and Darkness would be produced on a lower budget. These films were announced for October 12, 2025 and September 17, 2027. Following the end of this trilogy a final trilogy will be produced adapting The Wicked Powers.